http://evidenceofalostcity.com/stockingtest/stockingtest.html

OK...Here is the full image, 400x400, in b&w...I hope it works.....Don

Well, Mr BB, I've spent most of the day trying to make this image as sharp as possible, not an easy or altogether satisfactory task, but I think this is a decent result. Now I've turned it into a black and white jpg. (Or do you need a png?) Anyway, there's a strip of white at the top (flesh, no nylon), then a couple of dark welts, a light gray for the main leg (with some shading), and the seam and heel in dark gray/black. I hope it will work. 

I've noticed when others post an image, it is usually possible to click on it to see a larger version. I couldnt figure out how to do that, and the full size is pretty big, so this is just a small image. The full-sized image is here: http://evidenceofalostcity.com/stockingtest/stockingtest.html

I hope youll take a look at this. If I did it wrong, let me know. If it's right, I'd be delighted for you to work your magic on it. And thank you again for your time...Don

I'll work on one too, BB. Thanks.

Thanks, EnglishBob and Vilters, for the intriguing information. Right now I am re-drawing the texture--I had used a 3000x3000 map, and I've decided a 4000x4000 would be better for the detailing. I'll also use a different technique in Photoshop to see if I can make the lines more precise. 

Then I'll tackle the material room. After I get that working, I think I'll continue and add a garter belt or corset the same way, properly connected with an elastic strap, with added tension on the stocking, etc. I see from Vilter's example how this can be done.....very amusing....

Oh, and another question. How do you guys get your personal links at the bottom of your message? If I use the "Attachments" space to add a link, it goes to the top of this message. I'm typing my links below this now, but that clearly isnt the same as you are doing.......Don

http://dnstuefloten.com

http://evidenceofalostcity.com

http://hagmovie.com

I see a bunch of stuff in the sticky section above, tutorials/explanations for the material room, nodes, shaders, but many of the links are broken, at least at the beginning. I found this one, which looks quite extensive (with your--BB's--contiributions)--

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?message_id=2778165&ebot_calc_page#message_2778165

--and I guess I'll start digging in.

One note about masks. I presume I can mask off the non-nylon surface of a leg, the part above the stocking, and then apply your shader to it? Thus sleeking and shimmering the nylon surface but leaving the flesh as it was. Is that right? I'll be looking more into this as I continue.....Don

Thank you, Bagginsbill, for taking the time to go through this. I more or less follow what you show me--I know something of masks from Photoshop and Premiere--but I really know nothing of shaders, how they work or how to blend them in nodes in Poser. There must be some tutorials here at Renderosity, or elsewhere, that will start me off at the beginning--or perhaps you can recommend one? I'll start looking. I can see that using a shader to simulate the nylon surface of a stocking-over-flesh is going to be the best system, but is is probably going to be the final flourish in what I am doing. Even with a shader, we need a darker welt at the top and at the heel, with some kind of texture, and various wrinkle details. As I understand it, the shader will provide the glistening translucent surface--over these details. Is that right?

I figure over the next week I'll continue refining and detailing while I start a study of the basics of nodes and shaders.......Don

Yeah, I too hate leg make-up on my collar...but I do like old jokes!

You should not be drawing the stocking - you should draw a mask only - something that can be used to modulate a shader that has skin and skin+nylon. Then you can change color, opacity, and everything else on the fly.

Bagginsbill, you know a lot more about these things than I do. Can I draw a mask in Poser? or create one in Photoshop, and apply it somehow, in Poser, to the figure? That sounds like a wonderful possibility, if only I knew how to proceed! You'll have to point me in a direction....

Meanwhile, I'll trudge along on this route to my "Second Stage." I figure I can add a sheen to the whole stocking--I recognize this wont shift highlights around, which maybe I'll investigate in Stage Three, but it will help differentiate the stocking from the skin. In video, with everything moving, it would be nice to have changing highlights and who knows what more--changing reflections? Mirror legs? I could get carried away here!

Thanks, all, for the considerable information. I continue experimenting.

I've made a first stocking-leg texture, and uploaded a page with the character--Lin Yang, a V4 figure--using the stockings. It still clearly needs work, and doesnt show well in close-ups. It lacks that sleek shine that real stockings have, and which BB's shader creates. Anyway it's here if you want to  this first attempt--

http://evidenceofalostcity.com/evidencecharacters/wraiths/linyang.html

--one of the 'Wraiths' in my movie. I will continue experimenting. I'll be adding more details, like heel treatment, wrinkles. And I will see if I can use BB's textures in some way here. I am intrigued by Michael314's use of a limb with its own texture, conformed to the figure. I'm going to have a busy couple weeks,  and I havent even gotten to the dynamic stockings yet.

Thanks again for all the suggestions. If I create something worth looking at, I'll post a link.........Don

Ah, thank you....

I've started the bb nylon shader--gone thru the first few steps, made the "Stockings" group. But now he says simply, "OK so load my shader." I see we are in the Materials Room. But how do I load his shader? I've put it in the library/materials/procedurals folder as an mt5 file. I can create a new node--there are a bunch of nodes listed, Math, Lighting, etc--but I dont see any Load Shader listing. How do I load the shader? I suppose this is such a primitive question that it isnt worth mentioning, except for primitive users like me.  Help!

OK--I see svdl's Office Outfit--I'll try that too...

Thanks, WandW. Bagginsbill's work looks amazing. (And this is what you refer to, hborre?) But it seems to be for the whole leg, right? I want actual stockings, with their darker tops mid-thigh, and perhaps a seam down the back, heel treatment, wrinkles, too. Maybe I can apply this to the leg, and then add some additional texture to the top? BB's ability to change denier and color is lovely. Well, I shall proceed experimenting....

The people who are selling figures usually are using a base model, and modifying it using various tools. So you will need the original model, often Michael 4 or Victoria 4, and usually the version with the extra morphs, which is an added expense. You load the M4, then load the seller's figure which takes the M4, as an example, and turns it into the figure you bought. This confused me at first too. Usually the seller will have a note somewhere, saying you will need this or that figure. Good luck.

I just tried downloading the seam guides--been wanting them for some time. But the M4 link is broken. The V4 link, on the opening page, is broken too, but if you hit the "Resources" tab--down near the bottom of the page--it'll give you another link to her textures, which works.

Anyone else have any luck with the M4 texture link?

Attached Link: Evidence of a Lost City