Advice For Making Denim?

[imacrabpinch]

Hi all, 

I'm a relatively new creator, but I'm learning a ton and advancing in the best way that I can. A problem area I'm having right now is in learning how to make realistic looking denim. I know its been a practice since the beginning of sl times, but I can't seem to find many resources (especially specific to sl).

With my current workflow, I've been able to make decent looking denim, but it has more of a cartoon look to it once its uploaded. I mainly use a combination of MD to Z Brush to Blender, and bake a high poly model onto a low poly model using cycles. I use a few programs in-between for various reasons, but that's the gist. For the denim texture look itself, I was applying it as noise in zbrush. I do use PS, but usually very minimally to overlay or fix problem areas of the bake. For example, I was adding stitches directly in zbrush instead of PS (as the high poly), but I'm thinking it may be better to simply use PS for that?

Overall, I want to be able to make similar denim to those couple of popular stores that start with a V or a B (not to name specific stores, but I admire the detail in the mesh/textures they sell). Should I be spending more time in photoshop? Should I be projection painting? Should I be using more realistic resources instead of focusing on cg? If it is a PS thing, are there any resources or tutorials that would help? I'm willing to learn as much as possible. I feel like I'm missing a vital piece of the puzzle.

Any tutorials/forums/resources/advice (even paid), would be great help. Thank you!

 

[MIstahMoose]

Denim is super challenging, especially when it comes to all the seams and threads. If you're working in 1k texture sizes its extremely frustrating to get everything to show up properly. The store that start with a V uses 4 textures maps per product and that allows them to get a very high resolution on their models. 

That being said, you're right on the money. Spend more time in photoshop. A lot of the best denims are samples from real pictures and pieced together in PS.

Alternatively you can do the same if you are seeking to learn programs such as substance painter, You can fill the model with a base jean texture and do a lot of hand painting.. and brushes that create seams.. but again with as complex as jeans are right now.. Photosampling seems to be a strong method

IE: Add layer filled with jean texture
Grab stitches off RL clothing -> Create Seamless version -> Desaturate and create B/W version -> Multiply and manipulate ontop of texture to create pocket seams etc.

Theres not too many great resources for this online, which is odd since it seems to be something that gets asked a lot. 

Edited June 20, 2018 by MIstahMoose

[Fionalein]

2 minutes ago, MIstahMoose said:

IE: Add layer filled with jean texture
Grab stitches off RL clothing -> Create Seamless version -> Desaturate and create B/W version -> Multiply and manipulate ontop of texture to create pocket seams etc.

Works great if you don't have to tile it, making processed photos seamless is such an annoyance that starting with some simple geometry in Inkskape, rastering it and throwing filters at it until it looks like a fabric sounds easy again...

Try looking around if there are some free or affordable PS or gimp fabric tiles around that allow commercial use... I bet there are.

[MIstahMoose]

4 minutes ago, Fionalein said:

Works great if you don't have to tile it, making processed photos seamless is such an annoyance that starting with some simple geometry in Inkskape, rastering it and throwing filters at it until it looks like a fabric sounds easy again...

Try looking around if there are some free or affordable PS or gimp fabric tiles around that allow commercial use... I bet there are.

Was actually heading back here to say that : D Theres tons of free seams that tile and even better ones that you have to pay for.

Alternatively if you know Zbrush well enough to sculpt seams yourself you can bake out Height maps that you can combine into your textures to create seams

https://help.poliigon.com/other-3d-packages/using-brushes-in-zbrush-blender-or-substance

The Video towards the bottom goes over using Substance designer to create a really neat and efficient way of doing seam work

Edited June 21, 2018 by MIstahMoose

[Kallensheart]

hi there sorry to go off topic here but im looking for someone to help with a custom outfit for myself would any of you happen to be able to create outfits in mesh or as close to good quality as possible?  i have 2 different outfits i know that i want to use some bits from just looking for a nice creator to assist me thanks !

[Kyrah Abattoir]

OP The weave is not as important as getting the general "feel" of denim right, the way the color wears out on seams, recurring creases and around stitches. You can probably airbrush a color mask on your high poly and blend your base blue color and a faded white.

[ChinRey]

19 hours ago, Kallensheart said:

hi there sorry to go off topic here but...

Welcome to the forums Kallensheart.

We can't expect new users to know all the ins and outs of the forums of course but I suggest you start your own thread in the "Wanted" subforum. That's better for everybody. Not only does it keep this discussion from being derailed, there's a lso a much better chance people will see your request there.

On topic: Rather than try to make a photo of some cloth tileable, I suggest you start with a synthetic denim texture that already is tileable and add distortion and detail for more realism.

Here's an example of a decent base texture. It's in the public domain (and probably for sale on MP for hundreds of Lindens from hundreds of "texture makers") so feel free to use it if it happens to be suitable.

[Kyrah Abattoir]

My advice for denim is to not focus on the fabric wave. Study the actual material in photos and think about what makes it look the way it is.

Here is a blurred picture, you can't see the fabric weave but it is very obvious that those are denim jeans. And that's what truly matters.