if beauty is truth, is truth beauty?

[cneofotistos]

is a question, which has little to do with the problem at hand.
ok, I'll need some help on this;

following a question of mine in a previous post, I now rephrase the problem;

how can we import an .obj file created from, say, poser4 *along with its respective texture* in Zbrush. thank you...

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

my renderosity gallery (http://www.renderosity.com/gallery.ez?ByArtist=Yes&Artist=cneofotistos&Form.sess_id=6763233&Form.sess_key=1001616958)

[Digits]

Hi Chris, I don't have poser but have you looked at Southern's Poser tutorials? You might give them a look

Southern Graphics Tutorial Page (http://www.southerngfx.co.uk/general/tutorials/tutorial.htm)

As for your question hmmm.. I don't think there is an answer for that. Beauty after all is in the eyes of the beholder. Truth is often referred to as the "Ugly Truth" but it often can be a thing of beauty. What is truth thou? it is not an it, so it probably doesn't look at all like Rock Hudson or Cheryl Tiggs. And as Paul Simon often says (was it Jim Groce?) "One Man's Ceiling is another man's floor" Isn't that the lovely truth :)

[ZBC Moderator]

When importing into ZBrush from Poser, you may need to export the texture separately from the object, then bring it into ZBrush. Maybe a Poser user can ellaborate... ?

-ZuZu :)

[aurick]

Poser handles its OBJ exports a little differently from many other 3D apps. When you export an OBJ from Poser, it only gives you the geometry and the UV mapping. The texture is completely separate.

Theoretically, you can take the object, import it into another 3D app, and then wrap the texture back onto it. I haven't worked with anything other than Poser and ZBrush so far, though.

As for ZBrush, I've never been successful at wrapping a texture to an imported object. When ZBrush imports, it either does not keep the UV coordinates, or it simply ignores them when wrapping textures.

The only solution that I can think of off hand (and I haven't tried this, yet) would be to export your object from Poser, then take it and the texture into Deep Paint 3D with Texture Weapons. In that, I believe that you can change the mapping to math ZBrush's Mercator projection style. Texture Weapons will then recreate the texture to fit the new UV's. You could then export the object again and save the new texture map. When you then finally import them into ZBrush, they should work fine. Of course, there are two drawbacks to this. One is that Deep Paint 3D and its Texture Weapons plugin are very expensive. The second is that once you finish in ZBrush, you have no way to get the UV's and texture changed back into the original Poser format. However, you could reimport the object back into Poser as a brand new figure, which would then make use of the new texture map correctly.

Whew! I'm thinking that maybe I should change my Wish to be for ZBrush to use other UV-Mapping systems... ;)

Hope that helps you out a bit, anyway. I have DP3D:TW, so I ought to give it a try just to see if the process works...

[Kathy]

I would agree with auricks thoughts.

texture maps are just not read or expressed the same in these 2 apps.

As for your question, the answer is no.

Have you ever seen a beautiful woman. She won't tell the truth about her age, her plastic surgery and a few hundred other things. ;)

[filament9]

Hmmm... your post has still got me thinking!
Well, I ewnt and played about for a bit, and here's what I found: ZuZu is quite right about the method of importing from Poser into Zbrush. I took a run at it this way:
:b1: open you poser model in, well, poser. When you create your figures, they are assigned UV cooridinates(misspelled that didn't I?). What the means to you, is that you won't actually need to apply a texture at all, while still in Poser.
:b2: Export your model as an .obj. Fire up Zbrush and useing the Polymesh tool, import your new .obj.
:b3: Now over to the Textures panel. Go to Inventory and import your poser texture. It'll come in right side up in the preview window. I sat here thinking "well bingo! That worked.... oops. Hmmmm... The facial textures where somewhere around the model's ankles - even though the texture appeared, as I said, "right side up." Flipped it vertically, and there it was.
Give it a try, and let me no if you have any problems. I will be happy to fiddle about some more until we sort this one out
:)

[aurick]

Way to go, Filament!

I just tried importing the Victoria2 head into ZBrush and applying one of her stock textures to it. Sure enough; flipping the texture vertically solved the problem.

Now I see some amazing possibilities in store: Imagine painting on a character or object in ZBrush, then using 3DCopy to transfer what you've done back to the original texture. :D

Three cheers for Filament! Something as deceptively simple as flipping the texture. Geez....

[cneofotistos]

thanx all! aurick, fil, great job.
however, there's one drawback:

what I really want to do is;

export (from Zbrush) seperate textured body parts, and import a full body with a "stitched together" texture (of all the individual body parts).

forgive me if I missed it, but how do I do that?

I think I've just got a bright idea about this, I'll try it out. however, please tell me your thoughts, guys.

my gods what a great forum :)

:tu: :tu: :tu: :tu:

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

my renderosity gallery (http://www.renderosity.com/gallery.ez?ByArtist=Yes&Artist=cneofotistos&Form.sess_id=6763233&Form.sess_key=1001616958)

[cneofotistos]

P.S.: "if beauty is truth, is truth beauty", along with "what is the sound made by one hand clapping (probably "cl")" are two of the most ancient and stupid philosophical problems. they are the ones that people make fun of the greek philosophers for.
in fact those times were a bit silly. however it is NOT true that "eureka" means "bring me a towel" lol :) :)

[ZTY58D]

i have been having the same problem...with trying to skin a low poly character. (those polygons are actually quads)



Ok...all the credit goes to Drawing Troll for giving me the links...if he didnt i would be helpless. Been spending the last week learning from online tutes.

