http://ptex.us/overview.html

 

Ptex is a texture mapping system developed by Walt Disney Animation Studios for production-quality rendering:

• No UV assignment is required! Ptex applies a separate texture to each face of a subdivision or polygon mesh.
• The Ptex file format can efficiently store hundreds of thousands of texture images in a single file.
• The Ptex API provides cached file I/O and high-quality filtering - everything that is needed to easily add Ptex support to a production-quality renderer or texture authoring application.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxNlAlOuQQQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNgy2CYEvfI

 

Mudbox 2012 has ptex

Mari will have ptex in the new version

Blender will have ptex in the next version  http://www.blendernation.com/2010/08/21/ptex-support-being-added-to-blender/

 

the thing with ptex in poser is that it would be perfect because poser figures have more then one UV tile. for example for M4 for skin you need 3 textures. arms/legs , torso  and head. now imagine that you use bump,spcecular,displacement,reflections, dirty,... you have more then 10 textures in your rende just for M4. now add an armor,clothes. 

 

Ptex is open source and free. so you only need to pay money to code it inside.

 

if i understand right you can use ptex also on UV models. so all poser figures would work with ptex. ptex would not replace normal 2D textures. it would only give you a new option.

 

i am not asking for Ptex in the next week. i am not asking for ptex in poser 9 and poserpro 2011. i am please asking that you start working on ptex now so that in the next 2 years you will be ready to add it in.  i dont want a scenario where every software will have ptex and then smithmicro will decide to look into it.

imagine procedurals with ptex?