Hi,
I went through the 5 examples contained in the Texture Master script file and was absolutely impressed! The example of the imported rhino used Planer Mapping yet seemed to produce an undistorted texture map for the rhino, did the rhino use its own uv map on import or did it really use the planer mode, or was it cylindral?- can’t remember.
If the rhino was given a new uv map then I am astounded! Am I confused or what?
Patrick
Hi Patrick!
I have a feeling that the TextureMaster script is going to prove to be just about the greatest thing for ZBrush since sliced bread. It uses functionality that the program has had for some time, but creates an interface for it that makes the 3DCopy process a joy.
Anyway, to answer your question, ZBrush did not change the UV coordinate mapping for the Rhino. It uses the same planar system that was embedded in the rhino upon import. The easiest way to answer your comment that it painted without distortion is that it allows you to paint directly upon the wrapped texture, rather than having to think about the unwrapped plane.
Think of a globe, which is also a mercator projection-mapped sphere. The map shows massive distortion at the poles. But wrap the map onto the sphere again, and the distortion disappears. Paint on those poles, and you can do so without any distortions at all. The map distorts itself appropriately when you unwrap it again.
Are you familiar with DeepPaint3D’s Texture Weapons? The best-loved feature of that program is that it uses a “projection painting” method. It lets you paint on a flat surface above your 3D object, then have that plane wrapped onto the object directly below. Pixolator’s TextureMaster does something very similar, but lets you paint directly on the object’s geometry before transferring the colors to the texture. Which makes it a far more intuitive, and far more user-friendly, method of texturing.
I think we’re all hoping that the next version of ZBrush will have the TextureMaster built in, rather than as a ZScript! But even as it is – what fun!