Using kena's image mask tut

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Using kena's image mask tut // Visitor Area

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Post by Unregistered // Dec 20, 2008, 6:08pm

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Total Posts: 0
First just gota say, WOW what a tool!

I downloaded the free version 7.6 yesterday.


I'm trying to follow kena's image mask tutorial.


I've got my color and mask/transparent images as bmps.

I've loaded the color image into trueSpace.

I'm at step D of post 4, but clicking Transparency button isn't opening the window for the mask image.


What am I doing wrong?

Post by Unregistered // Dec 22, 2008, 8:28am

Unregistered
Total Posts: 0
I forgot to add a link to the tutorial

http://forums1.caligari.com/truespace/showthread.php?t=2252

Post by spacekdet // Dec 22, 2008, 8:30am

spacekdet
Total Posts: 1360
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You need a second material layer for the mask.
Right Click the material preview sphere and choose 'Add New Layer'
With second layer selected (click the small 'eyeball')
Click and drag on the 'Color Blend:constant alpha' and instead choose 'Color Blend:mask alpha'.
In the panel that appears underneath right click the blank gray box to get a Windows file picker.
(-Or- Left click to open the tS image browser)
Choose your mask image. It can be a 32 bit image (tga, etc) or just a high contrast image.
Change the color/texture on the second layer to see the results.

Post by Unregistered // Dec 22, 2008, 10:40am

Unregistered
Total Posts: 0
Thx spacekdet,


I wasn't holding the mouse button and dragging to expose the other icons/controls.


Hate to be a pain, but I have two more problems now.

1. I made a draw space, but can't figure out how to get the masked image/material into it.

Tried dragging it from the material thumbnail, but that didn't work.


2. I can't seem to resize the draw panel once it's made. Is there a lock somewhere?

Post by spacekdet // Dec 22, 2008, 12:42pm

spacekdet
Total Posts: 1360
pic
Plain planes are usually easiest to apply images to, but you can apply them to Draw Panels just as well.
Right click on the 'Drawpanel tool' icon, and then in the resulting panel tic the box for 'Drawpanel image'.
Right or left click the grey box to pick an image file.

To resize an existing panel, just hover over the edge.
When it turns yellow, click and drag on it.

Keep in mind that a drawpanel itself won't render-nor will a single curve- the panel just provides a virtual surface to construct a curve on.

Once you loft or extrude it curve it will render.
You can also convert a closed curve/ 'patch' into a polygon object that will render.
17104

Post by LongWolf // Dec 22, 2008, 5:33pm

LongWolf
Total Posts: 62
Hi again, I decided to join the forum.


I am clicking and holding the edge of the frame after it turns yellow.

But it won't let me drag it to re-size.


It worked when I first started, but it won't now.

That's why I'm wondering if I've hit a 'lock' somewhere.


There's are enough controls in this app to fill a few college courses :)

Post by spacekdet // Dec 22, 2008, 6:42pm

spacekdet
Total Posts: 1360
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Welcome to the caliForum!

Nope, no locks, you just have to click the 'Object Scale' tool (or hit it's hotkey on the keyboard) and you'll be able to scale the Draw/Tripanel larger.
17110

Post by LongWolf // Dec 22, 2008, 7:10pm

LongWolf
Total Posts: 62
Thx again, that works!

Maybe I should explain what I'm trying to do.
I want make BlackJack game with direct3d so I need to make a BJ table, a playing card (to scale) and a couple of other table items to export as .x files.
I plan to make the game window 800x600.

I've made an image for the table top. it's 800 x 440 pixels.
It's shaped like a capital D (San Serif)

kena's tutorial shows how he masked a leaf into the Materials Editor.
http://forums1.caligari.com/truespace/showthread.php?t=2252
Instead of adding a new layer, you add a transparency map to the color map.
With your help, I've done that and it trimmed it properly.

But the Draw Panel Options only seems to allow adding an image from file.
How do I get the trimmed table image from the Materials Editor into the panel tool so that I can extrude directly from it?

Post by spacekdet // Dec 22, 2008, 9:27pm

spacekdet
Total Posts: 1360
pic
The panel's image is really just to use it as a template for tracing with the curve tool- it's not really meant to render/display an image with all the bells and whistles that you can achieve via the Material Editor.

Once you trace the outline with the curve tools, it's easy to extrude the shape. You can convert it to polygonal form ('Convert NURBS patch to polyhedron (or curve to polygon)' tool ) and continue to modify it with the regular polygon editing tools, which give you more options.

Most people find polygon modeling a little more intuitive than NURBS.
Since your aim is export it to .x will end up polygonal anyway.

If it's literally a 'D' shape it may be as simple as using the 'Add Horizontal Text' tool, choosing a font, and typing D.
Right click to enter point edit, select the top face, and Sweep.

Post by spacekdet // Dec 22, 2008, 10:51pm

spacekdet
Total Posts: 1360
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If you really want a handle on tS NURBS, see this (http://www.caligari.com/products/trueSpace/ts5/Courses/Newnurbspage.asp?Cate=Training&Subcate=Fundamental), and then this. (http://www.caligari.com/products/trueSpace/ts5/Courses/Newnurbsdesign.asp?Cate=Training&SubCate=Older)

While useful in their own right, I think you can probably get what you need done faster with polygon modeling. That isn't to say you can't use both- start by tracing a shape with the Curve tool, and then converting to poly and continuing with poly tools.

Workspace has some 'Image Stamp' tools like you are envisioning ( the Map Displacement tool) but you have to begin with a rather high-poly plane to ensure enough geometry is there to get a clean, well defined shape. While it's certainly quick, there are more efficient, lower-poly ways to model.

Anyway, food for thought, and have fun exploring!

Post by kena // Dec 29, 2008, 8:34pm

kena
Total Posts: 2321
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wow - I really need to pay more attention to the forums than real life!!


Thanks for using my little tutorial! I hope your project goes well.


and special thanks to spacekdet for helping you out with it while I was distracted!! I love the helpfulness on these forums!!
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