Anybody? Please? :)

Thanks Steve,
So all I need to do to load my own custom decal is to convert it to a 64x64 bmp image? Do I put it into the same folder as all the other decals, or is there a way to import it within FX? Also, not sure what a .csd file is can you please elaborate?

Do the loaded textures have to be in the same resolution and file format?

OK,

The info above is correct, I have made simple editing of the textures/preview of one of the Decals. (but see it should be easy enough to have a full custom decal with correct naming etc)

I will check now on image sizes, to see what is allowed.

Do you have an example of a decal you want to use?

EDIT: The actual texture size used for the image/mask does not matter(I have checked with various sizes, (even ones like 1000X800). The Decal is placed at a default size (small square), but of course can be scaled on the object, and is (on first checks) constrained to a square image)


Pic from my test:-

Thanks again Steve for the update on your findings. btw the face looks just like me! :)

I think to get the shapes that I want to use as "decals" on the rendered faces might be difficult to achieve in Shark alone.

I drew several snowflakes in Macromedia FreeHand mx that I hope to be able to import and adhere to any arbitrary face (the top of a dinner plate for example). (Freehand can export to .ai format)

If I could develop those same snowflakes within Shark's decal-editing features, then that would be splendid, however I find FreeHand much easier to develop the "artsy-vector" images – for lack of better terminology..

I also thought what if I import the vector and make a surface from it then project that very surface onto the face..

Maybe decals aren't what I need at all? I mean if I could convert my vector images to a bitmapped one – jpg for example, then add that as a texture, that would be fine too. Do you know how to import a custom texture in that way? I would not want it to repeat in a tile fashion, rather I'd just require ONE image. Hopefully you can understand what i'm getting at here. :)

Just imagine a colored ceramic mug with a drawing of a snowflake on the side of it.. That's essentially what I'm trying to achieve.

That was a self portrait. :D
A Decal with give you far better control for what you want.
If you convert your snowflake to a bitmap, then all you need is a stencil. A stencil is just a black and white image that is applied over the texture image, then where the stencil is white, the image can be seen, where the stencil is black, the image becomes transparent and the background color shows through.

As a simple example, I have a snowflake image, I have created a stencil in a graphics program , You then move those 2 bitmaps into the shark texture directory. In shark, you can then add any of the decals (does not matter which one), then using the object properties of the decal you can change the "stencil" for your black and white bitmap of the snowflake and the "image" for the image of your snowflake. You can then easily scale/move the image(decal) around the surface.

I have been able to use any size of texture, and various file types (I have tried:- jpg/ bmp/ png) for the Decal.

That is not a problem. Just use an image with the detail you need at the resolution you need, then that image can be used.

The main limitations are that the image rendering properties cannot be changed within Shark, or that the Decal cannot be added directly to the library within shark.

The render library window have an user library option, and is present for all the render options, including decals, but only working for new textures.

Don't you think guys that will be nice and useful to have set your custom decals presents in that library with the preview, instead to have to edit the decal every time it is applied to model? i.g. Your logo, or your customers logos and signs?

should be a way to do that

LG
:rolleyes:

well, to set a custom image texture, first you have to put your image file on your textures folder on the shark's directory (on Macosx Applications/sharkfx/PhotoRender/Textures), so it can be available to be selected from inside the application, here you have a video to manage to set a custom texture, the image is just a sample and not a good one for a right texture

Hope this help
Luis G.