Understanding Poser

I am new to this game... but a fast learner... I am trying to figure out if there is a specific program I can use the mannequin in to make clothes for the game before I upload the images... is there such a program that is SL based (so I'll know what it looks like in the actual game with the proper format from the templates and such) or is that in the process of being created... please let me know.

Until then, I will stick to my current method of clothing design...

Welcome to the game, Akai!

You can use Poser to view the clothing on the AV, so that you can be (pretty) sure the seams and things line up before importing, and it all looks the way you want it to.

But it doesn't have any painting tools, nor, as far as I know, is there a way to export any texures that you can make in there using the texturing tools (mainly 3D textures and combinations of things) that you can make. At least, all of my experiements to export with a texture, like you can do in Bryce, failed.

So I'm not sure that I understand your question, especially with the title "Understanding Poser".

Are you looking for a 3D painting program that is made specifically for Second Life? Ummm, there isn't one.

Or a different 3D program that you can use? MAXON's BodyPaint works for me, and I know there are people here who are using Deep Paint, too. And I think that some people use other things, but none of that has anything at all to do with Poser.

So... huh?

I was trying to find out if there was a program that worked specifically with Second Life to help you design skins and clothes and such. You said no, so that brings me to part 2 of my question... can anyone name any other programs that I can test textures/designs out on before I make clothing for Second Life? Any info is greatly appreciated...

There isn't anything that is specifically made to allow you to directly manipulate the SL maniquinnes and be directly uploaded. There is, however lots of ways to use external programs like Poser to help make items such as clothing. You primarily use a graphics program to create your clothing then use the skin (UV map) on the Poser figure provided to preview it. You can also use programs like Tattoo and Bodypaint to directly color the skin while it is on the figure much like spraypainting a statue. You can then upload the colored skin (UV map) into SL as a texture to turn it into clothing.

I've been using Photoshop to directly test textures out on a full size avatar in SL without upload costs for the past year. The technique is simple (use photoshop to impregnate the SL client with textures that upload directly to the SL servers via the character folder). The setup and accompanying discussion on this method are here:

/109/b0/21673/1.html

You can also use any 3D program that allows you to import an .obj file, and supports UV Mapping. (Which is most of them.)

I generally test things in LightWave, which is overkill for the purpose, but is the program I'm happiest working in.

You could also do this in Bryce, Poser, and (I believe but haven't tested) a fair number of the low cost or free programs. I should test Blender to see if it works there, too.

By the way, I've found that painting on the Linden-provided models in BodyPaint is less accurate than just doing the painting in Photoshop. I mean, it's great for all-over textures, and things of that nature. It's also good for matching wrinkles, patterns, or straps across seams.

But for things like drawing pockets, shirt yokes, and shirt buttons it's not. Not at all.

The models, especially the male model, warp things the wrong way. (I can post screen shots if anyone is interested.)

Just thought I'd share my experience with it before anyone makes the hefty investment in BodyPaint (or a similar program.)

The problem I ran into using Poser was that you may be able to import the .obj files but the texture map is not the same as with Second Life's templates, so nothing matches. Is there something that can be done about this?

Something in your set up isn't right, the UV map should match the templates. The SL Avatar maniquinne that is loaded into Poser allows you to preview the Texture you have created in a graphics program like Photoshop. Depending on which version of Poser you are using, you have to specify the template you created be used as a map. This thread has a very good outline for Poser 5

/109/06/52400/1.html

I hope that helps

not sure if you know or even if its relevant but before you load ANY texture into SL there is a tab on the upload screen which lets you apply your texture to a choice of diferent body parts or Prims and you can zoom in by holding ctrl button and moving mouse
I test all my fabric textures before I upload them into the store on the 'female upperbody'
Or lower body if its denim or cord...it gives me a good picture of what the fabric looks like actualy applied to an avi

But with template type clothes you can still use the preview window to make sure your seams line up etc... and it costs nothing and is far easier than loading it into one program from nother etc

PS...i would LIKE to be able to take a picture of my fabrics ON the preview screen dummy but I dont see how I can do this without it including all the surrounding image etc.

Anyone know how I can take a snap or make that preview window fill the entire SL game window?

