Hey guys,

I've created a couple bikini tan lines (in Blacksmith3D paint, then editing the edges in PS), then had an idea to use that black/white map in Poser's material room (math, blend, etc) and had a few problem till I believe I found the solution.  I'll explain that later, but for now...

The reason I want to go this route instead of creating Xnumber of textures for Xnumber of tan line option, is that I'm in the process of creating some tattoos.  So if I created 6 different tattoos, I would have to create 6 times X number for the tan lines as well, totalling over 25 torso textures as well, limbs too.  Gotta consider the X numbers of makeups as well.  Way too  much textures lol.  Also the user will have the ability to set the math color to darken the skin more without effecting the un tanned skin (unfortunately not for DS though).

But there's a new problem.  I don't believe there's a way to create a pz2 file to just "add" tan lines to what textures you have loaded (you can do that in DS though).

I'm not a script creator, and will not become one unless it's easy to learn, so that's out of the question.

Anyone have any ideas?  I'm using Poser9 SR3.2.

Ok, so here's what I did when I first started with this idea.  First, I plugged a "math function" node to the alternative diffuse, plugging the scatter to number 1, setting strength at 1, then pluggin the tan line to number 2, setting it to 0.2.  the texture turned grey where the tan was supposed to be, in both preview and render.  After plugging the math function node after scatter, plugging the texture to 1, etc.. it did the same thing.

Can't use the default diffuse color/strength, it's set at 0.000 to let the SSS take over.

Then I tried the blender.  Turned the untanned part to pure white, whether it's plugged before or after the scatter node.

Then I went to "math color", it made the untanned part lighter while keeping the tanned part the same color.... err... well I can't exactly remember what all happened, but anyways, I found that I needed to invert the color of the bikini/background map so that now the bikini is black instead of white cause the math color only effects the white part, I also set the math to "subtract" instead of "add".

Anyone have any better ideas?

...wolfie

D3D has a script

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/?ViewProduct=72706

You didn't read that right...

shaderworks advanced shaders at rdna, it is free and does that and more

it has a learning curve though :D

an example on sharecg of a tattoo that will work with most m4 textures from a pz2 file

http://www.sharecg.com/v/74873/view/11/Poser/M4-Back-Tattoo

Bill

You can not change partial textures with a pose/material file, it is all or nothing.

You can create complete pose/material collections to just swap everything thou.

If you are dead set on changing just parts of the material tree, it has to be done with a script.

I use complex texture setups all the time for personal use. Some have many textures in the trees to get the effect I want.

Here is an example of how I do the eyes on one of my characters. I can get more than a few combinations out of this without changing the node structure, just the setings in it.

Advanced shaders uses python to apply partial mat poses :D

 

Bill

Wow, that's some complex setup on the eyes, shvrdavid!  It does bring to mind that you can get different colors on one eye texture, though.  It wouldn't work in DS though, and if I'm selling to both Poser and DS users, I might as well stick with X number of eye textures instead of complex shaders.  One thing I keep in mind about the importance of eyes, though, is that 99% of renders are from a certain distance to where it doesn't even matter.  I don't have reflection in my eyes cause that 99% of renders would be more annoying then worth (for the eyes part) cause it takes too long.   As for a very close up render for me personally, yea it would be important though.  That complex setup you showed looks like it might take a long time to render lol.  And thanks for the confirmation that I can't make partial pose/material files.

willyb53, I do remember an advance shader thing, bought it at RNDA, think it was by D3D?  Can't remember.  It was a pretty complicating scipt as far as I remember (bought it about 2 years ago, tried it a few times, didn't really care for it).

I should've mentioned before, this character will be uploaded to the market, and I don't really like requiring users to buy other stuff for my characters to work.  I think if I want to keep a couple tan lines options, I'll just have to say "add the tattoos and makeups yourself", but then I'm thinking to scrap the idea.  Don't really want to add 100 mat files or 25+ torso/limbs/face textures for the tan line options.  It's more a head ache then worth.

Just for kicks, hers' a sample image with one of the tan options with a mirror behind her to show the back.  Beware, nudity (nudity checked).

...wolfie

Noob Question How do you creat a tan line like that.

Quote - Wow, that's some complex setup on the eyes, shvrdavid!  It does bring to mind that you can get different colors on one eye texture, though.  It wouldn't work in DS though, and if I'm selling to both Poser and DS users, I might as well stick with X number of eye textures instead of complex shaders.  One thing I keep in mind about the importance of eyes, though, is that 99% of renders are from a certain distance to where it doesn't even matter.  I don't have reflection in my eyes cause that 99% of renders would be more annoying then worth (for the eyes part) cause it takes too long.   As for a very close up render for me personally, yea it would be important though.  That complex setup you showed looks like it might take a long time to render lol.  And thanks for the confirmation that I can't make partial pose/material files.

willyb53, I do remember an advance shader thing, bought it at RNDA, think it was by D3D?  Can't remember.  It was a pretty complicating scipt as far as I remember (bought it about 2 years ago, tried it a few times, didn't really care for it).

