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Tell me about baking.. Please?

Nori Matahari
Registered User
Join date: 18 Sep 2006
Posts: 1
09-20-2006 11:21
Hiya,

I'm a newbie. I want to know what baking does for certain. I have been reading lots of threads and it seems like it will make whatever cloths I wear become a permanent part of my skin texture. Is that right?

Nori
Joannah Cramer
Registered User
Join date: 12 Apr 2006
Posts: 1,539
09-20-2006 11:35
"Baking" is used in two means.

the more common is what your SL client does whenever you put on your skin or clothes. It takes all skin and clothing layers you are wearing and flattens them into three files, one for head, torso and legs respectively. Then it uploads these files on the server, to allow everyone else see the items you are wearing without the need for them to download each separate file for each bit of your clothing. This is why it sometimes can take a while for your appearance to change after you put on new piece of clothing -- your SL client is still using the cached "baked" textures matching your previous appearance.

the other mean of "baking" is something done by some skin and clothing designers. It is possible to load the shape of SL avatar into separate 3d rendering program, and there calculate information how lighting would cast shadows on the clothing wrinkles, how it'd reflect off shiny parts etc. This 'baked' lighting and colour information is then used to make more realistic looking clothing etc.

hope it helps ^^;
Yumi Murakami
DoIt!AttachTheEarOfACat!
Join date: 27 Sep 2005
Posts: 6,860
09-20-2006 12:40
Doesn't SL's renderer apply at least some light/shade to SL clothes, too?
Joannah Cramer
Registered User
Join date: 12 Apr 2006
Posts: 1,539
09-20-2006 13:13
From: Yumi Murakami
Doesn't SL's renderer apply at least some light/shade to SL clothes, too?

Aye, but it's just simple calculation of how much 'sunlight' and/or nearby light sources falls on each triangle that makes up AV mesh, at any given moment. It doesn't take into account things like shadows, or reflected light, or the light bouncing off nearby objects (radiosity) It also doesn't "know" about smaller details on the clothing like painted on wrinkles, and such... On the upside though it's dynamic and the baked lighting ain't, so if baking is overdone it can look odd ^^;;