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Personalizing
Characters
I own the intellectual copyright for the written tutorial. What you make is yours, but please do not take my tutorial. Share only my link. This tutorial was created for some friends of mine who wanted to begin learning more about DAZ Studio. It is intended for beginners to learn how to texturize pieces, mix and max pieces to fit a figure, pose and render it -- from start to finish. If you have any questions, please feel free to Email me. To do this tutorial you will also need DAZ Studio. I am using version 1.8 To do this tutorial, you will need the Toon Baby from DAZ. You will also need to download these free files:
You will also need a graphics program like Paint Shop Pro or Photoshop. The instructions and screenshots are using PSP, but the technique is very similar in Photoshop, and I have supplied some photoshop instructions. In this tutorial, we will be creating a texture for the Baby Sundress and then using that Baby Sundress on the Toon Baby (rather than the Millennium Baby that the dress was intended for). Part One -- Texturizing the Outfit. 1. In the zip file for TamiL Baby Sundress-- find the template files. They are located in the texture folder of that zip file. Open the template files into your graphics program. Minimize them. 2. Open the DressCollar,Skirt file. SHIFT + D to duplicate. (Image > Duplicate) Close the original. 3. Choose the rectangle selection tool. Draw a rectangle box around the collar part of the dress.
4. PSP instructions: Still with the rectangle selection
tool selected, Left-click once on the collar and the selection will close around
the collar shape.
5. To reduce "tears" in the clothing when it is modeled, we want to make sure that we color beyond the edges of the shape. So Selection > Modify > Expand Selection. Expand by 3 - 5 pixels.
6. Set your pattern to the pattern/color/gradient of your choice and fill this selection with that pattern. Now I painted only the collar (In Photoshop this could be done by using the paint brush rather than the Edit > Fill command).
7. Edit > Copy 8. Open up the DressFull file. SHIFT + D to duplicate (Photoshop: Image > Duplicate). Close the original. 9. Edit > Paste as New Layer. With the mover tool, move the collar into position at the top of the dress. 10. Draw a rectangle selection around the word collar. Click DELETE. Now, that word really did not need to be deleted. It was NOT in an area of the template that is active in DAZ/Poser, so it would not have shown when rendered.
11. Return to the DressCollar,Skirt file. Draw a Selection around the Skirt and trim. Left-click on the skirt to select that area. 12. Selections > Modify > Expand Selections. Expand by 3 - 5 pixels. Fill this area with the pattern of your choice. I chose the same pattern, but you may choose another.
13. Edit > Copy. 14. Click back on the Dress Full file. Edit > Paste as New Layer. Use the mover tool to move the skirt/trim into position over the template.
15. Now we must clean up the left and right edges. This is hard to do with patterns. But if the left edge of the pattern is not blended correctly to match the right edge of the pattern, it will show as a seam when rendered in DAZ/Poser. If at all possible, erase/or paint over the very edges so that they match up. So where the orange arrows are on both sides, I painted over some of the spider webs, so that it is just black on the edges. 16. We are finish with the DressCollar,Skirt File. You may minimize or close it. 17. Open the DressBodice file. SHIFT+D to duplicate. (Photoshop: Image > Duplicate). Close the original. 18. Select > All. Then choose the rectangle selection tool and left-click inside the bodice to select the parts. (Photoshop: CTRL, and click on thumbnail) 19. Selections > Modify > Expand Selection. expand by 3 - 5 pixels. 20. Fill this selection with the color/pattern of your choice.
21. You can add images/tubes to decorate the outfits as well. I added the spiderweb tube. (open the spiderweb. Resize it to the size you want it. Edit > Copy. Click back on the bodice, Edit > Paste as new layer) 22. Merge all layers together. Layers > Merge > Merge Visible. 23. Edit > Copy 24. Click on Dress Full file. Edit > Paste as New Layer. With the mover tool, move the bodice into position. THEN drag the Bodice layer below the collar and skirt layers.
25. This file is finished and ready to use. Now you must save it as a JPEG into the texture folder of your DAZ. File > Export > JPEG Optimizer. Browse to this path: C:\Program Files\DAZ\Studio\content\Runtime\Textures (this is the usual path that DAZ uses for Textures, if you haven't individualized it.) In that path, create a folder to hold the textures that you create. I called mine DragonBreath. Then inside the DragonBreath folder, I created another folder that I stored all the textures for this outfit -- I called it SpiderWitch. Create your folders and save. You are finished with this file and can close it (and the rest of the sundress files). 26. Now for the witch's hat, I used the Morphing Witch Hat found at Runtimedna. Open the template for the hat. It is found in the zipped file that you downloaded for the witch hat. 27. SHIFT+D to duplicate. (Photoshop: Image > Duplicate) Close the original. 28. Layer > New Raster Layer. 29. With the rectangle selection tool, draw a rectangle selection around the hat band and trim parts. Selections > Modify > Expand by 3-5 pixels. Fill this selection with the color or pattern of your choice.
30. selections > Invert
31. Fill the selection with the pattern of your choice. Now you'll notice that I have painted every area of the template file. Remember that the colors/patterns that are covering the white area (not the grid area) will NOT show when rendered. I could delete those parts, but why? They won't show.
32. Now save this file in the same folder that you saved the dress. File > Export > JPeg Optimizer. 33. Now this is optional, but I am using the Blossom hair for my render. Blossom is another paid for character, so you will have to own it -- or skip this step. Open up the Hair template file. SHIFT+D to duplicate. (Photoshop: Image > Duplicate). Close the original. 34. This template is a GIF file and so does not have the color depth you need to work with it. Image > Increase Color Depth > RGB - 8 bits/channel.
35. Fill this file with the color or pattern of your choice. I also added some tubes of spiders to decorate her hair.
36. Now save this file in the same folder that you saved the dress. File > Export > JPeg Optimizer. 37. Continue to texture all the pieces of the outfit/props you need for your render. If you need more practice or instructions in texturizing, you
can try my other tut:
Continue: Personalizing Characters--Loading Textures and Re-Sizing Outfit
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