Next I will be working on the shadowing, by using texture baking.

OK, the next bit is maybe not the best way, but it's the only way I have found Texture baking to work in MAX with the UVW Mapping I had already created. The only issue I have with it is mapping channels. So if anyone know how to do this without breaking up the model first that would be greatly appreciated. Email me here to get me that info...

For this case though, all you need to do is select your mapping channels one by one and seperate them from the main object. This way there is no second and third layer to actually worry about. In the end I had three objects, each object being the areas that each texture is used.

I selected the channel that my head and torso was part of by using the Select ID part of the polygon selection modifier, detached it from the body and set up a generic lighting system that represents a standard setup. I used, for mine, one at the front, back, two sides and top....and another at the top to do a soft shadow.

Now we get to have a bit of fun, in the most painful way possible (it's hard to get it right ;).

We get to dirty it up. Things like dirt, grime, dust, rust, scratches and the like are all part of making this character look real, even if it is an unreal character (no pun intended). As I go along I also add the odd detail here and there if I feel like it :)

Firstly we will do scratches. Generally I like to do things in a way that allows details like this to exist on their own layer. In doing so basic colours and textures can be changed at a whim without fear of having to redo the details.It also allows you to select the areas that would require reflection or specularity.

First thing to do is to make a base layer, for example if your material was metal and you had paint on it. Where it to be scratched you would have a plain metal texture to scratch back to. In my case as it's more like a raw metal I am just going to have a denser, near white metal to scratch back to. To do so I just fill a full layer with the material I would scratch back to. This method can be used from anything to scratches, to paint peeling back to older paint to whatever takes your fancy. So go wild in your execution :)

So i get a bit of white, a slight tinge of blue and white and Filter | Render | Clouds to make a bit of colour shift. Then I press the mask button in order to give that layer a mask, make the mask all black so you can't see the back texture and then you are ready to scratch! Use a thinish paintbrush and basically jiggle the thing with a white coloured pen around areas that would get scratched. Genereally these areas are on edges.

Make sure you paint in the mask itself and not the coloured layer. Having a graphic tablet really helps, especially when you're as dodgy as me with it and can't control it to save your life. Which works to your benefit in creating a certain randomness about it.

After you have started this you can add a slight effect to enhance it by adding a very light Inner Shadow to the layer to add a bit of depth to the scratch. Keep scratching till you are satisfied. Don't say you did this to your friends otherwise they might look at you funny, however.

I recomend sometimes going overboard with your scratching. Being too cautious sometimes doesn't give you the required scratchiness of it, it's a scratch! There's no control to it at all and should LOOK like that.

Next we will do dirt. Just plain generic dirt. Firstly we'll add the type that gets everywhere...at least on his torso. (Weaver is actually quite thorough in bodily hygiene).

First colour the foreground and background Black and White. Fill a new layer in with Filter | Render | Clouds. Select all and copy that layer. Next go to the Channels Tab and make a new layer, this is an Alpha Layer. Paste your Black and white clouds into that layer. Once done Ctrl click on the layer to make a selection. Go back to the Layers tab and make a new layer, getting rid of the original Black and White Cloud layer. Select a browny/grey colour for your dirt and fill the selection with it. You should have a cloudy mass interspersed with transparency.

Duplicate this layer and make the Layer effect Dissolve and reduce it to around 25% transparency to make the dots relatively sparse. The layer below that, reduce the transparency to something you deem appropriate and then merge the two dirt textures. Erase the areas that don't have dirt, and perhaps erase areas with a very soft brush that would have little dirt, perhaps at 50% strength.

As it is a pretty constant thing, it's quite unobtrusive in the grand scheme of things. However it is important in regards to 'the little things that count'. Subtlety can sometimes be much more effective than brute...err...textures.