Making the actual map for your object.

At this stage it really helps if you still have the spline cage for the object you want to make a map for. If not - it doesn't matter all that much - it just makes things a little less cluttered visually - anyway load your model into modeller - place it in the view you want to map - some quick tips here for modeller display:

Numerical keyboard (The one on the right!)

7 Gives Top View - full screen
9 Gives Preview - full screen
1 Gives Face View - full screen
3 Gives side View - full screen
4 & 6 shares on the screen 7 & 1 and 9 & 3 respectively
5 Gives all four views

(Note: You have to manually configure these holding down the alt key with whichever letter you want for that view!)
if you do or don't have the spline cage:

Now with the object in the view you require click display options "d" ; Verify the correct viewport and choose these setting:

Now press "a" to make the object fit the screen - use the polygon lasso - selection with "]" key or the surfaces panel to select the objects you don't want to see and hide them with the "-" key. Then using the infamous "Print Screen" button capture it and transfer it to your graphics editor.

If you had the spline cage you'd get this:

And if you didn't have the spline cage - you'd get this:

We'll now use these as painting templates for our texture map.

Making the final map in Photopaint.

I'm going to use the non-spline capture for the rest of the tutorial for those of you who don't have them - i.e. downloaded model that you want to retexture -- just to show you it matters not to the final outcome. Now in Photopaint crop the image to the edges of the object - like so:

Now - make sure that you have the Objects/Channels roll-up displayed and click on the layers button and you'll see this :

The file is now the background object.

Click on the indicated button to add a new layer - think of layers as sheets of paper - layers allows you to have many sheets of paper ontop of each other - some visible - others not - some transparent - others not - you control how they are finally merged and can create a single graphic from elements that you choose. Select your new layer and color it completely black with the fill tool. The box around the preview means that layer is selected for applications of filters etc.. more than one layer can be selected at a time. The pencil means that the layer is selected for direct editing - only one layer at a time; and the eye toggles the layer on or off - i.e. you can see it or you can't.

Every time you create a layer it will be constrained to the same size as the initial background layer and it will initially be transparent until you paste an object or adjust it directly.

Now create another new layer - select it for editing make the black layer invisible and you will have a transparent layer through which you can see the background i.e. your template of your object. With the new layer selected pick a nice brush with a soft edge (adjust the brush using the Tool Settings roll-up) and pick a base colour for your object and paint over the template - remember you're not painting the template but the new transparent layer - just like old style animating.

Paint over the edges of the template to ensure there are no problems when applying the map in Layout later.

Now here comes the fun bit:

Make a new layer - if you haven't done so already make the layer above transparent as I have done -- so that you can see the template. Select the new layer you made for editing and then load up the texture you made earlier into the Graphics editor.

You should now have two files open - the one we've been working on and the texture file. Make them both full screen size and then select the texture so that it's the one you can see - use the windows drop down menu to select the window you want to see.

Now get the clone tool - ensure you have the clone tool set with a nice soft edge so that it will blend well with the base colour later - place it roughly in the centre of the texture and press ALT + Right click your mouse - the cross hair should stay put.

Then select the other window and start cloning the texture to the new layer you made earlier - using the template as guide to where you want it to be.

Concentrate only on one half of the object - as this map will require symmetry - we'll deal with it later - for non symmetrical maps just cover the area you require.

Finishing Up.

This is what you are aiming to get after you've cloned your texture to the new layer - if you find that at certain points you stop cloning the texture - it's because it's source has run to the edge of the clone source image- so go back to reset the clone source point -- return to the layer and continue cloning - the soft edge of about 85-100 will ensure that it blends well.

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If the colour looks to vivid - don't worry - that will be sorted out later too -

This part deals with achieving the veining effect of the Minbari-Vorlon hull and to do that we use the eraser tool with a soft edge of about 95-100 - working on the new layer you created just now -- start erasing parts of the texture that you don't want - but to make it easier for your eyes and judgement -- make the layer about 50% transparent first so you can see the hull template and erase at the points you require - a good idea would be to make the base coat invisible here to stop it cluttering your view.---Again only concentrate on the one side -- I used the mask tool to erase down the centreline of the hull before I started erasing.

 

 

Nearly done now!

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