Low Poly Liliha Updates #5
Mapping is about done. Now for the sizing and organization.... Jigsaw puzzle time! Over the years, I've developed a way to size them according to priorities. When I say "size" them, I don't necessary means the physical size of the UV's. It's more accurately discribe as the "pixel density". For example the UV's size for the head and chest can be the same size but since the head geometry is smaller, the pixel density of the head is larger... meaning the head texture is higher resolution than the chest. I've mentioned using distortions to obtain higher resolution.. which is breaking one of the "rules" of mapping. The way I size the UV's is another rule I'm going to break. =P As they say... you have to first know the rules before you can break them. The "right" way to size the UV's is to have consistant pixel density thoughout the model. There is one exception though. The head usually take much more resolution because it's consider a very important details. Sometimes the head texture alone takes 1/4 to 1/2 of the whole texture sheet. I never liked that... I never liked the head texture being the same pixel density of the rest of the body either. So hear's my method according to priorities: Priority #1: What is seen the most should take the most texture space. In a third person game.. you see the back of your character about 60 percent of the time.. so give it the most texture space. It varies from game to game.. but the general things to be concern about is the front, top and back of the torso. Arms and legs can sacrifice some resolution. Another thing to keep in mind is the torso is usually animated pretty steady.. while the arms and legs animates a lot more often. This puts even more priority on the torso because not only is it the largest body part, it's what you see clearly most of the time. Priority #2: Important detail. The head is a given. It's probably the most important detail in a game. Other parts would be something that is important to the character such as a badge, logo, importan jewleries, symboles, tattoos.. etc. For Liliha, it'll be her face, skull patterns and tattoos. Priority #3: Details areas. Some details such as the fish net pattern needs more resolution than say her shoulders, knees and general areas that lacks details.
As you see.. I do put a lot of thought into mapping. It's a pain in the ass and so damn tedius.. but I'm pretty anal about how it's set up. For this reason.. I absolutely hate working with someone else's mapping. I also have a "flow" of how I organize things.. If I have to map for someone else to texture, I'd go with the "normal" way.. because it'll be too confusing and they be frustrated.
Tommorrow.. the jigsaw pieces will be completed... then the REAL texture work begins. =D