problem at mapping texture

[cneofotistos]

how do I map my "bad moon orc - coat of arms" (see previous thread) onto the face of a disc, without distortion? (i.e. the disc rim should coincide with the rim of the image)

as you see, many problems arise when one inexperienced tries to indulge oneself in a complex project...

sorry for bugging you with difficult questions.
:)

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> a troubled artist is no surprise <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[aurick]

There are a couple ways to do it. One would be to draw a hi density Circle3D above the image, making sure to match the size and position perfectly. The use the 3DCopy command to transfer the colors.

Rather than doing that in this case, though, I'd do something a bit more sophisticated.

:b3: In ZBrush, use the MRGBZGrabber to grab the image. Export the resulting texture.

:b3: In Photoshop (or similar), set the texture dimensions to anything that you want (so long as they are square!). You also want to put a black background down (just as if you wanted to use the texture transparently in ZBrush, but you can't do that since there is black in it -- parts of your image would disappear, in addition to the background). Once you've saved it, the next step is to select your black background, only. Invert your selection so that the disk is the only part that you've selected. Fill that with white. You now have a white circle on a black background. Invert the colors for the entire image, changing it to a black disk on a white background. Save this texture, too.

:b3: Back in ZBrush, select the Plane3D tool and use the initialize settings to max out its mesh. Load the black and white texture as an alpha. In Tool:Modifiers:Selection, use the alpha as a mask and Hide Points. Now your Plane3D looks like a Circle3D. "Why go to all this effort, when I could have just used the Circle3D," you ask? Because now, when you load the color version of your texture and draw the object, the texture perfectly fits your circle!

Hope that helps you out. I went nuts for a while, trying to figure out how to use a texture transparently when it had black in it. You can't of course, but this method is a sweet workaround that I personally feel is a little sharper even than texture transparency. The results seem a little cleaner, to me.

[Kruzr]

Hi Cris . . . :)

I see Aurick has already answered your question, with a very good & in-depth answer I might add. Oh Well, I'll post my answer anyway. :rolleyes:

What I did here is:

1st: I took your "Orb" image into PhotoShop & removed everything surrounding the actual orb, then filled the surrounding area with solid black ( 0-0-0 ). I then cropped the entire image to where the top, bottom & both sides came very close to the main circle part of the image & saved the image in .BMP format.

2nd: After opening Zbrush, I loaded the "Plane3D", increased the "Sdivide & Hdivide" to the max & drew it on the canvas. Then, while in "Edit" mode "T-key", I selected the "Basic Material#2" & imported your edited "Orb" image. After the image appeared I selected the "Transparent" tab in the Textures window, to cause all, "0-0-0" Black colors, to become transparent. I created another layer & in it I used the "Ring 3D", with some alterations for the size of the inner radius, for the trim around the "Orb". I gave it the "Reflected Map" Material for a shiny metal trim appearance. Then I rendered the image. :D

When using the "Plane3D" Tool, any image appears just as it would on any screen, with out any distortions, & if you edit the image before applying it, with a "0-0-0" solid black color, any areas with the color "Solid Black", becomes totally transparent. ;)

I hope this will help you some more in your quest with Zbrush. If you have any further questions, please ask & I or someone will try to help. Have a good one . . . :cool: Mark.

Good morning Aurick, I hope you don't mind me adding to, or duplicating, your wonderful suggestions??? :D :D :D

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1002047255fic.jpg

[cneofotistos]

thank you aurick and kruzr. it worked out a treat! I knew it from the moment I saw it - what a bloody (stupid fellow) I have been.

you know how much I -and everyone on this forum- admire the both of you, old darlings :)