Render Or Texture First? What is the convention?

[TimWoods]

get the model and texture finished first before starting to animate.although with character studio you can return to the base da vinci pose at anytime. but i think its better to finish it all before starting something else, just complicates things i guess.
:D

[Dave Black]

I'd also suggest at least adding a morpher modifier under physique too before you add the modifier, as it may come into play later.

And I agree 100% with Tim Woods. Textures first, then rigging.

-3DZ

:D

[ssalo]

Basically I agree but you should sort of like "test rig" crucial parts of your character before starting texturing and (especially) unwrapping it because later you may find that there's not enough mesh density in those places and all you careful unwrappings are therefore waisted because you have to add more polys to mesh.

[Aaron Moore]

I havn't don extensive rigging, but it is definatly good procedure to test your mesh out before texturing as adding segments and what not will screw up uv coordinates. You can begin with a base texture (usually some kind of a checker patter) then do a test rig... this will let u check texture stretching and what not... fix any mesh related issues first then, finish texturing...

Maybe people skip this procedure and although most of the time it is alright, it is possible that the mesh will not deform properly.

Most production environments begin animating characters well before the final mesh is complete, so its not wrong to do it, but be sure that the rig is accurate to your character because you can NOT change that at a later point without a lot of work

-Aaron

[ssalo]

When you are more experienced you will sort like of know how to model for animation (using edlgeloops is a key) and you will mesh will be allright in first place.

Of course you can start animating you character before modeling is finished but then you mesh has to be linked to some sort of lattice and that lattice is linked to your rig. I don't how to make that kind of lattice in max without scripting but in maya this is quite easy I've heard.

[Mastertetsuo]

Thanks for all the advice people!:)
You have definately given me a few things to think about.

I think 'll try a "test" texture map - and then rig and see what happens.

Its my first go at creating a character in 3d.

MT

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