UV Tailor
RCDeschene
Posts: 2,795
in The Commons
Interesting, so you can make new textures for existing models, even Victorias 1 - 4! Since all Genesis figures are also supported as well, it makes me wounder how this changes the game on UV support for all the various Genesis bases, batch converting, and even backwards Generations (especially Gen 3 characters)!
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Yes, it looks interesting, but I just wonder what is the difference between using this product or/instead using texture templates
available for many of the items mentioned in the description?
If there would be a possibility to create a good UV maps in this product, it will be much more interesting for me.
I just got it, great for templates, but I don't see any conversion thing?
I see you select different UV set to view. I think there is a PDF so will have to find it and have a read!
Can you actually alter the UVs with that? I looked at the description but I found that a bit scarce on information. Tells me I can look at the uv maps but that I can do already in the UV viewport. I'm baffled.
I thought it just allowed you to print out the UV template so you can use it to texture it.
Yes I think you are right it only prints UVs and overlays them on texture maps that is applied to the figure so it only export images. But I could be wrong the PDF is in the plugin directory of DS.
You mentioned that the PDF is in the plugin directory, could you be a little more specific? I just checked out both my 32 and 64-bit plugin directories and I'm not seeing anything there. There's also no corresponding Read Me page on DAZ yet, so this is a bit frustrating.
Thanks,
Jason
Sorry some bad info there, this is where it is !
C:\Program Files\DAZ 3D\DAZStudio4\docs\Plugins\UV Tailor
Midnight_stories:
Thank you very much! I wouldn't have even thought to look in that folder.
Jason
Yes it took me a while to Lol!
I'm still trying to figure this product out before I buy.
There are free uv viewers where you can save the uv map and use as a texture template
Daz has a built in UV viewer (although I always have a heck of a time finding it) that you can use to create texture templates
So what does this product do?
Exactly what I'm trying to figure out! How does this differ from the free uv viewers available, and the built in Daz viewer? It would be great if the product description explained this. This COULD be a product I really want, but I'm not going to spend $21 on it until I'm sure.
Does it include the anatomical elements; conspicuously lacking from the available UVs published by Daz.
You can return it if it isn't what you want; admittedly I'd prefer not to buy something in the first place, but I have bought, and ended up keeping quite a few items because I can return withing 30 days.
I'm more interested in editing props and environments, and somewhat clothing, than I'm interested in editing skin. Is this for those as well, or just skin?
I was wondering this as well, or if it would work on some of these new toons and plushies coming from RDNA.
I've used this plugin and found it useful for what it is. At this stage, I'm pretty sure it serves just two purposes: 1) a UV viewer and 2) a template generator for texturing
I find it more useful than the UV view built into DS because it allows me to zoom in and I can switch UV sets without needing to jump out to a different viewport mode and back. It's definitely good for checking out UVs.
I have also used it for saving out templates for texturing. DAZ Studio doesn't have a way to save templates that I know of, this is the only way. My method in the past (before UV Tailor came long) for creating templates was to save out an OBJ, load it into UV Mapper, hide the surfaces that don't belong, save out the image, make all the surfaces visible, select the next template of surfaces, save, repeat 8 times...It was pretty tedious to do. With this, I can select the first template on my Genesis figure (see image) run the export, select the next template, run the export, repeat. Much easier and the plugin is scriptable so you could set it up to do all that for you with the click of one button.
Josh was the original requestor for this tool as he needed a way to export entire UV sets. It can export any of the multiple sets that the new models have and I believe unique to this tool, it can export the actual uvs at the different subdivision levels. You need to check your textures against these as the uvs change slightly as subdivision levels change.
UV Tailor is not currently a uv mapper - creator of new uv sets, just gives you access to the different sets the models alreay have.
Yes, any of the geografted, including anatomical elements, can be viewed and exported. Details are in the pdf (how to do this with Genesis 3 being a little different than the others.)
And yes, you can export the uvs of any model - figure, prop, hair, any model that uses uvs and not just a constant color. I used figure examples in the pics as they are easily recognizable. A lot of prop and hair uvs are just bunches of parallel lines. You need them, but they don't make good illustrations.
Thank you, and thank you, too, Josh, for your explanations! I can definitely see a need for this, now that I understand it's purpose better. I will most likely be picking it up soon.
and who knows, maybe if we lobby to Greenbriar Studio enough he'll look into some basic editing functionality. ;)
I'll point out that UVMapper can do a lot of this stuff (and is free).
Also, Instant Meshes does amazing retopo.
Blender also has an export UVs option.
Is editing useful for most folks? Someone making a new model likely has high end tools for modeling and creating uvs.
Editing uvs ( which could be added - I have it on other tools I have done ) can only be used on your own new model, I would think.
For texture makers, you need to align to the existing uvs, else your textures are only useable on the one model whose uvs you altered.
Texture makers was what I had in mind with theis tools as it developed.
I think I'm missing the scenarios where editing uvs on existing models would be useful.
If I can find some, I'll add it to my work list.
As I'm always looking for new tool needs. And coming back to DAZ Studio, I don't know yet what all might be useful.
People may wish to edit UV's for their own personal use. There are a lot of dabblers here. I can think that editing UV's to make them more shader friendly could be helpful too.
So you would find it useful to grab single uv points (or a set) and shift them around on the map directly?
Yes. Example, one wants to use a directional shader tile on an item, say a wood table or shirt or hair. Three out of four parts are laid out on the map vertically, and the fourth one is horizontal. You either have to create a new shader tile rotated 90 degrees and hope the material groups are good, mess with the item in a UV editor, or use a different item for the promo and swear a lot.
Greenbriar Studio:
OK, so I downloaded and installed the plugin both DIM and then again on my own. In both cases, the plugin is not showing up where your tutorial said it should be located:
Windows -- Panes (Tabs)
I see my other ones, but UV Tailor is not listed. Any ideas on what's going on?
Jason
I tested the installer DAZ made and it put it in the correct folder for me.
Are you on 32 bit or 64 bit?
Did the UVTailor dll show up in the plugins folder under DAZ Studio?
Wherever the dll is, from installing or unzipping, it just needs to be moved to the plugs folder and then DAZ Studio restarted.
Where did yours end up?
You have to go to help - about installed plugins and the copy and paste your serial number in and restart Daz and then mine showed up under Window - Panes.
This tool can become quite handy. I selected just the skin in the preview pane and it highlighted the uv part of just the skin on the left and added the UV map over it and left the other parts as is. I am liking what I seen so far. The option to see the UV map in a dark or light color is also handy and will make it easier for it to stand out against the textures
I think another adv
I don't think UVMapper can do the different sub-D levels that this does, but I'm still confused what UVs DS uses on the higher sub-D levels is it the base UVs or the new subdivided UVs?
I'm so glad I started this thread! :)
Now I wonder how likely a convertor would be doable, because that's another big thing here. Granted we already have the Legacy UVs for Genesis 3 with the use of geographs, there is a potential drawback involving the head graph that cause a dillema with characters that have horns and such...
We crafted an installation and setup guide for new users detailing everything needed to get UV Tailor up and running. You can read it online or download a PDF version here:
http://www.winterbrose.com/daz3d/UV-Tailor-Setup-Guide.html
We hope someone finds it useful.
Enjoy...