Facial Skin Layered Mapping

 

Part 9.2 – Cloning the Maps and Checking the Seam

Before You Begin

Have your Front Section work file and the Back Section work file created in Part 9.1 open in Photoshop.  Have your model open in AM.  If needed open the Back Section flattening action.

Introduction

Now we just align the areas of the Front Section maps where they meet the Back section and clone in the Back Section maps.

 

  1. Duplicate the Front Section work file and close the original.
  2. Do Image->Rotate Canvas->Flip Horizontal.
  3. Hide all but the Color layer set, select some layer within the set and do flatten visible.  Name the resulting layer Color.
  4. Do this for each layer set.
  5. Unhide the Guide 2 layer and select the Color layer, hide everything else.
  6. Using the Polygon Lasso tool select the patches were the left side meets the back to a depth of 2 patches (Figure 9.2.1).

 

 

Figure 9.2.1

 

  1. Switch to the SkinBackSectionWork image and select the Color layer set then drag the selection you made into the Work file.
  2. Now select the next Layer set up (Bump).
  3. Back in the other image with the section still selected select the next map up (Bump) and hide the color and drag this to the Work file.
  4. Continue until all the maps are copied to the Work file.
  5. Using the Free Transform tool align and tweak the size as needed to fit against the right side of the Back Section Mesh.  Do this for each layer.  Each layer should match the other layers so if you start with the Color layers and work your way up you use the previous size and position to guide yourself.
  6. Now do the same for the other side.  You should wind up with something like Figure 9.2.2 in each of the Layer Sets (Figure 9.2.2 shows the Color Layer Set, of course each Layer Set will have it corresponding map sections).

 

 

Figure 9.2.2

 

  1. Go to each Layer Set and merge the left/right layers.
  2. Now the chore will be to blend each map using the Clone tool by bringing the areas over to the Back Section as show in Figure 9.2.3.

 

 

Figure 9.2.3

 

  1. Then the edges will be cloned to fill in the middle of the mesh (Figure 9.3.4).

 

 

Figure 9.3.4

 

  1. This process will be used in each Layer Set for each map.
  2. Once this is done save this and then save to a new version.
  3. Crop the image down to just the mesh with a small boarder around it.
  4. Hide everything except the Guide 2 and Backing layers and generate a map (duplicate image and flatten) saving this in the wip folder as BackSectionDecalGuide.tga.  We’ll use this as the Color map to position the decal.
  5. Now generate the rest of the maps saving them in the Maps/Head folder as SkinBackSection<map type>.tga.
  6. In AM, apply the new Maps just as you did for the Front Section.  Apply the BackSectionDecalGuide.tga image as a decal first to assist in positioning and applying the stamp.  Then just import the BackSectionColor.tga file into AM and in the new Decal, expand the image and click on BackSectionDecalGuide and change it to BackSectionColor.
  7. Apply the rest of the images in the same order as in the front section changing the ‘image type’ as needed.  Also make sure the map percentage is the same as in the Front Section maps.
  8. Decals will take on the name of the first image applied.  You should rename the Decal to describe what section the images within are applied to.  The decal you just added should be renamed SkinBackSection.  Same with the first decal which should be named SkinFrontSection.
  9. After you are done, perform a screen test to make sure the seam between the Back and Front sections is invisible.  If it shows anywhere check the maps and see if there is some difference between the Front and Back section maps in that area.

 

End