First thing you do...before you read any further...is download the freeware Lithunwrap (http://www.geocities.com/lithunwrap/) or Uv Mapper (http://www.uvmapper.com/) -which actually has an online tutorial using a poser models.

Now you will also need some kind of other 3d App that will allow you to group your polygons into seperat groups and colors. (if you are exporting from poser...everything is already grouped...and you can go straight to work)

Once you got all that...you are set to go. I advise doing the tutorial to the software...which will explain planer mapping and all that other stuff.


Step.1: you need to make this http://wsphotofews.excite.com/038/jk/Om/Zu/lR21417.jpg

specifically...the black version... i did this one in Lithunwrap cuz it works with .3ds format and i prefer the interface over the other one i mentioned. In the process you actually create a new model with these uvs....you cant use this texture on the old model.

...then import the new model (i use obj)...and then import the UVmap that you just made(it should be a .bmp) and apply it to the model. you will have to flip the texture for it get right...and then you will have a fancy model with lots of lines on it:

[img=http://wsphotofews.excite.com/036/D1/nw/Vr/gZ20166.jpg


i think if you got this far...everything else u should be able figure out on your own. I actually had a version of the front and side painted before i had uvs...and with this i just used 3dcopy with the new model and new uvs...which gave me the colore version that you see.

Once you got that done...you can go in photoshop or better yet...Zbrush and you can refine the texturemap as you like. If i were to correct myself in this process...i would make the UVs map more proportional so that it would be easier to edit later...

Another note....if you are using planar maps. I advise making groups from front, side, back, and top. I am still figuring this out a bit....so any advice is priceless.

cheers,

mason

[ZTY58D]

this is the model without the map...

http://wsphotofews.excite.com/035/cz/AA/fD/Rc60174.jpg]null

[ZTY58D]

http://www.infopop.com/artwork/footer_logotype.gif

[ZTY58D]

grrr....
http://wsphotofews.excite.com/035/cz/AA/fD/Rc60174.jpg

[ZTY58D]

and this is the model with the map

http://wsphotofews.excite.com/036/D1/nw/Vr/gZ20166.jpg

[cneofotistos]

thanx mason. I'll try it out, although I'm not sure it is actually what I need. seems close enough, however.

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

my renderosity gallery (http://www.renderosity.com/gallery.ez?ByArtist=Yes&Artist=cneofotistos&Form.sess_id=6763233&Form.sess_key=1001616958)

[filament9]

Way to go mason! :tu: I have uvmapper, and didn't even think of it. :D

[Kathy]

FABULOUS!

Nice nice nice!

GREAT surfer dude, DUDE!

[drawingtroll]

happy to see you're such in th eright track ,Mason :)


"that it would be easier to edit later..."

yep, that's the key.

I am tired to write much today, but still will give you some advice: first, some new converters: 3dto3d, (it allow you to put smoothing into your model) and wctopov, another several formats-converter.

Well...maybe you should not try to make so much chunks. It was my first error. try to make bigger areas. Also, if game engine allows, use cilindrical mapping everytime. For torso, one piece and put the seam at the back spine, it wont bee seen there. It is supposed to work better so, have not tested. You 'll have then 2 seams less to fix. Every time you have a seam, try to use stamp or chose same color as the piece which is adyacent in 3d. They have to be "seamles":You can even position parts so that you can put them joined togheter, even weld vertex. I 've read this last thing but didnt tested.

But most of all...don't make face so small...you have lots of not used space there...take in consideration a game engine uses 512 pixels textures as much ...u gotta use all the space...make the face MUCH bigger...is where you're gonna put more detail. Make bigger the torso , also. The hands, because fingers will not even be able to be painted.

You can scale, mirror rotate in lith, I think you can even weld UV vertex (---&gt;no seams)

Oh, and in UV Mapper, go to help/shortcuts...MANY functions are not in the menus...t key triangulates the model. ' key hides non selected...

Seems that Lith at the end is more powerful, but in saving dialog and recognizing types of groups, uvmapper wins. So use both as told.


I did know that of zb flipping obj in import. No problem, go open the model in uvmapper, and when u save, click on "flip uv vertically" .You'll be done.

I think it is better than flip texture, cause you prefer to have always the texture ready to be 2d painted.Yes much of retouch involved.

Never break the face as u did. It gives you terrible seams...if ur gamne engine makes you do only planar maps (are u sure of that..it will be terrible) you can always use unfold method...if u told you use max, you can use chilliskinner plugin...it makes automatically and well...but...I think scarecrow tut had a great workaround fo not needing nothing of that...


well, enough for today...try to paint pink color over face seams, you'll have to make that on adobe or so.Paint on the borders, it is seen a dark seam.