Hi. I'm hoping someone can throw me some 'basics' on UV maps. I've got the free Victoria3 download, and I've got BodyPaint to work with 3D texturing. I haven't - however, got a clue how to extract the default UV map from Victoria3 as supplied by DAZ. She didn't come with a skin texture, so I want to create one of my own using BodyPaint. I can't figure out why, when I've loaded her into BodyPaint, I have to start creating a UV map from scratch. There must be a way to load her in, and paint onto her without going through all that. I'm assuming this can be done. Otherwise, those skin textures in the MarketPlace would not be legally possible - would they? I'm under the impression that if I had to create a custom UV map, the texture would be useless to others unless I gave them the model as well which included 'that' custom UV map I based the texture on. If I created a custom map, and wanted to let others use my texture - they wouldn't be able to, because that would mean distributing the model with it's UV map as well, and that's obviously illegal. I hope you can see what I'm trying to get at here. I suppose I've worded this kinda badly - but hey, I seriously can't think of a better way to explain what I need to know. Any help - much appreciated. Len.

Attached Link: UVMapper

Len, In additon to Doc's excellent advice (UVMapper is essential to anyone wanting to creaete textures!). Check in free stuff for V3's seam guides by SnowSultan (Why remake the wheel?) mike

Thanks geep. Thing is, I've got UVMapper - and I can't see how it could help me with this one. If I load the model into UVMapper, it simply doesn't pick-up any UV info from Victoria3 whatsoever. I have to load the model in, then choose what type of map I want UVMapper to generate for the model. And that's the problem, I don't want a new UV map to be generated - I want to use whatever DAZ created for her. Does that make any sort of sense? Len. (Or am I messed-up BIG-TIME on how this stuff works)

Yup, cheers trav!

There are lots of free V3 textures around. Check these links. Some have morphs that you won't be able to use unless you have the head and morph packs from Daz. But you can use the textures: http://www.poser-corner.de/freebies/ http://www.renderosity.com/freestuff.ez?Form.Contrib=Neomea&Topsectionid=0 http://www.kleopetra.dk/ (for A3 but will work on V3) http://www.antjesgraphics.com/Download.asp http://illusions-designs.net/ http://www.renderosity.com/freestuff.ez?Form.Contrib=Vali&Topsectionid=0 http://www.renderosity.com/freestuff.ez?Form.Contrib=Lisbeth&Topsectionid=0

Thanks Acadia. I'll check those out, and hopefully understand what's what a bit better. They won't give me UV's, but I should at least be able to see how they relate - with a bit of luck! Len.

MOst are painted over the templates simular to those in the free stuff forum. The problem with UVmapper, and I forgot after some many years of use, is that while it loads Victoria and should display the UV mapp immmediately, There are several "pages" the body, the head and I believe lash and eyebrow trans maps. Check the templates I mentioned and the ones Acadia talked about and you'll see what I mean. mike

If you insist on making your own texture for your figure, here are 2 links that will help you see how to do it: http://www.thepalace.com/wonder/poser/posebuilder/character_creation.html http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=1100639&Start=1&Artist=FS&ByArtist=Yes You can get the seam guide template at this link. Just look through the pages until you find the one you want: http://www.renderosity.com/freestuff.ez?Form.Contrib=SnowSultan&Topsectionid=0

not sure which are already posted, but there's someone named SnowSultan that does templates for texture maps..has done several of the Daz characters..should be in Freebies (could be 2 words..but that's the person..)

Attached Link: http://www.daz3d.com/shop.php?op=itemdetails&item=1098

Don't forget that Bodypaint will load all the maps on top of one another as soon as you load V3. But in BodyPaint you can call out one group you need to work on correct? Did you activate the Mapping screen in BodyPaint? Sharen

Where you downloaded victoria 3 near the bottom of the page it says texture template download, if you download that file and extract it somewhere that has the victoria 3 uvmap templates.

Thanks all, I'm sorted now. It's the way I was using BodyPaint that was the problem. I kept seeing a mass of polygons displayed as the UV mesh, and I was trying to select individual objects so that it would display only 'one' UV part at once. I've just realised it's the material groups 'within' the object groups that need to be selected - lol (Kinda like what Sharen was getting at) Now I've just gotta figure-out how to paint 'accross' multiple groups using the RayBrush. I don't know if that's possible, or if someone knows a trick to do that - but that's another topic entirely, so I'll start a new thread about it sometime soon. Again, many thanks Len.