Blending a Seam Tip (not program specific)

Dalamar1013 · Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 3393 Location: USA - OH

I've been working on a skin lately and the way I found to blend the seams is like this...

After I had all my basic layers colored the way I liked I saved the skin as a jpg or png... I then looked for the small lines of the seams that never seem to match right.

There is a seam where the legs meet the torso and those two parts of the body are scaled differently. So the maps don't match 1 pixel to 1 pixel. I used colored dots to figure out exactly where the two parts meet. I made each dot on it's own layer so I could move it independently over the map of the body. I kept moving the dots saving as a jpg or png then applying it to the avatar in create mode. When two of my colored dots met at the seam I knew where I needed to blend the same colors. Since I had the texture saved on 1 layer it made blending easier.

Here is a close up of what the dots looked like on the texture and a small thumbnail pic to show where the close up came from.

When I applied the texture to the avatar in create mode the dots matched like this...

You can see the seam in that last pic. So I went back and copied sections of the skin from one side of the dots and moved and flipped them to the other dots... I scaled, smudged, blurred, erased with a fuzzy eraser, whatever it took to get the sections by each dot to match.
Like this...

Now I don't really consider this to be a tutorial, more just a quick tip, but I hope the pics and explanation help. If you need more info or have questions feel free to ask.
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Cindyy · Joined: 11 Nov 2005 Posts: 1458 Location: United Kingdom

Wow! That's great!! That last picture is so perfect in blending, it looks as though it was the same part of the map with no seam at all! A very very helpful tip, I'll be doing this in my next skin probably :]

I'm not sure, but I think maybe the pictures are so flesh-baring, they may be AP :/ Which is a shame, as this tip is extremely helpful.
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Tumblr

Dalamar1013 · Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 3393 Location: USA - OH

Actually I placed the MCG bikini over my texture map covered all the red and most of the white with black then removed the straps so that it would remain MCG compliant and still show the seams. (or lack of seams at the end.) You can see in the thumbnail that all the red was covered on the top as well as the bottom. So it should not be pulled for any violations. Thank you for your comments I'm glad it is helpfull. I'm constantly looking for ideas to make tutorials on that have not been done before.

p.s.
I think I spent more than a month working on that particular skin... so be patient when you dev it's worth it in the end. In personal satisfaction if not in sales.
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cuzzImWorthIt · Joined: 11 May 2007 Posts: 2083 Location: USA - OH

Excellent tip, thank you. I never thought about this. It seems a bit tedious, but once you have it, you have a template. Could this also be applied on clothing/bikini opacities? I've been having trouble with the line
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Dalamar1013 · Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 3393 Location: USA - OH

Dalamar1013 · Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 3393 Location: USA - OH

lol...ok so here goes...

To make your bikini opacity I would start by using your current opacity layer as the texture and just have a solid white opacity. This way you see black clothing with a white bikini silhouette on it. You can either just keep trimming and moving the white lines at the seam areas or you can move some color dots around to find the match. Once you have the silhouette matching use it as the opacity and color a new texture using it as a guide.
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MsOogieBoogie · Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 349 Location: USA - WA

http://oi51.tinypic.com/358nex0.jpg
i hope this helps
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rubysrubies · Joined: 26 Dec 2010 Posts: 205 Location: USA - NY

thanks! I saved that to my faves,, do you have one for the head?

MsOogieBoogie · Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 349 Location: USA - WA

head seams
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Dalamar1013 · Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 3393 Location: USA - OH

You can find the skin tone texture maps on this page Here they are saved in layers to make altering them easier.
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sealtielair · Joined: 23 Sep 2009 Posts: 37 Location: United Kingdom

Hi

Think I am being slow here I was looking for the female full body skin with the bikini area marked out in black like the male one above so I could save it and use as you suggest in my layers to help me mark the areas as I am struggling trying to make the map cover all the bottom area half is cut off or it end up half way up the back.

Sorry I should have explained before in more detail what I am looking for

Ty for any help

sealtielair · Joined: 23 Sep 2009 Posts: 37 Location: United Kingdom

hi

Here is what I am trying to derive from

http://www.imvu.com/shop/product.php?products_id=12920292

Dalamar1013 · Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 3393 Location: USA - OH

There are two wire frame maps for that product on the product page. You can get them by right clicking and using "save as..."

I'm not sure what it is you are trying to do. The one map is for the skin tight body suit. The other map is for the dress portion of the product. Are you trying to do something specific with the skin tight portion?

If you are simply trying to trim it down to underwear that covers the MCG areas that is done with the opacity layer.

As I said I'm not sure where/what the problem is. It may also help if you show a screen shot of what you have so far.
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sealtielair · Joined: 23 Sep 2009 Posts: 37 Location: United Kingdom

Hello

thank you for taking the time to look at my problem. I am trying to trim the body layer in the pants area so I can achieve slim bottom underwear / pants I have tried several times but I cant figure out where on the map on the bottom area I need to fill in I end up with a gap where the front panel finishes or a line down the leg I was looking for a map with the pants / bikini area are already marked out so I can trim it from that.

Many many thanks hope I have explained properly :)

Dalamar1013 · Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 3393 Location: USA - OH

I had my link set up for the wrong page. Now it's fixed...