Using a decal to control hair placement

[John Bigboote]

HI!-

 

I've always added Hair to my characters by creating a group and dropping the hair.mat onto it...now, I want to try using a decal with an alpha to control where the hair emanates from. I've realized i have NO clue on how to do this... I've read Holmes hair tutorial which covers using decals AS the hair (feathers) but I want to use the decal as the emitter...

 

I've done a search too.

 

Do I--- Apply the decal, change it's type to 'other' and then apply the hair to the decal? How does the hair know the decal is controlling it? Where do I put the hair material?

 

Thanks for any help-

[Bendytoons]

Matt-

 

Just did a quick check.

 

apply hair material to model/group.

add decal to same model/group.

Change decal type to other.

The properties driven box (right below where you've changed to other) should now present you with a pop up list of properties yo can drive with the image.

[HomeSlice]

Doh! I can't believe I didn't include a section on that in the hair tut. I'm going to write a note to myself to add a section on using a hair density decal.

 

... Seeing you in the newbies forum is freakin' hilarious

It just goes to show, nobody knows everything about this program. It's just too ... huge.

[John Bigboote]

That was what I am doing... it may be that I am using a pre-existing hair-mesh with a pre-existing hair material..,. I'll try it all 'anew'.

[John Bigboote]

OK--- I got this to work. The 'trick' I found was to NOT use an alpha-channel in the image file... so in the image file, use BLACK where you don't want hair, and WHITE where you want hair to be full... mid-tone gradients would give partial results, naturally. ALSO you will want the decal to cover ALL of the patches in the group you apply the hair/decal to, or else hair will grow full out of the undecaled areas.

 

Very interesting.

 

HERE is the project file if anyone wants!

Decal_Hair.zip

[heyvern]

ALSO you will want the decal to cover ALL of the patches in the group you apply the hair/decal to, or else hair will grow full out of the undecaled areas.

 

Sort of like men as we get older discover hair growing out of previously "undecaled" areas?

 

Hair decals was one of the first things I tried with hair way back when I started playing with hair. I can't remember if I used a hair decal for my Dave Bowman image contest entry. I think I did... but I can't remember. I used it extensively for Larry Liger's head and mane hair. Saved a lot of time. I used a hair color decal for his leg tiger stripes.

 

-vern

[John Bigboote]

Sort of like men as we get older discover hair growing out of previously "undecaled" areas?

-vern

 

Know whatcha mean... when did God apply a decal in my EARS???