heyas; just a question for everybody who cares -- how do you like the mapping on figures to be done? do you like using multiple maps (ie millenium persons head/body split) so you can get high detail on everything, or do you hate having to find the different maps and stick them on the right parts? if you like multiple maps, how many are TOO many? :)

let's see..... Too Many... 147... Not Enough... 0.. having the pieces parts spread out over a few maps isn't that bad.. 2-4 is acceptable? and with the new MAT pose thingy.. it can be a lot easier to apply multiple materials 8 ) a lote depends on the figure/prop and how it's planned on being used I guess 8 ) Cheers

Well, I'd PREFER one map, if only because I have limited RAM, and the fewer texture maps the better... but I suppose it's okay until it gets to be about 10 or more maps (not counting prop texture maps), including bump and transparencies...

i also have limited RAM - but i think multiple maps are an advantage - so you can have a more datailed map for the head and a smaller one for other body parts. for example: posette needs a huge separate map only for lashes transparency which is in fact the same size as the whole body - a waste of RAM... i think approx. 4-6 different maps are adequate for most cases ...

I'll be the one to vote for single maps, though it does depend on whay you are maping. For a figure it can be really tough to get the seperate maps to match at the seam areas. (I'm specifically thinking of the cute equines in the message below - I'd hate to have to match say an appaloosa or pinto pattern across multiple maps especially if they vary in size.) For clothing or other things with discrete areas multiple maps work fine. And I can't wait for those those equine cuties to show up somewhere I can buy them and start doing textures. ;-)

Multi-maps! Actually, in my experience, Poser's memory management seems to handle many smaller maps much easier than one large one.

I belive it really Depends....depends on the model being mapped, some I prefer mulitple maps as it gives more flexability and others would just be over kill. As for "how many are too many?" Again it would really depend, I find something like a full house all mapped on a single map makes things too tiny to get good detail in Poser but fine for Bryce. Of course the fewer, the easier to handle and keep trake of... As for MATs, it's probably because I am so new and inexperianced but I really don't like them:-( They fill up my directories, are one (or many) more files to keep trake of and most I have loaded I end up changing anyway due to the lighting etc of my particular scene.....just my opionion.

I rather like the way DAZ has seperated the head and the body. It's a good comprimise that allows for enough detail to do a closeup but does not waste ram by using this same amount of detail for a full body shot. I think a single texture map for a prop is usually fine but complex props like a car or a house would probably benefit from mutliple texture/bump maps. I also find that when working with bumpmaps you may get the map setup so you get the raised areas looking good but you can nolonger get the indented areas to show well. (I have often thought it would be great if you could apply a weighting to the greyscale for bumpmaps when you rendered)

if it's a figure i will use a lot, i don't mind multiple maps cos i will get used to finding them (eg vicki head and body) if it's a figure i won't be using every week, i would prefer one map. cos if i only open it up once a year, it would be annoying to find i've misplaced some of the 20 textures it requires.

i prefer single maps- the mat pose thing is killing my pose directory- i really hate that no way has been found yet to make a separate directory for them. The detail that comes from multiple maps is a non issue with me- i don't do extreme close ups where you need to see every pore, every scar, every hair, i cannot justify the resourse cost for that detailed a texture for the images i create. But that is just me..

but then again Blood- i like the orig map that comes with the standard poser horsie shicker /hides

ugh! cheryle! :) okay, i will try to put trans hairy bits on separate maps, because these things just NEED to be huge to get the little hairs to look right. everything else, i will shove on one map. or at least, that's what i'll shoot for. :) thanks guys!