Collada Mesh Export with Multiple Textures

[mickeydsc]

Hi there - been using W3D for a couple years now - thank you for making it available!

I create mesh for Second Life using the Collada export function. Up until now I've been happy with creating a single texture map for all the faces of a model, but I'm curious, does W3D have the ability to define separate texture maps, for separate faces, of the same model?

I would really like to know if this is possible, and if there are any instructions on how this is done, as it would give me far greater detail in my mesh textures, as well as keep my texture file sizes down.

Thanks in advance!

MickeyDSC

[micheus]

but I'm curious, does W3D have the ability to define separate texture maps, for separate faces, of the same model?

Not directly, but in this thread can help you to find a way to do that.

[dgud]

Textures are a material property so do another material and add another texture to that material. You can have a material per face and unique textures per face.

[mickeydsc]

First off, thank you for the responses. As I understand it, a model's faces can have individual materials assigned, and each material can have a texture assigned to it. And once the materials and their corresponding textures are applied to the model, I can export that model as a Collada (.dae) mesh file with the textures included. Am I correct on all of these points?

If so, this is good for my use of W3D in creating mesh models for Second Life, because Second Life will allow the mesh and its textures to be imported at the same time, from the same file.

How do I get each face (it's shape) 'external' to W3D so that I can create the image map specific to the face, then import and 'snap image' to the material? Also I presume I can have multiple faces associated to a single material, and therefore have a image map applied to a 'group' of faces, correct?

I would greatly appreciate it if someone would outline a quick workflow on how I would do this, or point me to a resource that covers this process.

Last question - the handbook makes reference to a chapter on the UV Editor Window, but I haven't been able to find it. Has it been written, and if so, can someone provide me a link to that?

Thanks!

[oort]

mickeydsc,
You will probably want to use the Wings3d AutoUV (Object Mode or Face Mode > RMB > UV Mapping) tool to create your textures. As you noticed that part of the Handbook has not been written yet...

There is a lot of information about AutoUV in the old Wings3D forum. You can read it there and if you have further questions ask here. That old forum is being kept only for the years of information that is there. Here is a link to the AutoUV section of the old forum... AutoUV

oort

[micheus]

How do I get each face (it's shape) 'external' to W3D so that I can create the image map specific to the face, then import and 'snap image' to the material?

You have to create the UV map and at this point, when you use Create Texture in the AutoUV an image will be available in the Outline window where you can use the context menu - Make External to export the faces outline. After you paint your texture, back to W3D you just need to use the context menu and Refresh the image.

Also I presume I can have multiple faces associated to a single material, and therefore have a image map applied to a 'group' of faces, correct?

as dgud told you, textures are material property, so you need to assign a material for that group of faces and then UVmap it.

[mickeydsc]

OK, so a basic, valid workflow for creating and applying separate textures to faces (and face groups) would be as follows:

1. Build the model
2. Determine what the face groups are going to be
3. RMB > Material > Enter New Material Name > OK, for each face group

4. ... how do I get the selected faces associated to each material?

5. Face Mode > RMB > UV Mapping, for each (face group)
6. AutoUV, Create Texture and Make External for each
7. Paint and save .bmp for each (in external program e.g., Photoshop)
8. Back to W3D, in Outliner, RMB on each texture and select Refresh
9. Save Model
10. Object mode > Select model
11. Export selected as > Collada

Including clarification on faces to materials connection, does this sound correct?

[oort]

mickeydsc,
I do not think that step 3 and 4 are needed since AutoUV will create the materials for you.

Edit: I just watched the video by Micheus. Yes for multiple textures you will need step 3 and it looks like for step 4 he is using "Assign to Selection" in the Outliner...

oort

---

I just did a quick test, so take this with a grain of salt...

I used AutoUV to create a uv map and material for one face of a cube. Then I renamed the material Cube1_auv to a new name. Then did the same for other faces. Each time a new uv material is created with the name Cube1_auv, which I then rename to a unique name.

This would save the step of creating materials and Assign to Selection. You would then drag and drop the texture image to the appropriate material.

Hopefully I am right???

oort

[micheus]

That is correct oort. The steps 3 an 4 are not necessary since when you select a group of faces and uses the option UV Mapping in the AutoUV window we create a new one.

If your project includes only one object to be exported you don't need to use two steps for that (10 and 11). There is an exporter option that will export everything.

As you will make your images external, depending on how do intend to work - maybe you don't need to see the painted texture in W3D, you could avoid some other steps and your final list would look like this:

1. Build the model
   
2. Determine what the face groups are going to be
   
3. Face Mode > RMB > UV Mapping, for each (face group)
   
4. AutoUV, Create Texture, Rename and Make External for each
   
5. Save Model
   
6. Export as > Collada
   ----
   
7. after all, paint and save .bmp for each (in external program e.g., Photoshop)
   

that is because the exported file will use a reference to the image file.

You also can use other type them .bmp for the images.

[oort]

Micheus,
While playing with this a little more, I just now started thinking... Do you think it would be a good idea to be able to either, accept the default name for the uv map "Cube1_auv", or choose to rename it to a special name? This would happen in a dialog after you choose the "Draw Options".

Just a thought...

Thanks,
oort