AlphinaNovaStar
Energetic
Can I paint on my3d figures in CS6? I think I know how to put a 3d figure into Photoshop but I do not know how to paint it once it is in there?
You know, sculpting is the one thing I haven't tried in Blender. I've tried Sculptris and a couple of others, and I guess it's just not my thing, as the saying goes. In fact, as of a few months ago, I didn't even realize Blender could do sculpting. I guess I should try it out one of these days.Yeah, that would be my suggestion. I use Blender when I need to 3D paint due to seam issues. My guess is that 3D Coat and Zbrush would be even better. But 2D work in something like PS gives you the best control.
IMHO, Blender is really easy for particular tasks. I started with it doing sculpting. All I had to learn to do was go into sculpting mode. Everything from there except for masking was obvious, and even that's not complex. I found 3D painting required a bit more research and learning, but it's still pretty straight forward.
You know, sculpting is the one thing I haven't tried in Blender. I've tried Sculptris and a couple of others, and I guess it's just not my thing, as the saying goes. In fact, as of a few months ago, I didn't even realize Blender could do sculpting. I guess I should try it out one of these days.
My question to you KK, is how do you do 3D painting in Blender? I know you can set up material zones, which I do all the time, and then you can attach textures to them, but I don't consider that 3D painting, so what am I missing?
I would get the paid version but afraid I will end up misplacing the key or something.
Blender works like a 3D program with 2D texture painting wedged into it. The number of buttons and modes needed to paint was somewhat confusing. It worked better in some ways than PSD but for some reason it won't allow you to erase to transparency on a 2D image and had issues saving out to PSD and other programs. Also a deal breaker as I'm very used to a PSD painting style. It may still have a place in my pipeline though.
3D Coat I find to be exactly what I wanted. It allows you to do things specific to 3D texturing such as paint only in crevices or project textures over all sides of a model. It also allows painting diffuse, displacement, and specularity all in one stroke. It uses many of PSDs key commands and can sync directly with Photoshop. Downside is it has many functions unrelated to texturing and its price reflects that. Still a great value for the full package if you'd like to use those tools as well. There's a light version that is less expensive. Not sure if I could live with those limitations though. My 1 month demo is about to expire so it remains to be seen if I'll pony up.
I know what you mean. I try to keep track of all my serial numbers and such. It would be nice if software management and authentication were a little easier.
The creator of 3D Coat explicitly and politely asked people not to use his program if they wanted to make works that violated his beliefs about nudity and sex, which he based in his Christianity. I thought his request was very respectful and honest. As someone who not only tries to use nudity artistically, but also does occasionally incorporate some "sexy" qualities in their work, I won't use 3D Coat. I empathize with the creator's wish to have his work create the positive change he wants to see in the world, even if I have a different definition of positive and negative imagery. I totally understand ignoring his request (a lot of people got offended by it), but that's not something I want to do. For me, it's just not too difficult to follow his wishes and use other tools for my work. Maybe that will change one day, though.
Personally, I don't find it much of a hardship to use Blender's paint once I get going. Getting set up is always a PITA for me. It always takes me a while to figure out stenciling again, since I just don't use it that much (though I think I will be soon). And I've _always_ found the way it handles textures somewhat annoying. But I've never found it difficult to use once I get everything into place and start painting.
You can erase to alpha in Blender. My first hit in Google when searching "blender texturing erase transparency:"
Texture painting on the alpha channel (2.73)
And you can use the cavity mask option with its curve to control both how it falls off and whether you paint the high points or the low ones.
Personally, my biggest issue is just plain control and detail. I've yet to find anything that compares to 2D painting in PS. Especially because of paths. So I just pair Blender and what is now an older version of PS.
3D Coat's creators did not explicitly lay out their guidelines as to what they would consider a violation. Hivewire has done so, 3DC did not. Do people who create pinups or nudes (Michelangelo for instance) believe they are violating Gods law? Should every piece of 3D art be aimed at or disseminated to children? Do various religions advocate, condone, or overlook questionable acts in the name of God? Is violence used in self defense (whether personal or societal) wrong in God's eyes? Where is the line between nudity and pornography?
To each their own, but if one feels their art is running afoul of God's law, the creators of 3D Coat are the least of their problems. Perhaps the company owners would agree that only God can judge in the end.
Sorry for going off on a tangent (and off topic). These are questions I've grappled with from time to time, especially and specifically in regards to the kind of art I've viewed on various Poser/Daz galleries. One thing I like about Hivewire galleries is that I can view them with my kids in the room or at work (during my lunch hour of course). It's actually more unique in that way.
I like that about the HiveWire galleries, too. I like that it honestly promotes lots of different types of work. I find more diverse works here than anywhere else in the content community. Even places that have similar rules, like DAZ, still tend to use t&a to sell everything.
The HW galleries are rare in the content community in having lots of different subject matter. I love the content community, but I want more out of art than aesthetics. I want to see stories, images with concepts, works with more than one layer. HiveWire is the only content community site I know of with a larger focus than 20-something female characters that look like fashion models from America.
You seem to have complex, graded, and layered views on the intersection of nudity, sex, and art. I think I can understand that. I'm in a similar space. My concept of visual art emerges from a lifetime of exposure to fantastic and classical art, as well as art from around the world. I'm very aware that the ubiquitous male gaze influences my work as much as my identity as a woman.
I could go into detail about my own distinction between nudity and porn. As much as I would enjoy that (I'd be the only one), it's irrelevant to my decision not to use 3D Coat. I don't have to agree with his perspective to respect it. He made it about what he wanted to put out into the world. He just didn't want his tool used to violate his values. Which he described as against promoting sexuality at all.
You're right that they weren't guidelines or rules, but that's because it was done as a personal request. IMHO, the request was quite quite specific. No nudity. At all. Or pinups. Or anything sensual. Anything that contributed to sensuality or the sexualization of anyone, but especially women, was something he didn't want his software to be a part of. To me, his request was unambiguous and clear.
I empathize with his wish not to contribute, even indirectly, to something harmful. I've never worked on anything even remotely or tangentially useful for war, but if I did, I wouldn't ever want it used to hurt someone else. That would be really important to me, regardless of how eternal or vast the problem of war is, or how little of a difference it might make. I wouldn't want my work to harm anyone. It seemed to me that all he was asking was for people not to use his software in a way he sincerely believes is hurts people. I'd be going against my own personal beliefs if I ignored that request.