HowTo/Create a 3D Avatar

Revision as of 13:21, 4 March 2014

This page explains the process that we go through to create a 3D avatar. Using similar tools and methods, you can follow this guide to create your own 3D image for Trainz.

Photo Source Images

The first step is to take a couple of photos. It is important to follow these steps very closely or quality will be reduced.

Lights, Camera, Action

The key to getting a good in-game image is to take good photos. This means having a plain wall behind the subject, and taking a head-shot that includes just the head and part of the shoulders. It is also important to ensure the lighting is neutral. This means no heavy shadows on one side of the face, or bright spots with light reflecting off the skin. Do not use a flash. The photos below were taken on a standard phone with a resolution of 3 Megapixels.

Front and Side Images

We require a Front shot and a Side shot just as shown below. You will need someone to help you take the photo to ensure the subject fits nicely into the frame.

Creating the Head and Texture

We are using software called Facial Studio. Using this software it is very easy to import the Front and Side images then customize the head to match the shape of the subject. This software also creates the 2D texture that we will use to wrap onto the head in 3D Studio Max.

Once the head is shaped and texture mapped, the items need to be exported. Export the face texture at 1024x1024, the eyes at 128 x 128 and export the head as a FS.obj.

Tidying up the Image

Once the texture map is created, there is likely to be a little bit of touch-up work to ensure the image is of the best possible quality. This means using Photoshop and adding some texture to the back of the head, touching up the ears and eyes, and possibly re-touching the skin colours to ensure good colouration.

Wrapping the Texture in Max

Again we are using special software to create our Max object. We have installed a Max plug-in for Facial Studio. This allows us to load the head and wrap the texture onto the head. We then need to stitch the head to a body and export using the Trainz Exporter.

Creating a Trainz Asset

Once the new avatar is created, we now need to create the config file that defines how Trainz will deal with the asset. A template is included below. All you need to do is replace the KUID with your own unique KUID, and rename the asset.

Optimisations

To ensure good performance in Trainz, we want to ensure that we leverage mesh-libraries where possible. How many head and body types are required for uniqueness? How many for optimum performance?