Looking for Tips on how to do a texture right..

Hello all, I'm curious to know..

I want to make a chain texture, for different uses, I wonder how I go about this? Would I just make a single chain across my template and upload it, or should I make a bunch on it, and then just play with the texturizer to get the right look? mainly what I am looking to do it make a necklace, so I would only need the appearence of one single chain circling the neck. I wanted to check with everyone before I wasted the rest of my cash trying to upload worthless ones that dont work *laugh*

thanks all!

Hi Veruca. I'm not sure what you're trying to ask, exactly. When you use the word "template", I would guess that you're planning on using the chain as a clothing item, but you also say you want a generic chain that can be used for multiple purposes. So, when you said "template", did you mean the clothing/skin templates, or did you mean something else?

Also, I'm not sure what you're trying to ask about the texturizer. It sounds like maybe you mean the repeat/offset variables on the texture tab in the SL editor window. "Texturizer" is a Photoshop filter, which doesn't really have anything to do with whether or not an image will be used as a texture for 3D objects. It's mainly used to give an image a bumpy appearance, a "textured" appearance, like that of stone or cloth or something. You could use it to apply a bump pattern that resembles chain if you really wanted to, but it wouldn't be my first choice for how to paint a picture of a chain. That's not really what it's for.

Of course, if you want to use texturizer to give some depth and tactile character the metalic appearance of the chain, you certainly can, but I get the feeling that's not quite what you're talking about. Correct me if I'm misinterpreting you.


Anyway, as for making a necklace, you have three choices for how to do it:

1. You can do it as a tattoo or clothing item by painting the chain onto the upper body template.
   
   
   
2. You can texture the chain onto an attached prim (or set of prims) by painting it on an appropriately sized canvas in Photoshop (or your raster editor of choice), and then applying the image as a texture onto a prim. A cylinder would be your simplest option.
   
   
   
3. You can model the whole thing out of prims. Toruses work really well for simple chain links, or you can use more complicated prim combinations, depending on the shape you want for the links. String a bunch of them together, rotate them accordingly relative to eachother, and you've got a chain.

There's no right or wrong answer about which way you should go. There's a list of advantages and drawbacks a mile long for each method. It really comes down to what look you're going for, and how you want the chain to behave. If it's to be part of a specific outfit, you might want to go the tattoo/clothing route. If it's meant to be more generic, or if the neck portion of the upper body template doesn't contain enough pixels for your needs, then do it as an attachment.

Consider how a texture best suits your current purpose first. Then think about how to use it for other places.

Remember, selling just one of your necklaces already covers the cost of the texture upload several times over.

Unless of course, you don't intend to sell any of them.

if you make 1 big texture with many links on it to make up a chain you will probally increase your texture filesize (in ppls video memory) thus possibally slowing others down, and even getting the "fuzz in fuzz out" effect


if you use a tiny texture and repete it you will help save on those problems
but it may not suit "other" needs as well, and it may be more of a PITA with intercrate designs
(getting things lined up and matched right)

aslo your not limited to square textures ... if you make a image 512x64 you end up with 32768 pixels for the image, vs a 256x256 square image weighing in @ 65536 pixels

the difference is you have really nice detail in one direction (perfect for a chain) at half the clent's video card load, vs 1 larger square image, thats equal in detail + added stress of tiling the image

in the end it would be wiser to use the 512x64 image for this application, becuase of its smaller footprint and good detail in the direction it needs to be

get your calculator out and play around, just take (w*h) for total pixels, whatever comes out smaller is usually better ... not for downloads, they are a drip in the bucket ... but for framerates

Thank you all so very much! I'm sorry I didn't explain it well, template I just meant the new 'canvas' I'll be painting it onto. The textureizer I mean't ingame on the prim under textures, and playing with the settings. I wasnt sure if just painging a single chain onto it would work. Thank you all so much for the help. I'm sorry I am not very clear when I explain, I have such a hard time doing that...