How to apply textures?

[cgutzmer]

OK, I am getting a bit ahead of myself here but I want to know how you guys go about applying textures to your models - Both for you that use photos to apply textures (like nothing) and those of you that just paint it on like sergey, fitter and many others

Do you unfold then add textures/color? Do you have some way of coloring the 3d model before unfolding? How do you get the colors to line up properly if you color the unfolded model? I will be using GIMP for doing colors/textures. I use blender as my 3d model application.
Thanks!
Chris

[PaperMakeiT]

I use to unfold a white model, import in Gimp and then start from zero to produce textures. You have to pay attention to opposite faces when glued together. It could be an issue, but with some patience the final work is great.

[cgutzmer]

Is it possible to bring a colored model back into blender or whatever app to get it back to 3d view to get screenshots or anything? Is it possible to color it while still in 3d model format?
Thanks!
Chris

[PaperMakeiT]

EVERY image you see about my models is taken from Blender after importing textures from Gimp.

You can texture directly from Blender and it is even more "real", but then you cannot generate a flat image in Pepakura from them. Materials remain in 3d software. This is a limit. Anyway, it is hard to combine material and texture together due to the different source.

There is a different way to have it in Blender: from 3d model you can add material, unfold directly in Blender (without flaps), render the flat model, export in Gimp to only add flaps (or import in Inkscape to add vector flaps). Then import each single piece in oOo (Open Office) to produce a light pdf. Easy, isn't it? :D
I need to test it better.

[JT Fox]

Here's what I did for my Me 109 and I'll use this method going forward for aircraft anyway.

1) Fire up your 3D app, take screen shots in the various views, plan, underside etc.

2) Load up Photoshop/gimp etc, arrange you views in a 1024 px by 1024 px size box. Meta likes this size. I normally have the fuselage and wings in one layer and all the other stuff in another.

3) Create a new layer called Line Drawing and using you screen shots as a guide and draw the detail of you model. By drawing your own detail you don't have to worry about the law.

4) Create a new layer called Major Colour One. This is a main colour. Like the sand/brown on the Me 109. Repeat for all the major colours. This way is you change your model colours you only have to change one or two layers.

5) Create a new layer called Minor Colours. These colours are the ones that don't change. Exhaust, canopy glass, nav lights etc.

6) Create a new layer called Major Decals. National insignia etc.

7) Create a new layer called Minor Decals. Warning signs, "Do not step here" etc.

8) Create a new layer called Effects. If you want any weathering etc.

When all that is done I turn on the layers to show a specific model colour and save as a bmp.

Then map the bmp to the model surface in Meta.

If you what a new paint scheme just add a few layers and turn off the original and save over your original bmp and you model will be recoloured.

Cheers JTF

[cgutzmer]

I didnt realize blender could unfold I havent gotten that far yet!

I think I will make a quick and dirty tut for paper modelers when I get the hang of it

JT - thats pretty cool! It seems kinda like doing the same work twice though. Dont you also lose a lot of the finesse you get from doing the original design in 3d software? I might be missing something in my mind though ....

[nothing]

i use meta to create the uv maps. there are 2 ways of doing it. i first find the pictures i need. prferably the highest rez possible. on the 3d model i work part by part. seelect the part i whant, use paint program to crop that peice from the picture. use that cropped picture to create a meterial to assign to the selected part. it can then be moved around in real time on the part. thats one way.

the other way is to assign blank materials to the parts, go to the uv panel and you can project the part onto the uv, and export as image to work in paint program. or you can use the atlas uv wich "unfolds" the part onto a flat uv. this way is bit tricky as you have to edit the layout before exporting the uv for paint. then its a matter of assigning the picture file to the material you assigned to the part.

i must add i have no clue how blender workers.

thats me in a nut shell if you need more specific details let me know.

[cgutzmer]

Yeah, I have no idea what UV is or what assigning them to each other means.... :(

Maybe I will get it as I become more familiar with the products....
Thanks!
Chris

[nothing]

in texture u,v refer to the coordinate by wich the immage is asigned to a surface. similar to the x, y, z coordinates for geometry. but scince the image is applied to the surface only 2 coordinates are needed.

[nothing]

assigning is just the way you tell the program -that surface gets this specific map.

ill do a quick tut this week for meta. the princeples work the same everywhere but the specifics can differ from program to program.