REVIEWER:
Laurent Abecassis (www.di-o-matic.com)
ON
THE MAP
TEXTURING
COMPLEX OBJECTS SUCH AS CHARACTERS IS SOMETHING THAT IS A DIFFICULT
YET ESSENTIAL SKILL, BUT AS LAURENT ABECASSIS FINDS, ONE THAT IS MADE
MUCH EASIER BY THE ARRIVAL OF A NEW PLUG-IN.
The
task of mapping a complex object can be a very tricky one. Traditional
techniques based on the UVW Map modifier are fine for straightforward
objects like boxes, spheres or cylinders. However, even a simple parametric
object like the teapot is almost impossible to map without stretching,
and as objects become increasingly complex, this becomes more and more
of an issue. Unfortunately, the kind of models we all want to do everyday,
especially characters, are as complex as they come.
It's exactly here where Texture Layers aims to fill the gap with its
two new procedural mapping types, Spline Mapping and Free Form Mapping.
You probably already know the mapper's favorite trick, using Material
IDs to effectively map different sections of an object, and you probably
realize that you don't really have a choice but to use them. Well, you
do with Texture Layers, which lets you work without any MatIDs, and
instead workds using Gizmos placed where you want to put a texture,
that's all.
Texture
Layers has been on public beta at mankua.com since October of last year
and the final release was out right at the start of the year. In this
time, over 800 people have downloaded the beta. Inside the software
there are two modifiers: TexLay and TLUnwrap, as well as two
new map types: Texture Layers Attenuation and Texture Layers
Composite, and one utility: Modifier Space.
The
most important part of the plug-in is the modifier TexLay, as this is
the one that is used instead of the UVW Map modifier. When you open
it for the first time, you will find that it looks familiar, but more
user-friendly that the interface that you'll be used to. To see what
I mean, take a look at the image O. The Interface looks a bit like the
UVW Map modifier, except that a couple of new panels will appear, alongside
a bunch of cool icons, that add up to a really nice working environment.
I think that it's not just artists who prefer using icons instead of
text-based menus.
The first panel is the channel manager, where you've got no real limitations
about the number of channels you can use, since the limit is 1.000.
In this panel, you will also be able to save your Texture Layers setup
and reload it in other Texture Layers modifiers. You can even copy and
paste channel information from one place to another.
STACK'EM
UP: What is really cool though, is that even if you have dozens of channels
you still get just one Texture Layers modifier on your stack. No more
stacks with infinitely alternating Mesh Select and UVW Map entries,
just one TexLay modifier making for a simple easily understood object
stack.
The second Panel is the mapping one, which allos you to define which
type of mapping you want to use in the current channel. It includes
all the same mapping techniques that 3D Studio MAX R3's UVW Map modifier
has, but it also got two new procedural types (see image
2). The fourth panel is a wonderful one, containing the Attenuation
details, which allows you to fade the edge of your channel into another.
The final panels feature exactly the exactly the same features as in
our dear UVW Map modifier: the tiling and alignment functionality.
These new types of mapping - spline mapping and free form mapping -
are really quite amazing. When you choose one of these advanced mapping
types, you get new panels like in image 1. The spline mapping type is
like using a loft object to project the map onto an object. It's based
on a spline you create, and you can modify the shape of the loft using
local curves tools, these tools works just as the Scale Deformation
tool works in loft objects. The result of this is that you can now fit
very organic objects like the one in image 2 using this technique. In
this example, the raptor hat three mapping splines: one for the body,
one for the arms, and one for the legs. The next mapping technique -
free form mapping - allows you to use an FFD box to fit your object,
you can even move the FF Points in sub-object mode to make it precisely
fit to your object.
Those techniques are very useful to map objects that cannot have UVW
Map coordinates, like the head in image 3.
STRETCHING
A POINT: Imagine that you can remove all the stretching that can appear
in a map in just a minute or two. This is basically what the attenuation
tool in Texture Layers offers. This works like the light attenuation
in MAX: each channel's UVW gizmo includes an attenuation gizmo with
3D Control in U, V, and W, from which it attenuates the texture, based
on the distance to the center of the associated gizmo..(continue next
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You can even adjust a curve to control where you want the stretching
to be removed, addressing one of] the most common problems in texturing
a complex 3D model. With just a few clicks Texture Layers can attenuate
textures where stretching appears.