I should've mentioned before, this character will be uploaded to the market, and I don't really like requiring users to buy other stuff for my characters to work.  I think if I want to keep a couple tan lines options, I'll just have to say "add the tattoos and makeups yourself", but then I'm thinking to scrap the idea.  Don't really want to add 100 mat files or 25+ torso/limbs/face textures for the tan line options.  It's more a head ache then worth.

Just for kicks, hers' a sample image with one of the tan options with a mirror behind her to show the back.  Beware, nudity (nudity checked).

...wolfie

Quote - Noob Question How do you creat a tan line like that.

For this one specifically, I drew it in a program called Blacksmith3D-Paint my self, so it's a unique one that you can't find anywhere else (though you may find one like it).  Blacksmith-3D allows you to import a morphed (or unmorphed) character (after you exported it as an "obj" file from a 3D program), it's the easiest way to draw on a 3D object.  There are others but I don't know about them.  After I finished Blacksmith-3D, I did some finishing touches (smoothing/blending) in Paint Shop Pro.

For other tan line images that are out there already, I honestly don't know where there are any, but I do have a free one that I downloaded about 5 years ago, can't remember where I got it and I'm not allowed to distribute it (per licence).

As for just adding it on a texture via a paint program (such as Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro), after you save the tan line from Blacksmith3D-Paint (or download any others), resize it to your texture that you will apply it.  Add it via layer to your skin texture, highlight the non-tanned part, then click on the texture and hide the bikini image, darken the skin some.  Load the head and limbs textures as well, darken all of it the same way you did the torso texture.

If you just want to use the bikini texture in Poser, well... I don't know if you're experienced in the material room since you said "noob question", and it's a bit more difficult, but I'll explain as best as I can.  On the bikini image, the bikini part should be black while the rest should be white.  If you have a character with SSS loaded, then in the material room (with V4 selected in the preview pane), select "2_SkinTorso".  Find the "image" node containing the torso texture, go to the node that the torso texture is connected to (back step), follow the lines and make sure it's connected (directly or via other nodes) to the "scatter" node, this node is connected (directly or via other nodes) to "Alternate_Diffuse").  Click the connector (plug) to that node, select "new node" then "Math", then "Color_Math", that will disconnect the torso.  When that's loaded, click the arrow next to "add" and select "subtract" (next paragraph will explain why).   Click the plug to the first color (white), drag it to the torso texture, and plug it in.  Click on the plug to the second color (black), select"new node", then "2D texture", then "image map".  Load the bikini image in that node.  Click on the black color and select a dark grey color (this will depend on how dark you want the tan, if the tan's too dark or light, keep playing with that part)   Right click the top part of any nodes, select "select all, then right click again and copy.  Go to each of the other torso zones (SkinHead, SkinNeck, Nipple, & SkinHip), for each of them, delete everything connected to the main "material" zone, right click the top of the "material" zone and select "Paste".   For the face & limbs, repeat the first direction, but create a simple black image, this will make the rest of the body tan as well.  The disappointing part of this is that you won't notice anything till you render.

In my experience so far (and yes, I'm a little bit new at this as well), using "subtract" focuses on the white part of the bikini image and will turn the "tanned" part of V4 to a darker skin while leaving the "un-tanned" areas alone.  If you had "add", then it will invert the tan, making the bikini areas darker while leaving the others alone.  If the bikini image color was inverted (bikini white), it would invert the tan lines as well, only this time messing with the darkness of the outer skin while making the tanned part even brighter.  if you had "add" selected on the color math node, it would as well invert the tan, except the tanned part will be as non tan (same as original color brightness of the character), and the bikini part dark (same as what the tanned part is supposed to be).

It's odd, really, and I've yet to experiment a lot of areas of the material zones, honestly I need to play around with this more to really learn and try to teach anyone.  Bagginbills is... should I say... smarter then all of us, he's had sooooo much time to study Poser and have taught so many of us.  I would say sitemail him, but he's quite a busy guy, but if you can get his time, he'll be happy to teach you.

Ok, so that said, really if you're a noob in 3D, I wouldn't bother with this unless you really want to challenge yourself.  I'm 7 years experienced in 3D, 2 years in Poser and 7 in Daz Studio, and there are so many things to learn yet... so many!!!

I hope this helps, and I'm sure if any other experienced person read and study this, they would agree, but then they might have better ideas to get some tan lines.

BTW, sorry to say, but I won't distribute my own tan line either, it's gonna be a part of a character package, I'm making my character unique as possible and distributing my tan line will void some of the purpose.

...wolfie

One more thing, instead of all this difficulty, if you're just wanting this for personal use, I would get one of these product (for Poser)

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewProduct=73093

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/d3d-perfect-tan-line---sexy-v4/73908/

Same script and all, just different style "bikini" tan lines.

...wolfie

Thanks for the tut.I have tried some tanline templates but they didn't look as good as yours.

Very welcome, friend! Maybe it was the quality work I put in mine.  For example, it's a little faded between the breasts, cause when girls wear bikinies, the sun does shine there sometimes, except when they're laying flat down for a long period of time without moving.  Also I faded the edges a little, as movement causes the bikini to move a little.

Or maybe it's the style?

Hopefully I'll get my girl done soon so it'll be available :)

...wolfie

Looking Forward to it.