Solved How to create custom skin, face and makeup textures?

[vamerpamer]

I'm new to VAM and 3D models/textures in general, I'm looking to create my own textures but I'm confused about where to start. Looking at the texture files included for makeup and skin, they seem to follow the standard "unwrapped" texture format, but how can I go about creating my own textures? Are there any guides on here about texture workflows so I could learn what to do and how to get started?

I tried looking up general tutorials for textures but they seem to follow a different format (or I'm just too new to this to understand how to apply them to VAM)

Thanks for any help!

 

[Andysan]

By create im assuming you mean create actual diffuse textures and not use vam to mix and match textures. Normally in a creative workflow the process would start with a "blank slate" image file created by the 3d modeling software that was used to create the body model. That's where the"unrapped" shape comes from its based off the polygon arrangement of the original model and its called a UV map. In the case of creating something new for your use in vam. Start with opening the texture files you already have and editing them, play around with them and see what you can do. Just remember that a complete diffuse texture is 4 files head, body, limbs, guns, and a complete texture set is diffuse (color), normal (depth), specular (shine), gloss (shine as well). If you are interested in making textures though I highly suggest starting with something simpler. Like tackle a t shirt skin first. It will be less difficult and less discouraging, when you make a mess of it. Realistic Skin textures are like the magnum opus of 3d modelers. And Vam has the highest quality(creatively) skin textures I have ever seen. The amazing stuff you see by people like Riddler https://hub.virtamate.com/members/riddler.6582/ are the work of dedicated, very experienced, and very very talented 3d artists.

edit: vam uses gen2 male format skin textures gen 2 female textures can be used with the auto-generated gens feature in texture settings. Search gen2 for more information on editing etc.

 

[Origin69]

The workflow will depend on what software you are using and what you are wanting to achieve. You will need both 3d painting and 2d image editing software.

I mainly use blender for modeling, texture baking (transferring textures from one model to another f>m) and 3d texture painting. I takes a bit to set up a model for painting, but once you have a template you can paint and stencil onto the model and the seems will all line up. I then use gimp for cleaning up, shading and adding finer details on deffuse textures, and making specular/gloss and simple normal maps.

A note on UV maps. You really want to use the Base male or Base female UV Layout. When you select a skin in Vam or Daz3d, some models will use other UV Loayouts like Victoria/Olympia etc. which I think use slightly different texture layouts which slightly warp the textures.

The base textures for Vam are in your Vam root folder under Custom>Atom>Person>Textures

 

[AWWalker]

A note on UV maps. You really want to use the Base male or Base female UV Layout. When you select a skin in Vam or Daz3d, some models will use other UV Loayouts like Victoria/Olympia etc. which I think use slightly different texture layouts which slightly warp the textures. `

Origin69​

^^^^ Critical otherwise you characters will have really bad melty look lol... you can use the others, but you have to practice with what VAM has included in the optional skins as a base.


Big tip: If you are using DAZ and exporting the mesh, make sure to make everything the BASE resolution prior to exporting the OBJ, it'll help a lot with the GEN and TORSO alignment. I've attached some templates that will help ...
1001-Torso with GEN - I've create photoshop actions to combine them, makes it easier
1002-Torso
1003-Face
1004-Limbs
(They're png and i made them transparent -- You can flatten them to look like the one on the left)

Create a base OBJ File to work with for G2F : DAZ export (Base resolution body and gen) -> BLENDER-> Create UDIM files / OBJ Export Base G2
FACEGEN -> Get raw face from and image, export to PNG
Photoshop -> Adjustments and touchups, high and low pass editing, details (PIXIMPERFECT)
Substance Painter -> From The blender export with proper UDIMs, create new project and import the OBJ created in blender. paint away


Export the textures, and recombine the torso and gens
Wash, rinse, repeat over and over until you are happy.

Everyone has their own way, and that is like a 50,000 foot view of what i do . Just thought i'd throw in some more confusion for ya. J/k... there are some videos out there on creating G2F or really any Genesis texture. The same concepts apply to all of them. It really just takes a lot of trial and error. I've been doing it for like 15 years, but still find new stuff.