Designing a new collar
Whenever i start a new outfit, i like to see what i can do differently, how can i make it a bit more interesting. collars have been on my mind a lot lately. i've seen a few new designs in world that got me inspired. ways that people have use sculpted prims to make them more dimensional, look more like real collars. something i've been wanting to work on. so i thought, for my next outfit, i'd try to come up with a new collar style.
i decided to start the design in C4D, using a basic SL prim shape ... in this case a box. i was able to flatten it down to a thin box and curve it around the avatar shape, pushing and pulling points to get it into the shape that i wanted. i had already downloaded the SL avatar shape, so i was able to work around the basic body shape as i worked with the collar.
once i had the basic shape i wanted, i was able to export an .obj file from C4D and open it in hexagon, another 3D modeling program, which has the ability to export SL sculpt map TGA files. I could have used hexagon for the modeling, but i prefer the tools and interface in Cinema 4D. unfortunately C4D doesn't export sculpt maps, but the export process in hexagon is quick and gets the job done.
after uploading the sculpt maps to SL, i was able to see how the pieces translated in world. since i was designing this collar for men, i quickly switched into my male avatar shape, and hopped onto a pose stand. with my avatar stabilized, i could size the collar and check the position to see if the 3D model needed any tweaking. in this case, i discovered the collar edge around back needed to curve in towards the neck a bit more, so i hopped back into C4D, made the change, re-exported, did the hexagon translation into a tga, and uploaded the new sculpt map to SL.
Now that i had an idea of how the collar was going to look, i could go over to photoshop and create the fabric texture. the extended version of photoshop lets you open .obj files so you can view and paint the models in 3D.
working in photoshop, i finalized the textures on the collar, and the rest of the outfit. and brought the textures back into second life to create the final outfit.
and a new collar is born!
=^.^= blakopal
Comments
my basics
28 August, 2009 10:42 AM
| CS4, photoshop extended, software, C4D, space navigator, mac
| Permalink
I thought it would be helpful to start with what I'm running to create my fashions, before getting into specifics about how I work. Starting with hardware ...
I am currently working on a 13" MacBook Pro, running Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard (which I have been testing for several months now). It is my constant companion, giving me hours of work time while commuting on the train to and from work. It's a bit underpowered compared to the other MacBook Pro's, but it more than makes up for that (minor) shortcoming by being small and lightweight. Don't get me wrong ... it still kicks the ass of any machine I've had in the past ... and manages to run 3D programs, video editing software, and takes on all of my photoshop work with ease (sometimes all at the same time!) There are just occasions in SL when I wish for better frame rates (like when trying to capture video of events or fashion shoots, which I'd like to do more of.)
I have a Space Navigator a controller I use for video capture. I was turned on to this by Loki, and I love it! It allows you to go into 'joystick mode' which moves the camera independent of your avatar, allowing you to do long pans, and dolley shots. It's fun to use, though I does take a while to get the hang of it. I usually set the sensitivity as low as possible, which keeps the shot from getting too out of control (tho I still have my share of cam-ing through the floor or wildly out into space, hehe.)
Here's a rundown of the software/tools I am using ...
I am using Adobe Creative Suite 4 (CS4), which includes the extended version of Photoshop—which is absolutely necessary for designing for SL! The ability to work on 3D models within photoshop is what makes it all possible for me.
In addition, I have 3D modeling capabilities with Maxon's Cinema 4D, which I use on occasion to create sculpted prims. I have also been using C4D to create dimensional textures that i can play with to make simple frame animations (my Animated Steampunk Gears Wings are an example of this.)
More often my sculpted prims are created in-world using Sculpt Studio by Theblack Box. The most recent version (6.0) has made some great improvements, but I still wish for better sculpting tools—and better results when viewing sculpted prims. (I have a love/hate relationship with sculpties which will be a post of it's own some time in the future.)
A program that I have used in a minor capacity to bridge the 3D and flat is Hexagon. Unfortunately, the UI and tools frustrate me, so I try not to use it unless necessary.
On the video side of things, I have been using iShowU HD to capture action in SL. I composite video in either After Effects, Final Cut Pro, or iMovie.
I also use iPhoto as my image library, not only for photos that I shoot of my outfits, but even more importantly, as my library of fabric textures, hardware bits, and reference images for various styles of clothing that I can use for inspiration. It is an invaluable resource. I used to keep folders of files on my hard drive without any real way to search through or group things. Being able to tag photos (ie: 'steampunk', 'hardware', 'lace') and then create smart folders that keep updated with all the photos that are tagged is INCREDIBLY helpful.
That's the basics. It works pretty well for me.
=^.^=
blakopal