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Looking for help making an Opacity Map

AbrahamRockwellAbrahamRockwell Posts: 158
in Technical Help (nuts n bolts)

I'm looking to make a 'Frankenstein Lives!' image, and for that i recently picked up this product:  XI Sci-Fi Lab

https://www.daz3d.com/xi-sci-fi-lab

Included in it is a 'Table' I want to use for the scene.  Unfortunately for me, its all one object, with no 'movable' parts.

I would like to make a 'Opacity Map' to make certain parts disappear, in particular the two 'manipulator arms' at the top of the table, listed as the 'XI SL Surge Station' prop in the product, andn the 'band' near the middle of the prop (see attached file, areas circled in red).

I have NO skill in figuring out texture maps, though.  I even loaded the object into a program to give me the bare mesh, but again it doesn't help.

Can anyone here help me with doing this, or point me to a product/person who could help me in making such?

Comments

  • jmucchiellojmucchiello Posts: 2,507

    I don't own this but I would explore using geometry editor to delete everything from the figure except the table. Then you can export it to OBJ and reimport it as a separate object. If you are lucky, the table is one or a few isolated surfaces and it's just a handful of clicks to do what I'm suggesting.

    Just make sure you are working with a separate save file as you delete the geometry not part of the table,

  • felisfelis Posts: 6,605

    Does it have its own surface? Then you cut set cut-out oppacity to 0 for all other surfaces. But it is a lot of geometry to carry around with no use, so I would not recommend it.

    My preferred method is to export it to a modeller, and then cut the table as a stand alone object and reimport to Daz Studio.

  • AbrahamRockwellAbrahamRockwell Posts: 158
    edited October 4

    @ felis and jmucchiello Thanks for the answers, but even with all the years I have been using Daz, your suggestions are beyond my skill.

    I just may try to do two renders, one with the table and one without, and combine them in photoshop.  Won't look perfect (I'm certain lighting will be off), but its close enough I would guess.

    Post edited by AbrahamRockwell on
  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 41,750
    edited October 4

    Xi products have truly awful UV mapping 

    so you honestly couldn't have picked a worse table to edit

    unless it's another Xi product table devil

    Geometry editor is the way to go if you want to do this

    practicing on simpler meshes is the way to learn

    sadly I don't own this one or I would create a cutout opacity map for you in Carrara or Ultimate Unwrap 3D and Gimp which is honestly more work than using the geometry editor but I do often do it, mostly I just re-UV map these things and Zproject the texture in Zbrush or repaint in UW3D but cannot share that

    moot sadly, as I don't own it

    Post edited by WendyLuvsCatz on
  • AbrahamRockwellAbrahamRockwell Posts: 158

    @WendyLubvsCatz: I may be able to figure out the 'band' in the middle (It has some writing on it which might allow me to figure out what's around it as well), and I'll just fake the rest.

    Thanks for the reply, though.

  • jmucchiellojmucchiello Posts: 2,507

    I just want to point out I'm only working in Daz a little over 2 years (and no other 3D work before that) and I've made the geometry editor work for me. It isn't hard, tedious sometimes for sure. You just have to put in the time fooling around with it.

  • SkelchSkelch Posts: 278

    Can you upload the full texture that goes onto this mesh? using the blank one it will be easier to isolate where those structures are and create an opacity map with the UV Template you uploaded and the Original Diffuse map.

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 41,750

    Skelch said:

    Can you upload the full texture that goes onto this mesh? using the blank one it will be easier to isolate where those structures are and create an opacity map with the UV Template you uploaded and the Original Diffuse map.

    sadly one cannot share that on the forum 

  • SkelchSkelch Posts: 278

    Sorry was thinking more into the nuts and bolts of it not the 'ownership' of it. I could do it but not without seeing the original texture. Here is what you should do. Take the template you have and create different colored areas on the map. Or take the original image map and save a copy of it. Then color over areas of the map then apply it so you can see what areas of the map apply to the object. Here is a screen grab where I colored some of the template you posted. 

    templateexample.jpg
    845 x 498 - 198K
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