[Solved] Baking Texture Maps into Mesh Vertex Colors

[kwiknip]

Hi,

I'm at my wits end trying to utilize 3DC Fill Tool (Layer/Surface/Object) and "Import for Vertex Painting/Big Reference" features to produce high quality Vertex Colored or Shader Meshes.

Basically every attempt has resulted in a significant loss of detail when 3DC macOS 4.7.28 converts pixel texture data to vertex colors like this example: 3DCoat Vertex painting - painting with procedural textures.  I'm hopeful that I've simply overlooked a feature in 3DC but thus far switching layer modes S/V, etc. doesn't yield better results, so I'm at the mercy of the community's help.  

I've searched the entire forum already and haven't found another topic addressing how best to go about this however my workflow for the objects I intend to create relies heavily on this styled  approach.  I'm sure I could take the time to increase every mesh resolution and focus on poly-painting every detail up close but I'd like to take the lazy man approach and simply import a bitmap texture and allow 3DC to initially fill or flood the mesh vertices first to save time on multiple objects that will import into Unity at the end of the workflow. 

Blender's Bake U/V Texture to Vertex Color Tool is another example of how I wish to achieve this, but would prefer to accomplish within 3DC if its possible.

[digman]

Using the method you described "Import for Vertex Painting / Big Reference"

If your imported model has a uv set plus of course the textures they will be automatically be converted to vertex color data, no need for using the fill tool.

The original model though has to be very high in polygon count before importing to keep the quality of the converted pixel color data to vertex color data. A couple million at least and higher. 

If no uv set and textures are present, then you would need to use a smart material or hand paint...

Very basic vertex colors are ok on lower resolution models as you say you plan on bringing the models into Unity. They do though need to be really very basic colors. 

Edited June 9, 2017 by digman

[kwiknip]

1 hour ago, digman said:

Using the method you described "Import for Vertex Painting / Big Reference"

If your imported model has a uv set plus of course the textures they will be automatically be converted to vertex color data, no need for using the fill tool.

The original model though has to be very high in polygon count before importing to keep the quality of the converted pixel color data to vertex color data. A couple million at least and higher. 

If no uv set and textures are present, then you would need to use a smart material or hand paint...

Very basic vertex colors are ok on lower resolution models as you say you plan on bringing the models into Unity. They do though need to be really very basic colors. 

Ah, Thanks this clears up a lot of conflicts for me!

Question:. Is it possible to bake AO, SSS, and Indirect-Lighting per-vertex in 3DC?  I couldn't figure out any methods reading the manual.

[digman]

Go to the Textures menu (Paint Room) in the top tool bar. (Light Baking Tool)

First set up your lights in the Render room. Remember that 3DC has limited light movement. I prefer if I do any texture light baking to do it in Blender because of this reason.

Also the light baking is really just putting as a multiply layer above all the other layers not baked directly into the textures. Of course it is saved in the vertex color information upon export. I used the Ply format for exporting to Blender.

Since all AO and SSS is just turned to color information for vertex painting, you should be able to capture the colors. 

For limited uses 3DC Texture light baking is ok and you appear to use Blender anyway for more advanced work.

Picture is a texture light bake from 3DC. no lights in the scene... just the normal background without a Hdri map.

Used Blender--- Cycles renderer.

 

Edited June 9, 2017 by digman

[kwiknip]

44 minutes ago, digman said:

Go to the Textures menu (Paint Room) in the top tool bar. (Light Baking Tool)

First set up your lights in the Render room. Remember that 3DC has limited light movement. I prefer if I do any texture light baking to do it in Blender because of this reason.

Also the light baking is really just putting as a multiply layer above all the other layers not baked directly into the textures. Of course it is saved in the vertex color information upon export. I used the Ply format for exporting to Blender.

Since all AO and SSS is just turned to color information for vertex painting, you should be able to capture the colors. 

For limited uses 3DC Texture light baking is ok and you appear to use Blender anyway for more advanced work.

Picture is a texture light bake from 3DC. no lights in the scene... just the normal background without a Hdri map.

Used Blender--- Cycles renderer.

 

Oh, I see what you did there.  I'll give it a go, your results look outstanding & this is good to know how to go about it in 3DC, greatly appreciate your time!