SL Cert - Basic Textures
Overview
This is the criteria required for a person to become certified on texturing for Second Life.
Audience
Anyone who intends to demonstrate that they have texturing skills. This would be very useful for Second Life builder for example and texture artists.
Pre-requisites
Basic understanding of the Second Life user interface, basic skills in a graphic program outside of Second Life, and some money in the Second Life account to upload textures.
Testing Criteria
Ability to apply an image to an object, avatar body part, clothes or sculpt map in order to texture or shape it, or to create particles. Creation of textures that are ideal for the use within Second Life to create certain visual effects.
The texturing skill set can be divided into the following sub-categories:
1. Creation of the texture outside of Second Life
2. Valid texture upload formats and recommended sizes for best rendering quality.
3. Use of the texture in Second Life
4. Permissions and copyright
All skills should be demonstrated as a combination of theoretical (multiple-choice) test and practical application inworld.
Basic Level
Basic level certification candidates should demonstrate an understanding of the use of Textures in Second Life. This includes the following topics:
1. Texture creation outside of Second Life
1.1 Surface texture creation - The “skin” of objects, maps, avatar body parts, clothes and particles. The difference between opaque and transparent (alpha) textures, how to avoid the "white halo".
1.2 Sculpt maps - What are they, what are their specialities, how are they made. Theoretical test only on this level
1.3 RAW files - What are they, what are they used for, how are they made. Theoretical test only
2. Texturing inside Second Life:
An understanding of the several categories and uses of textures in Second Life should be demonstrated:
2.1 Clothes texture, body texture, eye texture, skin texture - Texturing a body part or clothes of an avatar in the appearance editor
2.2 Sculpt map - Applying a sculpt map on an object’s sculpt map tab to shape the object
2.3 RAW file - Knowing what this is and how they are used in Second Life. Theoretical test only.
2.4 Particle Texture - Using the textures to create particles with a particle script
2.5 Photos / Snapshots - What are their specialities and how they differ from texture uploads, understanding of the options in the snapshot window, knowing how to do a screen print and how it differs from a Second Life snapshot. This should definately be tested practical.
3. Upload formats and sizes
3.1 Upload formats as to date - jpg, png, tga, and bmp. Which formats are good for which results, quality, transparency, loading times etc.
3.2 Upload sizes in pixel - Knowing the basics, which sizes work well for which purposes and which totally not, size minimum and maximum etc.
4. Use of the Second Life texture tab, "Select texture", "Edit linked parts" and "Stretch texture", in edit mode.
4.1 On the basic level, at least the repeats, rotation and offset settings as well as the options for transparency, full bright, glow, and flipping should be well known, and understanding of them should be demonstrated on the object.
4.2 Applying textures and colors - Texturing whole objects or particular prims or faces of prims, setting repeats, rotation, offset, coloring with the color picker, using the eye-dropper tool, finding RGB values should definately be demonstrated practically.
4.3 Understanding of the "Select Texture", "Edit linked parts" and "Stretch Textures" checkboxes should be demonstrated practically.
5. Required permissions on objects to change textures, required texture permissions, and the change of object permissions with texture / sculpt map permissions should be well understood. A texture artist should know already on the basic level, that full permission is a MUST for commercially used surface textures and why.
6. A basic understanding of copyrights - Copyrights on 100% self-made textures, copyrights on thirdparty textures, license agreements, and why altering a thirdparty texture does not circumvent copyrights. Theoretical test only.