Topic 3: Texturing - Body

---

[This is post is part of a series of tutorials.]

---

< Back | Table of Contents | Next > 

---

Topic 3: Texturing - Body

---

Alright, so this is just a basic tutorial on how to texture Miss Subject Zero's body. Her head will be in the next tutorial post, since it's a little more complicated.

Texturing is a bit of a tedious process as it's a lot of just sticking files in the right place, but it's gotta be done! Also, it's kinda fun seeing the model come together as you put all the maps in, so let's get started!

Take your little finger and tap M. Do it! Yeah! That brings up the Material editor. You'll be staring at those little balls quite a bit. (Oh, and if you're not staring at a bunch of little balls and are instead looking at a bunch of panels, click on Modes and switch to Compact Material Editor. It's how I work, and I feel it's simpler. Also, I like seeing the previews.)

Let's create the texture for Jack's body.

Start with the name. Naming is more important than you might think. It'll help you from going insane when you've got multiple textures going on in scenes. Where it says "01 - Default" just click in there and type a name. Jack_Body is good, but if you've got your own cool name, that's totally cool too. Then, hit enter.

• Scroll down to where it says Maps and click it, click it hard. It'll expand revealing a whole lot of maps that all say None. Let's add our first map!
• Click on the None next to "Diffuse Color"
• In the new dialog box that pops up, double click on Bitmap.
• Navigate to your CookedPC folder, into BioH_Convict_00, and then into Texture2D
• Locate and open the file HMF_JCK_LGTa_Diff.tga, and be careful! There's a lot of similarly named files, which you'll get used to. It just takes a sharp eye and some experience with the naming conventions to get the hang of.

The file is now in that diffuse slot! Your little preview ball should have some vaguely Jack looking type stuff on it. One thing to always do is to check under Bitmap Parameters, in the little box that says Alpha Source, make sure it's checked to "None (Opaque)" (If you load in a texture, render, and it looks oddly pale and desaturated, always check that.)

Okay, now we need to add in three more maps, the spec map, the spec power map, and the normal map.

• Click the little sphere with the up arrow to go back to the main material menu. (If you hover over it, it says "Go to Parent.")
• In the map for Specular Level, click where it says None, double click Bitmap, then find the file HMF_JCK_LGTa_Spec.tga and open.

Your little preview ball should look shiny now! The next thing we'll add is the spec power map (or glossiness factor) which will fine tune the shininess.

• Go back up to the parent material menu again.
• Click on the None next to Glossiness, Bitmap, find HMF_JCK_LGTa_SpecPwr.tga and open it.

The shiny bits in the preview should look a little different. Okay, now the final map to add in is the normal map. It's a tad different.

• Go back up to the parent material menu again.
• Click the None next to Bump. (You may have to scroll down a little to see it.)
• This time, you'll double click on Normal Bump.
• Then, where it says Normal, click the None and add a Bitmap.
• Find the file HMF_JCK_LGTa_Norm.tga

Okay, now click the Go to Parent button twice to get back to the main material menu.

We have to assign the material to Jack.

• One way to do it is to click on her body (not on a bone), and then in the Material Editor, click the button of a sphere with an arrow pointing to a cube. That's the assign material to selection button. It'll assign the material. 
• Another way to assign it is to click on the preview ball and drag it to the body. (I personally use this method the most.)

You may be freaking out because it's not showing up right when you assign it. That's because it doesn't.

• Click the checkerboard icon with a nail-type thing. It's the Show Standard Map in Viewport button. That makes it show up in the space where you're working. 

Even if you don't click this, the texture will show up when you render. I just like being able to see the texture right away. (I'm too excited about it that I just can't wait.) Also, it just makes the models easier to work with for posing, especially for moving around eyes.

Okay, speaking of render. You should totally do that and check out your rad texturin' skills. Check out that hot Jack in all of her tattooed, shiny splendor. Lovely, no? YOU made that happen. Congrats!

---

< Back | Table of Contents | Next > 

---