Any Tutes on Threads/Cloth texturing?

[svetlik]

Can anyone guide me to some tutorials on thread/cloth texturing techniques? Tried the Weave plugin but couldn't get it to do anything.

Any help appreciated.

[robcat2075]

Most cloth is seen so far from the lens that threads are not visible.

Can you show an example of a shot and describe what you want it to look like?

[svetlik]

Don't have any images of what i mean but if you study films like "Tin Tin" you can see the cloth textures in the close-ups. I know they're usually invisible to the lens but since I have several close-up shots of my character (the one I entered in the "Finish the Unfinished") I'm trying to get more richly textured close-ups. Towards that realistic but "illustrated" look of that film. They textured the CRAP out of EVERYTHING! and it's a beautiful piece of art.

I'll keep looking for an image that illustrates what I mean and if I find one I'll send it but I hope this explains it better.

[robcat2075]

Since you are looking for a tute... I should ask what is your previous experience on making textures so far.

[svetlik]

Must admit to being new to texturing. Been tinkering with AM for 15 yrs. but didn't start using it seriously until couple yrs. ago when I started this project. I'm actually not new to CG tho. Have worked for film and TV for 11 yrs. using Prisms (now Houdini), Softimage and Maya but only as a modeller and animator.

Learned quite a bit from that tute by Zandoria studios (Balrog) where he manipulates the model in Action to apply the maps. So I'm having some success but still need a lot of help from someone who's been down that road. Just trying to get that "richness" like in the movie "Tin Tin". I know that's quite a leap but have to strive for something. There are SO many things in that film that nobody will ever notice but it all contributes to that amazing quality.

I'm finding that manipulating the model in Action has its limits, because if the cps have to "stretch" too far you still get stretch artifacts.

Hope this explains better. Thanks for responding.

[robcat2075]

We should first note that textures in a movie like "Tin Tin" didn't happen because one person worked on it. There are 46 people with the word "texture" in their credit and I suspect many "paint" and "lighting" crew had a lot to do with it also. It seems to have been at least a year's work, maybe more, for them.

But you can still do good-looking work on your own.

Have you ever read a book like this?

Digital Texturing & Painting 1st Edition by Owen Demers

It's 20 years old now, it doesn't explicitly address your question about creating "cloth", but it's all foundation techniques that are used for creating bitmap textures for CG.

It's a long read, there's 140 pages before he gets to something you do on a computer but it's stuff you need to know if you are going to be a knowledgeable CG texturer.

I think 3D Studio was the environment he used for the book but all this texturing stuff applies to A:M.

Used copies can be had for as little as $6 so there's no reason not to get it and thoroughly digest it. (it had a CD-ROM so make sure you are getting that too)

 

Then there are programs like Filter Forge that assist in creating maps for natural textures. (On sale now! One day only!)

I haven't used it but I've seen programs like it. It will not be as simple to use as picking "cloth" from a drop down list and getting an appropriate result. If you don't know why these things do what they do you will get crap. But it is probably a powerful tool for power users.

 

There used to be the DarkSim program like it for creating procedural textures for our DarkTrees plugin but it's no longer available. We still have all the sample presets like "Denim"...

 

Leather...

Let me know if you have more questions.

 

[svetlik]

Thanks robcat you never fail to help me out. I'll get this book and keep you posted on my progress. I'm trying to make a "movie trailer" short clip and am almost done with it but keep looking for ways to improve the quality.

Thanks much.

[robcat2075]

BTW, if you are aiming to make a fine-looking movie I recommend Jeremy Birn's "Digital Lighting and Rendering". It is a great intro on how to use the tools of computer lighting to get good results.

It is not application specific. I have a thread that translates Jeremy Birn's terminology into A:M language.

[svetlik]

Thanks robcat, I'll look into this book.

[robcat2075]

How are the books? Do they seem useful?

[svetlik]

Sorry for the silence. Been in the hospital all week and no access to my mail & such.

No haven't bought the books yet due to severe lack of funds, but hope to soon and I will let you know about them.  Thanks again for the info robcat.

[robcat2075]

Sorry to hear you've been sick!

I hope you are mending!