Texturing NURBS

UV mapping is not required on NURBS since texture coordinates are determined by the U and V directions of the NURBS surface itself.

 

1. Checker Texture
   • To view the default UV maps, create both a Lambert and checker texture and assign them to the body geometry.
   • – HYPERSHADE || Create a Lambert material;
   • – Map the Lambert Color : Checker texture.
   • Tip: Make sure the create option at the top of the create render node window is set to Normal.
   • – Enable Hardware Texturing: Press 6;
   • – Assign the new material o the body.
   • – See how the material is mapped.
   • On equally proportionate surfaces such as a square, the checker texture won’t look distorted. On long thin surfaces such as the neck, the texture will look stretched. Also where NURBS surface has a pole, texture will looked pinched.
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2. Assign a Ramp texture
   • – ATTRIBUTE EDITOR for Lambert material.
   • – At the top, set the TYPE: Blinn.
   • This changes the  type of material without creating a new shader.
   • – ATTRIBUTE EDITOR || RMB on Color > Break Connection.
   • Thisbreaks the connection between the shader and the checker..
   • – Map the Color of the material with a Ramp texture.
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   • NOTICE: The texture is automatically mapped on the NURBS surfaces. 
   • – Rename the material bodyM.
   • – Tweak the bodyM’s specular shading to your liking
3. Body Color
   • The body color should be dark brown at the head and in the back, with a lighter belly. You will be able to texture the body easily with only using procedural textures.
   • – Select the color marker at the top of the ramp widget.
   • – Click on the color swatch: Selected Color attribute.
   • – Set a dark brown color
   • – Before accepting the color, click the arrow button at the top of the Color Chooser Window.
   • This saves the color for future usage.
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   • – Select the color marker at the bottom of the ramp widget.
   • – Click the color preset you have just saved. Now you know the top and the bottom have the same color.
   • – Select the color in the middle of the ramp.
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   • – Set a light brown.
   • – Click anywhere on the ramp to create a new color market.
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   • – Set it’s color to be the same light brown as the previous.
   • – Click [ACCEPT];
   • – Tweak the ramp to the image below.
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4. Head Color
   • The head of the character should be dark brown. Right now th ramp from before colors the face with a light brown. Fix this by creating a new ramp in the Color Gain attribute of the first ramp.
   • – Select the ATTRIBUTE EDITOR || Ramp Texture > Color Balance.
   • – Map the Color Gain: with Ramp Texture.
   • – Set the new ramp texture’s Type: U Ramp
   • This creates a ramp perpendicular to the first ramp.
   • – Tweak the ramp so it looks as the follows:
   • Note: The colors mapped into the Color Gain of a texture act as multipliers to the existing color. Therefore, white isn’t seen and colors blend into the existing color. Think of changing a layer to multiply.
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5. Fractals
   • Body looks dull. Break up the even colors by mapping a fractal in the Color Gain of he new ramp.
   • – ATTRIBUTE EDITOR (ramp2)|| Color Balance: Map to a Fractal Texture.
   • Fractal Texture Settings:
   • – Amplitude: 0.2;
   • – Threshold: 0.5;
   • – Ratio: 0.8;
   • – Frequency Ratio: 2.5;
   • – Inflection: On;
   • Note: you will need render the scene in order to see the effect.
   • before
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   • after
   • 
   • – File Save:051012_16-nurbsModeling_01.ma
6. Eyeball Material
   • – Create a Phong Material.
   • – Assign the new Shader to Both eyeballs.
   • – Map the Color attribute with a File Texture.
   • – Click the browse button for image name attribute.
   • 
   • – Select mikey_eyeball.tiff
7. Texture Placement
   • In order for the eye texture to properly fit your model, you must align the iris of the eye with the pole of the UV, at the front of the eyeball. You will need to rotate it using the TexturePlacement node in the ATTRIBUTE EDITOR.
   • – Navigate to the file texture you created for the eyeball in the attribute editor. Select the place2dTexture node for the file texture you just created.
   • – Rotate Frame: 180;
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   • Note: If the iris doesn’t look right try rotating the iris 90 till you get the right look.
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Interactive Placement Tool

The Interactive Placement Tool is used to ease the placement of textures onto NURBs Surfaces. Allows you to interactively set the different values of a 2D texture using an all in one manipulator.

1. How to use the Interactive Placement Tool
   • – Select the place2dTexture node in the attribute editor of the texture used by the NURBS surface.
   • – In the ATTRIBUTE EDITOR (placed2dTexture tab selected) || Click on the [INTERACTIVE PLACEMENT] button.
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   • This accesses the interactive placement manipulator tool.
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Finishing Texturing The Character

Spend some time shading and creating textures for the remaining pieces. Once you are satisfied, make sure to clear obsolete shading nodes.

1. Texture the rest of the character.
   • Note: If you would like to paint details on a procedural texture, you’ll have to convert the shading network to a file texture.
2. Optimize Scene
   • – Select MAIN || File > Optimize Scene Size.
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   • Doing so removes unused texture nodes.
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3. Save
   • – 051112_16-nurbsModeling_01.ma