photoshop dvds books

[Trambott]

Texturing is the name of the general process your looking for, skin shading,bump maps, displacement maps, specular maps and verious other terms also apply.
There are a ton of free tutes on how to do this on the net. It is basically the process of adding a texture map(ie skin and clothes) to a 3d model. I have no idea how it works with 2nd life, but in a 3d program, which I dare say the models were created in, the process basically works like this. Create the skin/cloth texture map, you can get something called a UV map from the model to help with this, which is basically a 2d map of the 3d model. Then when the map is created you adjust the UV's to the texture map, this is the process of applying a 2d map to a 3d surface, and basically thats it.
For more info and probably texturing links, checkout/post the texturing forum of this site,
http://forums.cgsociety.org/forumdisplay.php?f=46

[suztv]

Uhm yeah. Photoshop will be the main program that you will need BUT I would suggest that you get fairly adept at it before attempting a skin. Skins in SL are some of the hardest textures to create simply because the UVW template is a little out of whack.

Other programs that you will probably want to use are 3D painting programs: Zbrush, Modo, BodyPaint 3D, or DeepPaint 3D. I also found a plug-in that works directly with Photoshop called ENZO but I feel that the programs still has a lot of bugs and needs more development before anyone should plop down $300. Another program is AV Painter - this you can find on SLExchange and it is a great little tool for correcting little smudges or correcting "problem" areas, the best thing about that program is that it only costs about $10. Click here to see the listing on SLExchange: AV Painter
(http://www.slexchange.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&Remind=1&SearchLocale=0&SearchKeyword=AVPainter&SearchLocale=0&SearchPriceMin=&SearchPriceMax=&SearchRatingMin=&SearchRatingMax=&sort=&dir=asc)
Google "digital skin creation" or "digital skin painting tutorials" and you will find a mountain of information. Below I have included a few links:

Reference photography:
http://www.3d.sk/
http://fineart.sk/
http://www.artmorgue.com/
www.deviantart.com (http://www.deviantart.com)

Programs:
BodyPaint (http://www.maxon.net/pages/products/bodypaint3d/bodypaint3d_e.html)
ENZO (http://www.electriciris.com/)
Modo (http://www.luxology.com/)
Photoshop (http://www.adobe.com/)
Gimp (http://www.gimp.org/windows/)
Zbrush (http://www.pixologic.com/)
3D Max (http://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=BkPW3DudoSIqVEY7KeNfDqJgM9uruQtT_gdcFwuyZiAzQ0j0IABABGAEgtlQ4AVDf5PKTBmDJvrmH4KO0EMgBAYACAcgCupuOBNkDY0NbKMxtvj7gAwA&sig=AGiWqty2ZP_1KhioVLS6ZM9rQTgGJaiaPQ&q=http://rd.clickshift.com/rd%3Ftid%3D501676813%26cid%3D4030%26pri%3D10%26eid%3D641622%26url%3Dhttp%253A//offers.autodesk.com/7/m_e/3ds.php%253Futm_term%253Dmax%252B3d%2526utm_content%253D501676813%2526utm_medium%253Dcpc%2526utm_source%253Dgoogle%2526utm_campaign%253D1204)
Maya (http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?id=7635018&siteID=123112)
Blender (http://www.blender.org/)

Tutorials:
http://www.gfxartist.com/features/tutorials
http://www.idigitalemotion.com/tutorials/guest/flyaway/flyaway.html
http://www.computerarts.co.uk/tutorials/3d__and__animation/perfect_digital_skin
http://planetpixelemporium.com/tutorialpages/skin.html

Go to google and type in "digital skin tutorials" "Skin Shaders" "UVW Skin tutorial" "Second Life Skin Tutorial"

Check out the ZBrush forums as there are a lot of SecondLifers that use ZBrush and they may have advise. Also the SecondLife forums have a TON of advice and tutorials there. You won't be able to create a great skin your first time out - no matter how experienced or proficient you are at photoshop, but with practice you will accomplish your goal. While I support any endeaver into creating - please realize that this will not make you rich. I think a lot of people get the wrong idea about SL and go into it thinking they can make a killing.

Hope this information helps and feel free to PM me here or in-world, my avatar name is Sioxie Legend.

***EDIT***
Ballistic Publishing has a couple of books on Digital Skin painting and the like:
http://www.ballisticpublishing.com/books/dartiste/digital_painting/

found a tutorial here in the SL forums: http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=246059
but you have to be a premium or verified member to view.

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