The way the maps works inside the Material Editor is really quite straightforward:
you create any material you want but in the diffuse or any other slot
you insert a Texture Layers Composite instead of adding a Bitmap. You
will be able to define how many channels you need, insert a bitmap in
each, and control the attenuation directly inside the composite maps.
Also generally in texture procedure, an unwrap tool is needed, as help
in a 2D program to know where to place individual details. Texture Layers
offer a great tool in TLUnwrap, which is a modifier that literally unwraps
any object using a chosen mapping channel, and works directly in the
scene, where your polygons become a flat plane. You can also render
it, directly inside the modifier. My suggestion here would be to put
a wire material onto your object before you unwrap it. This unwrapped
image can then be used to paint textures as a reference. This is a very
useful modifier that can be used with every mapped object; not only
those making use of the TexLay modifier, but also any objects using
the UVW Map modifier.
Texture Layers really is extremely user-friendly, more than this it's
artist friendly. There are many plug-ins that take you hours and hours
to be able to achieve great effects, like the defunct ClothReyes, and
it's not often you come across a plug-in that couples this level of
power with real ease-of-use.Furthermore, Texture Layers comes with great
on-line help, and with tutorials that will allow you to see quickly
all the functions of this amazing plug-in. It really is merely a matter
of hours before you find yourself thoroughly at ease with it.
As
you might have guessed by now, I recommend this tool to every MAX user
that has had headaches using MatID or trying to make two IDs match without
any seams. These people will truly appreciate the power of Texture Layers.
Even if you're still not convinced, download the trial version, which
works fully for 30 days, enough time to create a hatful of amazing images.
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- - - - - - - - REVIEWER:
Michael KocH (www.mworx.com)
"TexLay is a flexible tool for complex mapping tasks, with a competitive
price tag. Features like spline mapping, advanced attenuation tools
and the unique TexLay Unwrap modifier really help to speed up my workflow."
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REVIEWER:
MGlenn Melenhorst (www.iloura.com.au)
"Nothing on the market comes close to matching Texture Layers for
texture mapping. Texture mapping has been a sorely neglected component
of 3D graphics over the past ten years and being limited to planar,
cylindrical, spherical, box and shrink wrap has been an annoying constraint
when working on complex characters. "
"The tool set provided by Mankua with Texture Layers brings mapping
up to par with advancements in modeling and animation functionality
and just having attenuation in mapping is a major step forward, let
a lone the spline and free form mapping. I would encourage everyone
to download Mankua's demo and try it out. We had everyone in the office
crowded around a terminal while I worked through the tutorial. We were,
and still are very impressed with this package."
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REVIEWER:
Tom Helms
"I have used Texture Layers since it's beta release and without
exaggeration have found it to be the most useful tool in the Max arsenal.
Unlike many plugins it is one that I use every day and it does what
it says it will, with a sophisticated simplicity that puts it out in
front of the pack. So far I have not found a situation where Texture-Layers
could not get the job done. One of it's cooler capabilities is the attenuation
function, that helps a great deal in getting rid of hard and unnatural
lines so common in computer generated art. I have gotten so used to
this tool over the years that now I don't want to work with out it,
it has made me a better artist and has made life a lot easier when it
comes to texturing 3D geometry......
Love my T-Layers"
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REVIEWER:
Jan Häusle
"For me Texture Layers is the best mapping-solution for the 3dsmax-platform.
The seamless integration inside of the max-package give me the possibility
to exceed even the most complex mapping tasks without having to worry
about import/export or compatibility issues. One of the greatest advantages
is the ability to use spline mapping and advanced Attenuation, e.g.
normal-based Attenuation. I don´t ever want to go back to the
traditional method using tons of UVWmaping-modifiers. These advantages
paired with the low price can´t be ignored if You want to create
cool stuff with a competitive budget."
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