Skinning models

[archvilell]

I am following a tutorial directly from XSI. It shows me how to skin a robot-like thing, which is great since I need to know how to skin complex shapes. The only problem is it gives me the image. But if I don't have an image like that (with the different sections of the model laid out in squares all on one picture) how do I go about making one? How do I know what goes where? The tutorial doesn't cover that part.

Thanks
-Archvilell

 

[Sir Phoenixx]

You have to UVW map the model, and export the mapping as a bitmap and apply it over the model. (512x512, or 1024x1024, etc.)

If you're just going to be making the skins, then the model should already be UVW mapped and saved as a bitmap(it's the job of whoever modeled it). You'll need to put a colored line or dot or something on a part, and look at it on the model so you'll know where it is on it, but some parts should be obvious what they are without this.

 

[archvilell]

You're saying I need to UVW map the model then export the mapping as a bitmap. Right now, the gun is gray. What does UVW mapping mean? Then if I place what I exported over the model I took it from, wouldn't that be going backwards?

I appreciate the help, but I'm still confused.

-Archvilell

 

[slumber]

OK, basically, UVW mapping takes the polygons of a 3d model and lays them out flat. Then you export this flattened arrangement of polygons as an image. When you paint on this image, and re-import back into 3d, the polygons in the 3d model will contain the properties of the corresponding polygons from the image.

 

[Sir Phoenixx]

Then if I place what I exported over the model I took it from, wouldn't that be going backwards?

How would applying a skin to a model be 'going backwards'?

A model is 3d, skins are 2d, to skin a model you need to convert the 3d object to a 2d image, that's what UVW mapping does.

For example, you select the polygons for the left side of a gun, UVW map them, unwrap them so you can edit them, move certain vertices around to try to remove as much distortion as you can, then move on to the other side, etc. When finished, you unwrap the entire thing, and arrange them so they all fit inside the square area taking up as much space as possible, with priority given to the larger and easier seen parts of the model.

 

[Samio]

Yea, you make it 2d so you can get the image into photoshop and start putting the skin on it. Then you export it back into whatever 3d program your using...well..so you can have the skin on the model.

 

[evil^milk]

in xsi, how do you make and/or export the uvw map (once the model is done of course)?

 

[Samio]

I can't answer that, I use 3ds max. Sorry.

 

[evil^milk]

is it a complicated process?

 

[thereisaspoon]

get->property->texture map->pick one
i pick whichever since it dosent really matter. once u picked one, press alt+7 to bring up the uv editor and use the orange projection buttons on selected faces to remap selected polygons.

 

[archvilell]

Ah, I see now, guys. Thanks. I'll start skinning it once I learn more about the process from the tutorial from softimage.com. Thanks for your help.

-Archvilell

 

[archvilell]

I'll reuse this thread rather than start a new one.

In the tutorial I'm following, the guy I'm following has more than one cluster showing on the texture editor at once. How do I manage to do that? Everytime I click a different cluster, the one that was open disappears and the new one appears. This makes it impossible to combine two like it wants me to. (It's the TurboChi tutorial if you wanted to know.)

My guess is a certain thing is activated, and I need to deactivate it. I don't know what it's called or I'd look in the help file.