Latest revision as of 15:31, 15 June 2021

Skin is a texture image that replaces the default skin of your avatar. Skins can be re-made and uploaded in Sine Space using the Virtual Goods component.

Avatar Skin

You can download the default avatar skin template from the following link.

• Sinespace avatar Skin: Download

Importing Skin textures to Unity

Once you have created the Skin save the PSD and import it back to Unity.

Note on importing assets

Unity uses a working folder called the "Assets Folder" - anything in this folder is accessible in Unity in the 'Project' panel. You can right-click in the 'Project' panel, and select 'Show in Explorer' (or 'Show in Finder' on MacOS) and view the files. To import the texture into Unity, simply save it into this folder. Unity will detect and import the texture when you tab back into it.

Attention: Do not store the edited Skin in the 'Artist Project' folder, it will not be uploaded. (That folder is ignored during uploads)

Turning the textures into a skin

A skin is a special type of Clothing Item - as of Editor Pack 12, we strongly recommend uploading skins using the new 'Tattoo System' which is documented below.

Path A. Upload as Tattoo

Video Option: This topic is covered under Masterclass 17

Create a new blank gameobject using GameObject->Create Empty from the menu

On the right hand side of the screen, locate the "Inspector" panel, and add a Clothing Item Settings component to this new empty object

Locate the Tattoo section on this component

You now need to adjust the settings to indicate this is a skin; the key settings are:

• Skeleton: Make sure to set this Male or Female
• Enabled: Make sure this is ticked
• Type: Set this to Base Skin
• Albedo: Drag the base diffuse/albedo texture into this slot from the Project panel

NOTE: If you are using an older Editor pack, you will also need to tick 'Only Contains Skin' to get it to process correctly, you can find that on the Skin tab. (Newer editor packs such as 12p13 should not require this; however if you encounter an error during processing, you may want to try it.)

The next step is to format it as a item - fill in details on the name, pricing, etc.

Add the virtual good component from the 'Add Component' button

You will then need to adjust some settings - fill in the form until all the red exclamation marks have vanished.

Finally, to save this to disk (so that it is stored as a file, versus simply an object in your scene), click the 'Fix Now' button to convert it to a prefab; be aware the objects name (at the top) will be used in the filename, so you may want to rename the object prior to clicking this button.

You may now upload the item from the Upload tab, this will upload it to the world directly.

Previewing (Optional)

If you wish to preview it, prior to uploading; you can use the Clothing Previewer to test an item

Create a new GameObject

Add the Statue and Clothing Previewer components to the object

Now, in the Project Panel, locate your object

You can then drag the object into the previewer slot. Set the appropriate gender on the 'Statue' component (note: the Statue component can be used for NPCs, or previewing against a specific avatar - see more in the NPC pages of this wiki)

Hit the 'Play' button in Unity, and the avatar should preview, while wearing the item.

Path B. Upload Entire Material

If you need to use a custom shader or material for your skin, follow this procedure. Note this method may not be as compatible with tattoos and makeup layers.

you can create a new material and drag skin texture and normal map in normal map slot.

Once the material is created you can chose the material shader for skin from built in unity standard, custom shader or SineWave skin shader.

SineWave Skin Shader

• Main Color - Sets the overall color of the skin.
• Specular Color - Tints specular highlights of the skin.
• Shininess - Sets the shine amount of the skin.
• Rim Power - how rim lighting spreads around the edges of the model.
• Rim HDR - Adds a boost to rim lighting, to enable it push into HDR values (i.e. Brighter than white) for bloom.
• Normal Power - controls power of normal map (allowing them to be more/under represented)
• Tessellation - allows DX11 Tessellation which smooth's geometry when camera is up close.
• Specular Amount - Sets the specular amount.
• Gloss Amount - Sets how glossy the skin should look.
• Smoothness - controls specular highlights on PBR platforms (higher = tighter highlights), correlates with Standard shader.
• Occlusion - controls ambient occlusion.
• Loading color - For internal use. PLEASE IGNORE THIS SETTING.

Using Make clothing component to fit the Skin

Once the skin material is created, it needs to be converted to fit the skeleton.

Create an empty game object in the scene and add the Clothing Item Settings Component to it.

Skeleton Selection

Chose the relevant Skelton for the clothing item. Please note Space supports multiple third party skeletons as well as it's own native male and female models.

Slots

If you are creating only skin, select Skin Base slot. If you want the skin to have more than just skin select other applicable slots.

Skin Setup

Select Only contains skin if you are uploading skin only. If you are doing a combined outfit Don't select this.

• Note : if you are not making just skin you will have to click on Convert to skinned button later. if you are creating just skin this step is not needed and the button will disappear as soon as you select Skin only.

Replacement Skin

Set the number of material the skeleton you are using has.

Sine Space male and female skin only has 1 material; if you have selected that as the skeleton Set the size to 1.

After the size is set. Drag the skin material in the material slot.

Add virtual goods script

Attach the virtual goods script and complete the submission process.

See Virtual Goods for more details on the virtual goods script.

Video Tutorial

To know more on how to create and upload skins watch the tutorial shown here

Further Reading