Head texture creation... what is the best way?

[leigh]

:surprised
That book sure didn't do a very good job of explaining that!

When making textures for a face where you are using photographs, it is, in my opinion, best to use normal projections instead of UV maps. This is because if you use UV maps, then you are going to have to distort the photographs heavily to make them work correctly with the UV map.

Right, now since you are doing a portrait of yourself, I presume that you will model according to a photograph, yes? Well, if your model fits the photograph correctly, then projecting images of the front and sides of your face will work perfectly.

Simply project a photo of the face from the front onto the front, and images of the sides onto the sides (and when I say photo, I mean the photo that you have removed lighting and shadows from already in Photoshop ;), as well as your appropriate image maps for the other surface attributes).

The thing that the book mentions about feathering edges is simple - in order to eliminate seams, create alpha channels on each of the photographs, that feathers off to black on the edges. This way, when you project all the images from the different angles, they will blend together properly. Do you understand? :)

[CarlCampbell]

The last bit sounds a bit weird to my 17 y/o mind... but I guess I'll figure something out. About the maps, does that mean I select all the front faces and map the front to that and the same with the sides? I guess that also that means the alignment has to be perfect... uuuhh... This is what I have so far... dunno if it'll do the trick, I think I'll have to reshoot :shrug:

http://www.kaischaller.com/carl/alignment.jpg

Carl :beer:

EDIT: I guess I'll have to retake photos, yeah, just have someone else take them so I don't move the camera while snapping the pic

[leigh]

Yeah, just apply different surfaces to the front and sides, and use the appropriate images on each.
Alternatively, if you use a multi-layer texture (such as in LightWave), just use a single surface, and then layer the images accordingly.

About the feathering - do you know how to work with alpha channels? If not, I can explain :)

[CarlCampbell]

Yeah, alpha equals the opacity, so when one texture gets to its perimeter, the edges seem to blend into the other one, if the lighting is netralized correctly, of course. Is that it? :)

Carl :beer:

[leigh]

Yeah, just try and get the approximate colours on the edges of each image to more or less match so that the fade in effect from the alpha will work better :thumbsup:

[CarlCampbell]

Ok, but where does the alpha channel come into play? Embedded in the texture? Or assigned in the app?

Carl :beer:

[leigh]

The alpha channel is embedded within the image itself.

In Photoshop, go to the Channels palette and create an alpha channel. Then just create the feather selections that you want in it (ie. the channel should be completely white in the centre, and then fading off to black at the edges), and save the image as a 32-bit Targa file. This image type supports alpha channels ;)

Then, just bring the image into your 3D app, and voila! :D

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