I doubt I can but thought id ask

I use IRFanView to capture the screen, but of course it will capture the entire client screen -- if I want to only use the preview portion I have to edit the captured image.

IRFanview is free and allows you to designate a screen capture hotkey, it does thumbnails and limited image editing. Great program for many things including SL work.

Kaejo, the built in Poser textures won't work on the SL Avatars, because the UV maps for the two models are completely different.

Doing anything about that would involve importing both models into a different program, and remapping the SL Avatar UVs to match the Poser figure UVs. This would be a time-consuming and tedious process, just to violate copyright.

It doesn't really seem worth it, to me. (Unless you have made a number of textures for the Poser figure yourself, in which case please drop me a line.)

But the SL textures that you make with the "templates" provided by Linden, or Chip's which are much more accurate, will work just fine.

LillyBeth, if you happen to be on a Mac, there is a great little utility made by Ambrosia called Snapz Pro X that allows you to hit a hot-key combo, and then capture an image of any portion of your screen. (Or the whole thing, or any window, or a make a movie, or pretty much anything else you want to capture.) I can highly recommend it. It's what I use for the video tutorials.

On the other hand, if you're on a Windows machine, can't you just make a screen capture, and then crop it in Photoshop or PSP? (You can on the Mac, too, but Snapz Pro X is just so much more elegant, and it's not expensive. )

Thanks yes I figured Id have to use asomething like that. In There.com i used something which came with a compass for getting around There.

I want it so instead of actualy showing the fabric in a swatch in the sandard 1 prim texture cubes I will load it with images of the fabric actualy ON the upper body of the woman...so ppl can see how it lies on an avies body
Not sure f this is a good or bad idea as ppl would probably load it onto their PC anyway and it would look nothing like it does if u applied the texture direct in SL...just an idea im pondering over for fabrics without costing me twice as much to upload the same texture

Good idea? bad idea?

Would you prefer to see it in this format or the usualy flat display?
hmm?

Yes I'd love to see where the errors are - I'd presumed that they would be totally accurate. I wonder if this is a bug?

Hi Roberta!

No, it isn't a bug, really. It's just a function of the way that UVs work, and the differences between the settings for the two models.

First, the pictures.

This is a screen shot from BodyPaint, and shows a material with horizontal stripes that I had hoped to give people to "line things up" on the AV.



However, when I took that material into Second Life, and applied it to a male avatar with pretty much 50 on most of the sliders, it looked like this.



Which, obviously, is completely useless for the purpose. (The texture looked more like the second image than the first, by the way.)

See, UVs are only "fixed" at the vertices, or the points where the polygons that compose a model join, like a piece of super-stretchy spandex that's pinned to a model at those points. They are simply interpolated for the rest of the figure.

Now that's not much of a problem when you have the shape of the polygons to work with, because you can compensate for those shapes when you order the UVs. We do it all the time, using checkerboard patterns. Or you can use something like BodyPaint, paint directly on the polys, and not worry about it. It will all take care of itself.

However, in Second Life, we don't know the shape of the polygons for any particular Avatar, because that changes as the user slides the sliders. As the polys warp, the interpolated portion of the UV image also warps, of course, folding and breaking in an effort to put color on every pixel when it has no clear idea of what color belongs there. (I explain all of that in the Texture Tutorial on my land, if you would like to know more.)

When the polys warp in the opposite direction of the way they warped on the models we have in BodyPaint, the result is twice the distortion that you would otherwise have.

Since the male model, in particular, is far more "barrel chested' than most Avatars, this gets really bad really quickly.

However, if you just paint straight lines as straight lines on the "templates" in Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro, they will come out as "reasonably straight" in Second Life. And, since we have all gotten used to the distortions that are common to the clothing, they will ordinarily be perceived as being straighter than they actually are!

This isn't saying that BodyPaint, and all the other 3D painting programs are useless for SL. They are wonderful for things like wrinkles, random patterns on fabric, and so on. And they do a great job with stuff like matching skin across the seams on UVs.

But for things like stripes, pockets, buttons, and other stuff that is supposed to be regular you are honestly better off just painting in PS, PSP, the Gimp, or whatever your favorite program is, in my opinion.

Hope this shows what I mean.