Facial Skin Layered Mapping

 

Part 3.1 – Mapping the Face: Creating the Guides

Before You Begin

Open a new version of the model project file (save to a new version if needed but, previous work should be archived).   Select the FrontSection group and hide the rest.  Open the FrontSectionFlatten action, embed then edit the action and go into muscle mode.

Introduction

First we must figure out what scale to use in AM to guides of equal relative size.  In this example we only have two face sections to deal with but, each must be mapped at the same scale or they will look different.  So we’ll determine this and record the numbers involved on the model control board (e.g. within the EXCEL workbook for the model).  A new sheet can be created for this purpose and later these zoom levels will help us in placing the decals and also, if we have to redo them.

Once we have guides, we need to equally scale these to the resolution we want our maps to be.  Our product must be able to stand up to the various resolutions offered on the Internet but also to those of the ‘silver screen’ – our work will almost certainly appear television sooner or later.  It is even conceivable that our product might appear on theater screens with other ads and commercials commonly played before the previews start.  However, face map resolutions for the later can be huge (typically 4096x4096) and this would impact production time too much at this point.  A close up on TV might require 2048x2048 but given the nature of our product we’ll content ourselves with less, something more in the 1048x1048 range for the general face area.  But the actual resolution depends on the flattened mesh we wish to cover.   Another factor is the smallest element of the map you want to resolve and, for the face, this is the human pore.  So we’ll work with a resolution that will work for the Internet nicely, resolve each pore if needed and also, get by on TV.  If the size stresses your PC, we can do several things including scaling the size down a bit.  But we have to start ‘apples to apples’.

 

Note 1: The following instructions are for Windows.

 

Note 2: All instructions involving Photoshop should work in versions 5 and up, however, pre-version 6 users will not be able to use ‘layer groups’ (or layer folders) and will either have to either preface the layer names with the ‘layer group name’ and treat these as groups of layers (i.e. hide and unhide as if they were one) or, alternately use separate files for each ‘layer group’.

 

Note 3: I can not get “Render as Lines” or “Wireframe Render” to work in the current version of 10.5 so for this section we must make a copy of the current project file (for safeties sake) and open it in V10n)

 

  1. With the all but ‘Front Section’ hidden and in the front view of the Action window, maximize AM, maximize the Action window, hide the ruler and the grid and turn workgroup view off.   Do anything else that you can do to maximize the size of the action window however, make sure that the status bar is showing.  Now zoom to extents (<SHIFT>z) to center the mesh.  Now zoom in until the mesh fills the window except for a small space around the mesh (Figure 3.1.1).

 

 

Figure 3.1.1

 

  1. Now click on the ‘zoom factor’ on the far right of the status bar (Figure 3.1.2) and when the ‘View Settings’ dialog comes up round the zoom factor up or down to an even number (Figure 3.1.2).  Although Figure 3.1.2 does not exactly reflect this, my zoom was 2243 and I rounded it up to 2250.  Click okay and refresh the view (Space Bar).  Make sure you still have a space between the mesh and the edge of the screen.  If not readjust the zoom factor until you do.  Note that if you resize the window in anyway (like turning on ‘Workgroups’) you zoom factor will change on you and you do not want this to happen.

 

 

Figure 3.1.2

 

  1. This view you have just created we will call the ‘Decaling View’.  Open the character model control file (the EXCEL file in the model folder), if needed, create a new sheet called ‘Map Info’ and record the zoom factor you wound up with.
  2. Now do a screen capture (<alt><print screen>) and move to Photoshop and do File->New, take the default settings and past (<ct.l>v).  Crop the excess away from the mesh image leaving a little bit of room beyond the mesh image (I like to have a little play around the edges).  Now save this to <modelfolder>/Maps/Head/wip/SkinFrontSectionRawGuide0.tga (you will likely have to create the Head and wip folders)..
  3. Next close the HeadSkinFrontSectionFlatten Action and in the model window unhide all, select the ‘BackSection’ and hide everything else.
  4. Open the HeadSkinBackSectionFlatten action and edit it.
  5. Go into muscle mode, go to the ‘Back View’ (8 on the numeric pad) and then carefully place this into our ‘Decaling View’ just as we did with the FrontSection  by zooming to extents to center it then entering the same zoom factor you used on the FrontSection before so you get the same relative size.
  6. Do another screen capture and save it in the same folder but naming it SkinBackSectionRawGuide0.tga.
  7. Now you have ‘mesh guide images’ for both sections, both proportioned correctly and, you have a zoom factor that will help in placing the decals which will hold the maps.  We’re almost ready to start creating maps… just one more itty bitty thing…

 

      **** Addendum  ****

 After the ‘guides’ are made both the Front and Back Section need to be scaled up.  It seems I left this detail out – or at least I can not find it.  Both guides will become the ‘work’ files for creating the maps and they must be scaled up by the same amount – a lot.  This will not interfere with stamping the mesh but it is important for getting proper details and also the brush sizes and other steps depend on this scaling up.  How much?  A lot!  The Front section maps for the Monique model were 1796x1526!  Just scale the front image up to that general range and remember what percentage it took you to get there and then scale the back section up by that percentage.  Maps must be kept the same scale so they match up and so brush sizes and other stuff will do the same things.  Scale up now and if you later come across the ‘missing’ step that says to do it (or do it differently!) ignore it and perhaps email me at rusty@virtualmediastudios.com   with it’s location so I can correct it.

 

Go to Part 3.2 – Mapping The Face: Creating the work files.