Size really does matter!!
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Kaelyn Spinnaker
Junior Member
Join date: 19 Jun 2004
Posts: 11
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06-22-2004 17:52
I was wondering if anyone knew the measurement scale in SL. I am creating a texture for an object that absolutely cannot be tiled or stretched. (I know, I know, what a headache I've created for myself  ) I know the size of the object but just can't believe that it is actual meters!! Any help would be appreciated! Thank You
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"There are 10 types of people in this world, those that understand binary and those that don't." - Unknown
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Lordfly Digeridoo
Prim Orchestrator
Join date: 21 Jul 2003
Posts: 3,628
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06-22-2004 17:59
SL has somehow been super-sized, scale-wise. Avatars are usually much bigger than "real" people are, and hence it throws the entire scale system out of whack. In other words, a 3-meter high door is necessary to get merely average avatars through without a problem  LF
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Champie Jack
Registered User
Join date: 6 Dec 2003
Posts: 1,156
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06-22-2004 18:10
c'mon LF, that doesn't answer the question. Tell the real answer..
There is no scale to textures/prims
in other words, 72 pixels/SLmeter does NOT exist.
Think of it like zooming in on images in Photoshop.
When you view a 1024 x 1024 image at 100% it looks fine...zoom in and it starts losing clarity.
Same in SL...If you are 50 m from a 10mx10m object that uses a 128x128 pixel texture, it will look fine. When you get close up it will look bad.
Try to envision how the texture will be seen...
If it is going to fill up a users screen most of the time, then a 128x128 texture wont do the job..
But, if your texture is usually going to be in the background or of less interest to viewers, then make the texture as small as possible while still getting the job done.
Champie
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Kaelyn Spinnaker
Junior Member
Join date: 19 Jun 2004
Posts: 11
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06-22-2004 19:23
Thanks anyway guys I guess trial and error is the only way to find out if my photoshop version will fit.
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"There are 10 types of people in this world, those that understand binary and those that don't." - Unknown
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Champie Jack
Registered User
Join date: 6 Dec 2003
Posts: 1,156
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06-22-2004 20:15
it's not trial ans error..
it is a simple rule.
THERE IS NO CONVERSION
If you want to create an image for a web page you use the standard ppi for monitors = 72 ppi. You make the image the number of pixels that correspond to the area you expect the image to cover.
All textures in SL are viewed on a standard monitor = 72 ppi. You make the texture the number of pixels that correspond to the area you expect the image to cover.
The difference between a web page and SL is that SL is 3D with a movable camera. That means that you can zoom and pan the camera.
What you need to account for in SL is how the texture will be viewed most of the time. Unlike static views(web pages) you don't know how big the image is going to be on another person monitor.
It is clear. It is not trial and error.
Now, if the problem is how do I make it so it doesnt stretch or repeat..
well, create your texture and prim with the same size RATIO (simple enough). To ensure that there are no repeats, use Textyr Horizontal and Vertical repeats set to 1.0
Champie
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Champie Jack
Registered User
Join date: 6 Dec 2003
Posts: 1,156
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06-22-2004 20:33
example.. if your prim is 10 M wide by 2 M tall, then you have a width to height ratio of 10:2 or reduced, 5:1. Ok, now in Photoshop, create a NEW image whose wirth to height ratio is 5:1. You may be asking: "But how do I know how big to make it?" That's what I've been telling you...There is no determining factor other than how you are going to use the texture. Ok, let me answer this way: If the texture is a work of "art" or text, you probably want people to view them closely, perhaps even expect them to fill their screen with your textured object so that they can get a close and detailed view. If this is true, then you want the texture to look good when it is filling peoples screens. Well, I dont know what resolution you use, but my resolution is 1024 x 768 Pixels. This means that If I am looking at a texture that fills my screen from side to side, I am looking at 1024 pixels of data from left to right. If you want your texture to look its best when it fills up the screen, then you better make the texture at least 1024 pixels wide. The height of your texture image would be according to the ration (5/1 = 1024/x where x = the height of your texture image...or 5=1024/x ---> 5x=1024 ---> x=204.  . If you dont expect people to view your textures that closely, or if the best quality isnt a concern, then you can reduce the image size. How much? well, it depends on what your expectations are. The Texture is being viewed on a 72 ppi screen....that is all that matters. the size of an object is Second Life has on relation to the resolution of a texture. Champie
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Archanox Underthorn
Registered User
Join date: 20 May 2003
Posts: 168
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06-23-2004 10:20
*nod* Given SL's free camera, you really cant get any kind of conversion. Generally what I do is make the texture like twice as big as I think I will need(if not more), this does give more of a load time but to have things look good at any distance, including zoomed up very close, thats your only option.
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Garoad Kuroda
Prophet of Muppetry
Join date: 5 Sep 2003
Posts: 2,989
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06-26-2004 20:30
Summary: all you really need to get the job done is to set the horizontal and vertical texture repeats to 1. 
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BTW
WTF is C3PO supposed to be USEFUL for anyway, besides whining? Stupid piece of scrap metal would be more useful recycled as a toaster. But even that would suck, because who would want to listen to a whining wussy toaster? Is he gold plated? If that's the case he should just be melted down into gold ingots. Help the economy some, and stop being so damn useless you stupid bucket of bolts! R2 is 1,000 times more useful than your tin man ass, and he's shaped like a salt and pepper shaker FFS!
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Fem Daguerre
AKA Fem Daguerre
Join date: 27 Apr 2004
Posts: 4
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06-28-2004 12:30
I don't know if this will help, but perhaps. When I am creating textures for walls and such in SL, I tend to make them so that 100 pixels = 1 SL meter. For example, if I want to create a texture for a 5mx10m wall in SL, I make my texture image (in PS) 500x1000 if it's not to be tiled at all. If it can be tiled horizontally, I'll do 500x500 and then change the horizontal repeats to 2.000 when applying the texture in SL.
The main thing is to get the proportion right. If you want to use a screenshot as a texture on something, for a ss which is 1024x768, then you can create a surface in sl measuring 1.024m x 0.768 m, then use the corner to drag it to desired size which will keep the proportion accurate. Then just drag the thickness back in if need be.
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Flash Byrne
Junior Member
Join date: 28 Jun 2004
Posts: 2
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call me crazy but...
06-29-2004 09:14
If I am getting this right - you are making textures at 500x1000 px in PS? That makes for a MONSTROUS file size I have to imagine - making it crazy slow for anyone to see what it is you are trying to build.
Could this be why on a cable modem I still have an issue with excessively slow loading time?
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Champie Jack
Registered User
Join date: 6 Dec 2003
Posts: 1,156
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06-29-2004 20:40
a 1024 x 1024 .tga file is 3 MB. When you upload it to Second Life the file is converted to some compressed file format that Second Life uses. taken from SL technology page: From: someone An advanced compression system intelligently sends you thousands of objects per second. Objects that are large, in front of other things, or in motion appear first. Smaller details and textures fill in while you’re not looking – when you turn around, they’re there. Display any number of textures at any resolution – streamed to you with progressive wavelet compression.
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