Yea so far guys, I am learning that there is a test grid you can use called OSgrid. It’s basically SL but doesn’t require you to spend any money as you learn to build and want to upload a mesh or a sculpt I think they call it. Basically just a object in world that is textured but inanimate. From my understand anyway so far lol. The point of OSgrid for SL is a testing ground. So as you learn you can upload meshes or try to work on an avatar, scripting it an animating it as well. The world will react just as SL would if you uploaded there. So it’s a sure bet that if you get something right in OSgrid it will work in SL and won’t cost you lots of lindens to keep re-uploading if you’re trying to fix something.
Also other things I have learned so far. Found out you will need I think 3-4 meshes for SL. A low poly, mid poly and high poly mesh. The low poly mesh I think is what will mostly be used in SL. You’ll bake your polypaint or ptex file onto one of the meshes I think the low one not sure though still trying to find out.
If you you’re wondering what baking is what I have learned it basically burning in all your high end details you do in zbrush when you polypaint or use mudbox ptex files. Allowing you to give off the illusion you have a 3 million polygon model in a world that can really only have a max I think of 64k polys. Most are 15-25k and are considered a quality avatar. I think this is because it’s so taxing I even feel it inside of zbrush as I try to go to 8 million polys which seems to be my limit for what my computer can handle. I build my own comps so it’s pretty decent system and I’d say it’s about mid to low high end.
So these are also somethings to keep in mind. I just want to narrow down the process also so I don’t have to start over if I do something wrong lol.
Other things I been watching are exporting into say max, maya or unfold 3D to do UV mapping. Some of the things you need to look into as I am trying to see how to do it myself just using the meshes in Zbrush. Are taking your model and exporting it to build these UV maps that you will have to bake your polypaint onto. Under polypaint, click colorize. Make sure on the top toolbar in zbrush where you see edit, draw etc to the middle area that RGB is highlighted orange by clicking it. Turn off Mrgb, M, Zadd, Zsub and Zcut. Now scroll down on right toolbar to UVmap click GUVTiles, I’m not exactly sure what they are but they remind me of a uvmap of some sort that is storing your texture information. Pretend you painted up your model already and are trying to export out it’s texture. This is what I am explaining so it’s more clear. Next thing you’d do is scroll down to Texture Map, then click new from polypaint. Make sure Texture On is clicked. IT should create you an ugly map of your model in the preview box. After that hit clone txtr. This will clone it to the textures area on your left toolbar. Should be above your materials like skinsahde4 on left side. Click the cloned texture it made then look down at bottom. Look for import and export. Click export and you’ll export out your polypaint as a .psd a photoshop file. After that you’ll want to export out your model. Under tool as an .obj. You’ll have to either retopologize it or use the decimation master plugin for zbrush. I learned that retopology is building a low poly mesh that is usable for outside programs, games and virtual worlds like Second life. Now I don’t know how good it is but I see some guys who are really good at this stuff on youtube. Using Decimation Master plugin.
Some are using it to build all three polygon models. But I seen some who decide to retopologize the low mesh. Then use Decimation Master plugin to build a high end and a mid range poly count mesh of their model.
I guess it’s to make it easier. Because I have found that after decimation master, subtracts polygons from your model sometimes it needs a lot of work on the very lowest mesh. So building one with retopology could be less work. Once you have three meshes though of your model. A high polycount say your aim is no higher then SL max 64k or just aim for 30K as I am going for. Then make two lower model meshes from it. For example 15K and 8-10k for your low polygon count mesh. Export all three of these as .obj files from the tool menu in zbrush.
The result will be three meshes high, middle and low. With a polypaint texture in .psd format. This should all be usable when taking these files let’s say into Maya or Max for UV mapping and then baking your textures some how onto a UVmap that will be built in separate programs. There is also a plugin for max called Multiobj that will import all your meshes at once into Max to make it easier down the road let’s say when you build lots of subtools “other objects” to your models. Example clothing or armor sets etc. Otherwise you’d have to import all of those meshes one at a time into max.
So far though this as far as I have gotten. Unfolding your mesh in Max is what I’m trying to see how to do or make sense of what work I’m doing. Knowing if I am unwrapping the model correctly and making it a clean surface of UV’s I guess to bake my texture is something I’m not sure if I understand. I don’t really know what to look for besides knowing that it has to be completely unwrapped an a flat geometry surface as if I ran your model over with a car and it pancaked out LOL! Also it can’t over lap UV’s. Example the back of your model and the front of your model. They can’t be on top of each other has to be spread out an viewable just as a map would be.
Anyway hope this isn’t more confusing and helps the learning process. I feel I have a long way to go but it’s one a few steps forward so far. lol
