How To Do A UV Map in Photoshop

[JanuarySwan]

Well, I bought a full perm kit.

Now, the kit has no shadowmap but only a UV map.

Now, in Photoshop once I fit the texture onto the UV map, how do I get rid of all those square-like (grid-like) texture on the UV map?  Is there a command I need to hit to get rid of the grid-like texture on the UV?  And if not, is there a YOUTUBE video for beginners you can direct me too because I am not finding one that doesn't go real fast.  I cannot keep up with the tutorials I am finding because it's just going to fast for me to understand it.  

Plus, another question...why doesn't the kit have a shadowmap?  Am I supposed to make one?

TIA

p.s.  It has a UV map alpha and a UV map flat.  I've never seen a kit like this before.  Why two UV's?  The item fits fine without an alpha.  

Edited September 3, 2019 by JanuarySwan

[Rolig Loon]

In Photoshop, you keep the UV map on your ground layer and you do any of your own texturing on new layers above it.  Then you hide the UV map when you export the final result as a new PNG or TGA image.  Don't ever do your texturing on the UV map itself.

[JanuarySwan]

1 hour ago, Rolig Loon said:

In Photoshop, you keep the UV map on your ground layer and you do any of your own texturing on new layers above it.  Then you hide the UV map when you export the final result as a new PNG or TGA image.  Don't ever do your texturing on the UV map itself.

THANK YOU ROLIG!  

How do you hide it?  I see something called MERGE INVISIBLE.  Is that it?

Next, I made my own map by making an alpha from the UV and then I layered it on top of the UV map to make like a shadow map by darkening and lightening it...kind of hard to explain.

Then, I TEXTURED IT and imported it and it looks awful without a shadow map.  I made something like a shadow map only there is no shadow. 

Why no shadow map?  Am I supposed to make one or something?  

 

Edited September 3, 2019 by JanuarySwan

[Rolig Loon]

22 minutes ago, JanuarySwan said:

How do you hide it?  I see something called MERGE INVISIBLE.  Is that it?

Just click the little EYE icon to the left of any layer name in your Layers display to turn it off.  Your should need to merge anything.  In fact, it's best if you don't, because once layers are merged, you can't work on their details separately.  The advantage of layers in a program like Photoshop is that you can put different sorts of information on different layers, like using acetate overlays or tracing paper over a basic design in RL.  When you export the visible layers to a new image file (TGA or PNG), the information appears as a single image, but the layers remain separate in your Photoshop file, so you can continue to tweak and update them.

You can certainly create your own shadow map as a new layer on top of other layers in your Photoshop file.  It takes some artistic insight and practice to create believable shadows and highlights to simulate folds, wrinkles, and whatnot.  That's where your own skill level is important.  At any rate, that's what you'll need to do if you want something more than a flat texture on your work in world.

I strongly suggest working on something like this in steps so that you can see how effective your texturing/shadowing has been.  Use the Local Textures option in your viewer to test textures without paying for uploads at L$10 a pop every time that you update something.  

[JanuarySwan]

39 minutes ago, Rolig Loon said:

Just click the little EYE icon to the left of any layer name in your Layers display to turn it off.  Your should need to merge anything.  In fact, it's best if you don't, because once layers are merged, you can't work on their details separately.  The advantage of layers in a program like Photoshop is that you can put different sorts of information on different layers, like using acetate overlays or tracing paper over a basic design in RL.  When you export the visible layers to a new image file (TGA or PNG), the information appears as a single image, but the layers remain separate in your Photoshop file, so you can continue to tweak and update them.

You can certainly create your own shadow map as a new layer on top of other layers in your Photoshop file.  It takes some artistic insight and practice to create believable shadows and highlights to simulate folds, wrinkles, and whatnot.  That's where your own skill level is important.  At any rate, that's what you'll need to do if you want something more than a flat texture on your work in world.

I strongly suggest working on something like this in steps so that you can see how effective your texturing/shadowing has been.  Use the Local Textures option in your viewer to test textures without paying for uploads at L$10 a pop every time that you update something.  

Ok, that's a good idea for local textures!

Yes, I need to understand how to use a UV map so I will read that carefully above.

However, I messaged the creator and she sent me an AO shadow map.  

I usually just mulitply right onto the shadow map itself.  

Is it really necessary to use a UV map?  

[Rolig Loon]

6 minutes ago, JanuarySwan said:

Is it really necessary to use a UV map?

Not necessarily, except that of course the UV map is a guide to exactly where you want to apply textures, including the AO image.  As long as all the layers in your PSD file are lined up on top of each other, you never need to make the UV map visible.  It's there as a guide to help you be sure that things are lined up.

Since the creator sent you her own AO image, then you can use it exactly as you described.  Import it to your PSD file as a new layer above the layer where you put your texture, and then use the Multiply option.  When you create the PNG or TGA image, the AO will be baked onto the texture.  Incidentally, the creator has either done as I described above (creating a shadow map manually) or has made it in a 3D modeling program like Blender or Maya, which have native routines for making AO images.  If you are not up to drawing your own shadows by hand (or if you are but still want to use a generated image as a base), then you might want to start learning how to handle one of those modeling programs.  There is a rather steep learning curve -- steeper than Photoshop -- but it's really the thing to add to your skill set if you are going to be a serious creator.

[JanuarySwan]

14 hours ago, Rolig Loon said:

Not necessarily, except that of course the UV map is a guide to exactly where you want to apply textures, including the AO image.  As long as all the layers in your PSD file are lined up on top of each other, you never need to make the UV map visible.  It's there as a guide to help you be sure that things are lined up.

Since the creator sent you her own AO image, then you can use it exactly as you described.  Import it to your PSD file as a new layer above the layer where you put your texture, and then use the Multiply option.  When you create the PNG or TGA image, the AO will be baked onto the texture.  Incidentally, the creator has either done as I described above (creating a shadow map manually) or has made it in a 3D modeling program like Blender or Maya, which have native routines for making AO images.  If you are not up to drawing your own shadows by hand (or if you are but still want to use a generated image as a base), then you might want to start learning how to handle one of those modeling programs.  There is a rather steep learning curve -- steeper than Photoshop -- but it's really the thing to add to your skill set if you are going to be a serious creator.

Ok, found the EYE ICON as mentioned in your other post above so I will give the UV maps a try.  I never heard that mentioned about an EYE ICON when watching a YOUTUBE tutorial...but those they go so fast and I'm lost very quickly.

Yes, I've heard of the modeling programs but I think those tutorials go really fast and I'm lost very quickly watching those.  There are about a billion and one steps just to begin with Blender.  It's not easy.  I don't know how you all did it but you did and persevered through it!  I will consider it.  Thank you very much for the help!  I really appreciate it!  

[Drake1 Nightfire]

On 9/4/2019 at 9:58 AM, JanuarySwan said:

Ok, found the EYE ICON as mentioned in your other post above so I will give the UV maps a try.  I never heard that mentioned about an EYE ICON when watching a YOUTUBE tutorial...but those they go so fast and I'm lost very quickly.

Yes, I've heard of the modeling programs but I think those tutorials go really fast and I'm lost very quickly watching those.  There are about a billion and one steps just to begin with Blender.  It's not easy.  I don't know how you all did it but you did and persevered through it!  I will consider it.  Thank you very much for the help!  I really appreciate it!  

Most SL texture tutorials on Youtube assume a modicum of knowledge of the program you bought... 

You could join the Builders Brewery group inworld and take their classes..