Aligning seams, still. (Between templates)

I looked, I looked a lot, I tried not to bother you guys with a new post, but I am desperately frustrated. I'm trying to make long shirts and jackets and just don't know how to handle seam alignment between the two templates (Upper and Lower), especially since the Upper templates fan outwards to make up for the pinch at the waist, and the Lower templates aren't nearly as wide at the hips. Any suggestions on how to align seams like that? Do you design and then fit over the templates, or put the two templates up against each other in one file, or maybe there's some other ingenious way you've figured out how to do this. I know you have, because I've seen some beautiful long-shirts and button-ups and jackets.

Thanks lots,
Kaelin.

My suggestion is to cover the seam with a belt or some other texture at the very bottom of the upper or very top of the lower. It will take a way from the seam. Also if they have the exact same color without any texture, it shouldnt be noticed either.

As good of an idea as that seems, I really would prefer to make something plain that is mix-and-matchable.

Appreciate the input nonetheless.

Hi Kaelin!

Since I have no idea what you do or do not know...I'll start from the beginning (I mean no offense if this seems pretty basic)....


I use Mr. Midnight's templates, and if you turn on the edge matching guide/layer you'll see the color bars along the bottom (I'm sure you know the ones I'm talking about), well those match on the upper and lower templates.

When I'm making a jacket and use the upper and lower templates, I usually have them both open so I can make sure I've gotten the correct corresponding grid-lines and color bars.

Yes, the av's form does some funky stretching in the waist area just above the hips, but if you follow the grid-lines as they shrink or widen, you should be ok. If you need a visual, I'd be more than happy to post some for you.

Best,
~Ari

PS: it's no bother! That's what this forum is for, and if you have a question, then there is a good chance someone else does (or will)...so you may have just saved someone from pulling all of their hair out and taking a hammer to their tablet.

I can't recommend it enough for seam matching and other painted on work - Avpainter. It's from Chipootle Designs, it costs a couple of thousand lindens - totally worth it imo. I use it a lot to supplement my photoshop work. When I need to align seams I take the texture into avpainter and draw the seams on, then take the result back into photoshop to detail. If I have painted a skin, I can get skin details across the body seams without having to have a big detail blur on the seam area. It's a wonderful tool for texture artists! We should all have a copy! The only issue I have seen with it is using the tablet, lifting the stylus results in a second or 2 delay before the cursor will move again. Small beans for a teriffic little program!

Were it available for us poor, unloved and generally forgotten Mac users I would certainly give it a try

(If you're reading this o' great Pootle Trollop....that's a wee bit of a hint should you ever find yourself with a Mac and time on your hands. Subtle no? )

~Ari

Hmm. I'm willing to try AvPainter, but I'm wondering if my integrated graphics cards are capable of even running.

I guess if I can run SL, I can run this, right?

Ah yes, forgot about that wee little Mac thing. What a shame!

Here is the link for the AvPainter on SL Exchange which discusses the system requirements. There is also a demo version you can try out.

(But not for the Mac users...*sniff*)

http://www.slexchange.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&ItemID=158462#reviews


There is also the SLCP which is free in that handy dandy sticky at the top of the forum. That is a great program if you just want to see how things line up, without spending your hard earned L$ on uploads.



Yes....tis sad really. So much potential...so unappreciated *sigh*

~Ari

saw this tip in another thread, but it's totally worth mentioning again:

use the Beta Grid to test out textures. you can do anything in it that you can in the regular grid, but it's free to upload textures and such. so, you can upload an unlimited number of textures for testing a lignment on the actually AVs with no cost to you other than time.

once you get the textures set just the way you want, then you just upload the final versions one time to the live grid, and BANG! you're set.

Its not Compatable with Vista and, I personally never got it to work either.

Since one week I use Johan Durant's SL previewer. It is for free look up for the sticky and I made a nice Lace texture using the Jacketlayer. It takes some time because you need to save and make changes a couple of time.

I think it works great.

*AE*