Tutorial 4 by bi_bi_love

Going on from the previous tutorial we have our avi set up.

 

I showed how to take a simple snap shot in the 1st tut, but have teased with the gif. For those that haven’t worked out how to do it yet, here you go.
Step 1
When you are happy with the avi, click Tools, then Multishots
or Crl+Shift+P 

Step 2
You will get a similar dialogue to the Snap shot above.

1) number of shots defaults to 90 and length (or ‘length’) defaults to 3 seconds. Playing with the options here will show you the difference in rotation. I’ve found 25 and 2 work fine.
2) Base Shot Name is start of the filename – in this case HF_Head. With 25 shots you will get 25 jpgs named HF_Head0000 through to HF_Head0024. With the default setting you would get 90 jpgs HF_Head0000 through to HF_Head0089.

3) You can adjust the size of your pictures. 800x600 works ok in my opinion. Remember though resizing down is better than resizing up, due to quality.
4) Again like the Snap shot dialogue, you can have the default background of blue, change the colour or upload an image of your choice.
5) When done, click “Save All” and you get to choose where to save it.
Note play with the Gravity, it may suit certain individual items.

Now we go back to our drawing application to create a gif. The following instructions are for GIMP. Sorry, I don’t know how to do it in any of the other packages, if anyone wants to add a quick for them, please do, I would welcome it.

Step 1
Open a new image the same size as the images saved via GLC. In my case 800x600

Step 2
Click File, then Open As Layers
or Ctrl+Alt+O

Step 3
Select all the files (in the case HF_Head0000 through to HF_Head0024). Click on the 1st file you want (HF_Head0000) press and hold shift then click the last file (HF_Head0024). You can always click, the use Ctrl and individually select images, eg if you want to select every other image.

And click Open

Step 4
You should see something similar to below

You can check this manually, the Background layer will be blank then the Snap shots from GLC should read up in order (in the case HF_Head0000 through to HF_Head0024).

Step 5
Next click Filter-Animation-Optimise (for GIF)

Step 6
The optimised image will open as a new image. You will notice the yellow dotted line? This is put in by GIMP and defines the edge of the optimised area, but also the limit of the widest avatar image. Everything outside this area will be background.

Step 7
You can use the dotted line above to mark an area to get rid of.
Use the rectangle select tool and mark on or close to the dotted line, then select
Image-Crop to Selection

Leaving you with this-

Step 8
Now we need to save it in gif format, so File-Save As
You can name it what you want.gif or input the name and use the Select File Type (by Extension).

The dialogue defaults to “Merged Visible Layers”, this needs to be changed to “Save As Animation”
Which brings up the next dialogue, just click “Save”

If you want to play with the settings, have fun

Step 9
You can have a look at the finished product by going to
Filters-Animation-Playback

Giving you

You can scale the image down by using Image-Scale Image, other than that you’re done…

You will notice that this image blinks…. This is because at the end of step 4, once the pictures were loaded I did not hide or delete the background layer. So when it blinks you are being shown that layer.

Tutorial 3 by bi_bi_love

Starting from the end of the previous tutorial....
With the Album/Model Management window open (F3)

Exactly the same as before, Open or Ctrl+O
And select HF_Head.obj this matches with the medium poly torso and legs (HF_Head01, HF_Head02 and HF_Head03 are for the new style avi)

 


Click the Fit All In button, rather than zoom, this adjusts to your screen exactly.

This is textured in exactly the same way as before...
Select the Head by clicking on it, then Instance Property, select your texture (I just used a swatch.jpg made from the skin colour used for the other parts) and click "Apply" then "Done".

As has been discussed it seems that all the objects are fitting together due to bounded box. IF you find they are out of alignment you can move them.
Go to the model button for the set (in this case the one that started as the legs).
Right click on the object you want to move and choose "Edit position"

Which gives you more to play with

So we have body set up. This can be saved as an album for future use, however it seems all the linking must be done each time and the final texture remains on what was the model the set was built on (legs).

How about shoes?
OK this outfit takes boots. So in exactly the same way as before, Ctrl+O and for boots, load "HF_Shoes05.obj". As X mentioned, this is a single file containing the pair, so you only need to load it once.

1 PAIR of boots.
When you go to the Model section you will see 2 lines, one for left and one for right

You can add them to the set as before, copy and paste. Either one at a time

or as a set by selecting the top level (Product) and copying and pasting that over.

 

And again, in exactly the same way as before you can texture them.
The only difference here is that (again, as X suggested) you need to select each foot and texture them separately.

 

Here's a problem though, these boots are meant to be ankle boots
To overcome this to some extent, you can reduce the transparency
Select a foot and go back to the Instance Property window.
About 1/2 way down is a slider titled Transparency (don't ya just hate cryptic headings). It's a slider, so you can slide it back and forth (a). As you do so you will see changes in the preview window (b).

I have found a single click on the left of the slider is enough.

Click "Apply". You will see it isn't brilliant, but for this purpose isn't too bad.

Click "Done".
You then repeat for the other foot.

A close up revels that, as Forbz mentioned, that the boot has gone partially see through. You'll notice I've added hair to the model too, the same transparency was awful.

And just for show off value...

Tutorial 2 by bi_bi_love

Open GLC-Player as before.
This time the 1st thing is to open a new Window called Album/Model Management.
Press F3 or click on Window - Album/Model Management

 

Which gives the new panel on the left, defaulting to the Album view.

Either open (Ctrl+O) and obj file as before or go to File-recent models.
I don't know how many this list holds, but it's useful for quick access.

I have selected the HF_Upperbody_Nude MediumPoly.obj that I used yesterday.

Repeat the process (either File-Open or Ctrl+O) and select the HF_Lowerbody_Nude MediumPoly.obj
Obviously if you're using the new style avi or furry ones, the obj files will be different, but it's important that you choose matching files.

You can click independently on the models in the left hand panels to switch between the 2.
You can zoom them in or out, rotate them etc. etc. Which is fine as separate parts, but one of the things I see this will be useful for will be aligning shirts and pants.
With that in mind we want to not only get both on 1 screen, but aligned together.
So with either selected (I have gone with the Torso), click the "Model" button. Giving you a new panel.

Right click on the either Product or Object15...I have gone with the lower level as the end result is tidier in my view.
You can choose product and select all the sub levels, presumably useful for moving multi-part models about.
Right click and select copy or just click and Ctrl+C

Click Album, select the leg file then click model again.

Again at the stage it doesn't seem to make much difference, but I have selected the "Product" level so all parts of the model are on the same level (OCD, soz)
You can either right click and select Paste or click and hit Ctrl+V

Voila!

Don't ask me, it just aligned itself. If I find out reasons for or reason that will stop it aligning, I'll post them. (If anyone knows, please feel free to chime in)

Click the "Top view" button along the top then zoom out a lil to see the whole model together.

Clicking "Pan view" allows for the model to be moved in 2D

With all this taken into account...you can maneuver the entire model as 1 piece.

If you click on the "Wire frame button" you can see it is all lined up.

Selecting on of the shading buttons (next to wire frame), go to the Album/Model Management panel and select the part you want to texture.

Then it is exactly the same as the previous tutorial, texture one part then the other.

To deselect everything (ie get rid of that horrid orange), simply click "Esc".