Facial Skin Layered Mapping

 

Part 2.4  – Final Touches Before Mapping

Before You Begin

Open the latest version of the model project file.  We’re done with the cube decal so delete this decal from the model.  Select the FrontSection group and hide the rest.  Open the FrontSectionFlatten action, embed the action, edit the action.

Introduction

We must get rid of any overlapping areas in the flattened mesh.

 

  1. Carefully look over the flattened FrontSection noting any overlapping mesh.  Normally this will only be the ears and nostrils.  You will need to get rid of an overlapped areas.
  2. I can see my nose area is okay which is unusual (Figure 2.4.1).  Far more often you get something like Figure 2.4.2 where the inside nostrils (a) and the sides of the nose (b) have wound up underneath other mesh.

 

 

 

Figure 2.4.1

 

 

Figure 2.4.2

 

  1. In cases like this you must carefully pull points until these areas are exposed and are not covered by other mesh (Figure 2.4.3).  You will get some decal stretching especially in the compressed inside nostril areas but this is okay as these areas can’t normally be seen and then they are they will be in shadows and even if they were not compressing the decals will make them a darker color which is okay too.

 

 

Figure 2.4.3

 

  1. The next most common area and perhaps the hardest are the ears (Figure 2.4.4).

 

 

Figure 2.4.4

 

  1. The interior and the outside lobes are underneath other mesh.  Again we will not worry to much about decal stretching except for the patches in front and below of the ears in these areas you should compare them to the un-flattened mesh in the model window and try to get the size and shape as close as possible.  The ear has many bumps and indentations.  When bumps and indentations are make flat the area increases so the ear will stretch out.  I first pull the ear out and rotate it (for the right ear, counterclockwise) then, pull the inside ear lobes way out so that they are not covered up and I have room to expand the ear.  Then I just start pulling points and stretching out until I have enough room to put the inner ear out from under the mesh covering it.  Another thing you should try to do is keep the splines aligned or arched evenly so that you do not have a spline the snakes all over the place.  After pulling points for a while I wind up with what is shown in Figure 2.4.5.

 

 

Figure 2.4.5

 

  1. Once one ear is done you must do the other ear.  Here is where you really wish that mirror mode or copy/paste reversed would work for you in an action.  Sadly it will not so you must repeat the tedious process for the other ear.  You should wind up with something like Figure 2.4.6.

 

 

  1. If there are other places where the mesh is overlapping, pull points until these are corrected.
  2. At last it is time to begin creating the maps that will give realistic skin to the models face.  Before proceeding, save the modified action out, re-embed it, save to a new version and update the revision notes.

 

Go to Part 2.5  – Final Touches Before Mapping 2