alphachair

[marcel]

:)hi! here is a step by step of this alpha business, with a disneyan chair...friendly!M. http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1032648489cey.jpg

[marcel]

1st sketch of forms http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1032648581alw.jpg

[marcel]

then the making of alpha3d http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1032648638yog.jpg

[Northstarr]

Fascinating!!! :D

[marcel]

:D work for a lot of things;( stay i n disneyfor example)... http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1032648777ivo.jpg

[Mahlikus The Black]

This is amazing! I could treat an alpha like a profile spline to extrude! But better because you can control the grayscale aliasing from edge to center with a vector geaphic prog! Wouldn't that help to make intricate bevels?!?!
:D ;)

[KenH]

That's great! Thanks for showing! I'll try it tomorrow. Just one thing....what size are the imported alphas? 128X128 pix? Does it matter?

[marcel]

ken, I didn't care of the size, usually open in photoshop a 40 by 40 CENTIMETERS, black, and draw on it... good luck with the se alphas... Try if you want with deformation: it's hasard, but fun: for ex, i draw a "chianti" bottle, 'silouhette) make 3d on 9 depth, and spherize: it comes like a perfect drakkar viking... Funny! friendly M.

[Stonecutter]

Hey Marcel, I think 2000 X 2000 as a texture size would give a nice sharp result...I'll try an Alpha experiment, and see how I can do at larger sizes...A VERY intersting thread! :tu: :tu: :tu:

[Slosh]

If anyone missed it, I have provided some info on alpha skinning in this thread (http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=007467) as well as this thread (http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=007471). I made my alphas in MSPaint, using only various shades of gray and black and white.

[Stonecutter]

Here's a 2000 x 2000 Alpha map...

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1032654022axa.jpg

Here's the Alpha skin at 256 mesh resolution, and 3 mesh depth...

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1032654077zpm.jpg

I haven't tried this yet, but mesh depth of 1??? Wouldn't it or mesh depth of 0 give you a sharp edge? I'll try it and get back to you Marcel! ;)


I'm back...Here's a further experiment, still at Mesh Resolution of 256, but with different mesh depths...A depth of zero surprised me, but I try to avoid technicalities, and will leave the explanation to others... :D


http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1032654832zcd.jpg

(BTW, the 'jaggies' result from the default image size...)

[Bruce Gregory]

Don't forget that much overlooked tool - the 2D Plane. Depending on the angle of view for the "composite" object, you can get sharp or curved edges, extrememly high detail, and a much smaller object (fewer polygons) with the good ole 2D plane. If you aren't going to see the back of the thing, don't make one. Also, no Texturemaster to invoke and straight painting techniques are far more gratifying, it seems to me.

Bruce, Gregory

[KenH]

Yep. The floor of my mouse pic is a plane.

[Stonecutter]

Good point Bruce...But since I don't use TM, that's not an issue for me...I just paint... :D It is a 2D painting at the end anyway...And this is basically about Alpha Skinning here anyway. I notice a lot of people on the forum use a plane to do a background...For me that's just superflous geometry. I just fill the layer, and paint my background... ;)