Deep Paint - Intro to Projection Mode
It would really help to read the 2 introductory tutorials before getting to this tutorial. This tutorial is fairly step-by-step, but it would help to have a basic familiarity with Deep Paint (and Photoshop) before starting in on this tutorial.
Let's face it, Projection Mode is the biggest reason to get Deep Paint 3D. You can effortlessly put intricate patterns on complex texture maps.
From this:
To a finished project, like this:
Care to try this with just Photoshop?
This tutorial is an introduction to the wonderful world of Projection Mode - switching back and forth between DP3D and Photoshop. Why switch? Because Photoshop has more advanced masking features, rules and guides to help with exact placement, and the ability to mirror items. (DP3D can duplicate, to an extent, front to back, and that will be shown shortly.)
Being Poser-centric, the example here will use a Poser item, but any .obj file can be used.
In Deep Paint 3D:
- Load the .obj. I'm using Mike's shorts. Vicki has too much clothing!
- Select the different materials and Merge them together. (In other tutorials, we'll work with them separately.)
- Edit/Resize the material to something suitable, say 1024 x 1024.
(Bigger is better.)
- Select a Channel, choose the Color Channel and use Nothing (blank map.) Leave the other channels alone. (Another day, another tutorial.)
- Click Okay to the hissy message about needing to save the object. DON'T SAVE THE .OBJ FILE!!!
- Click on Toggle Projection Mode to turn it on.
The
screen now has bounding box corners. - In this case, we're going to do a quick and dirty, so select the
Show Projection Options button
and
make sure that Paint Only Visible Pixels is NOT checked. - Click on the Freehand tool.
- Add an additional layer to the object. (Right click on the current layer and selection Add Layer Above.)
- Go to File: Export: Photoshop.
In Photoshop:
- A file will have opened up. It looks like a wireframe of the object.
- Hide that wireframe layer.
- Select the layer called Paint Layer: Color.
- Put a design on the object. In my case, I colored the shorts, imported a texture and created a stripe on the shorts on a second layer. I then mirrored the layer with the stripe, flipped it, and moved it into position. When I was satisfied with how the stripes were placed, I then merged the new layers down into the Paint Layer:Color.
- Leave the file up and the Paint Layer: Color selected.
In Deep Paint 3D:
- File: Import: Photoshop.
- Now the textured shorts appear.
- Toggle off the Projection Mode.
- Rotate the shorts. Notice anything? The stripes are on the back as well! (Okay, you probably noticed a slight seam on the sides where the projection didn't quite cover everything, but if you'd left the Paint Visible Pixels Only checked, you'd have only the front side painted at all!)
- Go to View: Left. (Or View: Right for all you rebels.)
- Toggle Projection Mode back on.
- Click on the Freehand Tool.
- File: Export: Photoshop.
In Photoshop:
- Add a new layer and add a side stripe to cover up the seam. Why? Because we can.
- Merge the layer back down in to the Paint Layer: Color.
In Deep Paint 3D:
- File: Import: Photoshop.
- The seam is fixed. (On both sides, unless you put that sneaky checkmark in for Paint Visible Pixels Only.)
But, the belt and pockets are hidden! It looks funny. Ah, have no fear! Deep Paint has it's own 2D editor for just such occasions.
- Double click on the Red dot in the Color Channel.
- The Color Channel screen will open up.
- Right click and select Display Wireframe. Now you can tell what are the pockets and belt. Paint over them in whatever color you like. I left the belt alone so it would appear as part of the pants.
- You may notice a few touch-ups that need to be done. Deep Paint 3D's interface is much like Photoshops, so it's quit easy to do.
- Close the screen. Don't worry - you won't lose your changes.
- I've had the best results by simply going to File: Export to Photoshop in normal mode. It will export the finished texture map nicely. All you need to do is hide or delete the uv template and you're done!
For Poser, just put it in a directory and load it as you would any other texture.
Note: If you Export to Photoshop, make changes, then Import back, you MUST export then import again. I've had Deep Paint 3D throw a hissy fit if I Imported twice in a row. (I noticed a few areas that needed touch-ups after I brought it back into DP3D, so I made those touch-ups in Photoshop and hit the File: Import from Photoshop a second time and DP3D walked away in a huff. I guess it doesn't like Trade Deficits?!?)
Now it's time to take a break, maybe even catch a few waves.
