How to make hair shaders from images of hair?
Sfariah D
Posts: 26,260
I got some hair images either from 3d.sk or from merchant packs I got in the 3d stores. They are just 2d images. I would like to make shaders for DS4.5 so I can easily apply the hair images on to the hair models.
I know how to do this in the material room of Poser but I would like to use genesis and I hear that works best in DS4.5. I would like a solution which reduces the amount of clicks I need for everyday use. I do not mind extra work if it can streamline working in DS on a day to day basis.
I know with image files I get from 3d.sk I can redistribute the shades since I have to put some work into the images. How about the images I get from merchant resources? such as http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewProduct=74968 and http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewProduct=68653 and http://www.daz3d.com/shop/texture-bank-vol-13-hair-and-jewels
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OK, so I take it you have the diffuse map and want to make a shader preset. What do you want to achieve exactly, though? Gamma/no gamma? Reuse diffuse texture for specular/bump/displacement or not? Special effects?
I think the simplest thing would be to post your Poser network so that people can convert it to DS.
okay, I have the image I want to turn into a diffuse texture map. I can figure that much out in photoshop. I want to be able to have a shader preset which will apply the texture map to any hair that I want.
Maybe shader is the wrong term for it. I want something like what the Poser's material room can do. I set up the diffuse and what not and then save that as a preset so when down the road i load a hair I can just go to that preset and apply it to any hair.
i do not know if I have done it with hair textures, but I think I have done it with seamless tiles. I take the tile apply it to the diffuse and make sure it looks good. then save that as a preset so I can just use that to apply the tile to any material setting and have it look similar to that each and every time.
Normally, merchant resources sold at DAZ and Rendo do not permit freebie distribution. If they did then someone could easily repack the whole thing as a freebie and get away with it. Make sure you read everything carefully with such merchant resources, even email the Strore or the Merchant if need be.
As for setting up you DS mat presets, just plugin each image map where you need it to go and tweak all your settings then save it out as an uncompressed DUF file so that you can go in and edit the file paths later. If you look at my tutorial here - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?oqcf29kmigzd3gk - the last few pages cover editing the older DSA files which is still relevant.
EDIT:
Ok, just read your post above mine. What you want to do cannot be done to the extent you want because each hair model is different. WIth a seamless tile no problem, but each hair model has the maps rotated in different directions. Though you could make a single generic shader preset to apply the image map, you will notice that some of the time the image will be running in the wrong direction.
I have this http://www.daz3d.com/shop/toon-style-hair-shaders but I want to make something similar to it but with the images I have gotten from merchant resources and from 3d.sk
Sorry actually I was doing the ones from merchant resources just for my own use. the ones from 3d.sk I might put in the rendo store or this store.
As said, if you post your Poser material room network it can be adapted reasonably well to run in Shader Mixer.
If on the other hand the Default DAZ material is OK, you can just plug your diffuse texture on the Diffuse Color (if you are unfamiliar with the procedure: select a surface with the Surface selection tool, go to the Surfaces tab and click the little black triangle in a rounded box next to Diffuse Color, and browse to your texture). Then scroll down on the shader, near the bottom you will find "Horizontal Tiles" and "Vertical Tiles". For "Horizontal Tiles" I generally use twice the value I use for "Vertical Tiles".
Then go to File->Save As->Shader Preset.
Okay each model has a different uv map. So it is best to do the textures for each hair. For Genesis hair, how do I get the uv map to retexture? I wanted to do something with Hitomi's day out hair as it only comes with one hair texture. I went to the store item page but it does not have any templates to download. If I remember correctly, DS4 and DS4.5 do not use obj file format for their objects. I know there are several ways to get texture template from the obj format, but I do not know any way to get the template from the DS4/4.5 format. What is the best way to get the uv map for hair and clothing for Genesis?
(also the different uv maps for Genesis itself?)
Load the Texture file that comes with the item (Hitomi for example). Then work on a Layer above that texture, you can see what is needed and what goes where. When you finish only save your new layer as the new Texture. ;-)
Load the Texture file that comes with the item (Hitomi for example). Then work on a Layer above that texture, you can see what is needed and what goes where. When you finish only save your new layer as the new Texture. ;-)
That's easier than exporting the UV maps...because there's a good chance that they will be 'stacked' and you'll have to 'unstack' them. It will also allow you to use the default bump, displacement and other maps that may be present. Also, if you are making your presets for distribution, you just have to change the diffusion map location to your new one and all the others will still load, correctly, but won't have to be included in your package.
Where do I find the texture maps in the DS4 content folder?
Also want to know what is the basic set up of the Daz content folder? I know the set up for the Poser runtime folder but not the one for Daz Studio only products.
Textures are stored in Runtime/Textures folder, the same place for Studio as they are for Poser.