Start with one hair bundle, not a complete hairstyle. This exercise takes you from a new project to an exported texture. You can complete it on the Free plan without a character model.
Before you begin
- Download HairStorm and install it on a 64-bit Windows 10 or 11 computer.
- Open the application and use the Free plan, or activate your license if you have one.
- Create a folder for this exercise, with a separate subfolder for exports. A mouse with a scroll wheel is useful.
A dedicated graphics card is recommended. You do not need to import a head until you are ready toplace cards on a character.
Find your way around
Use the tabs above the viewport to change what you are working on. The panels beside the viewport hold the settings for the selected layer, map, or card.
Move through the workflow using the tabs at the top of the viewport: create source hair, inspect its baked textures, then build and place cards.
- 1Create source hair
Use 2D to draw and arrange source bundles. Switch to 3D to inspect the same source hair from another angle.
- 2Inspect the bake
Use Texture to inspect baked maps and edit a selected map with texture filters.
- 3Build and place cards
Use UV Layout to edit flat card boundaries over the atlas. Use Groom to place and shape cards on a head. Access depends on your plan.
Scroll horizontally to view all columns.
| Workspace | Use it to |
|---|---|
| 2D and 3D | Create and shape the source hair. 2D is the easiest place to arrange bundles for a texture. |
| Texture | Inspect baked maps and adjust their appearance with filters. |
| UV Layout | Fit and edit the cards that use the texture. Requires Personal or higher. |
| Groom | Place and shape cards on a character. Requires Professional or Studio. |
Scroll to zoom and drag with the middle mouse button to pan. In a 3D view, drag with the right mouse button to orbit. Press Z to frame your selection. Keep the pointer over the viewport when using viewport shortcuts.
Use the three buttons at the top right: rebake with the current settings, change bake settings, or choose export outputs. Opening Export Settings does not run an export.
- 1Quick Bake
Rebake the practice atlas using the current bake settings.
- 2Advanced Bake Settings
Open the resolution, map selection, and UV Layout generation options before baking.
- 3Export Settings
Choose an output folder, texture and mesh outputs, and packing options. Run Export is a separate action inside the panel.
Create a practice bundle
Start a new project
Press Ctrl+N, then choose the 2D workspace. If the project already contains hair layers, hide those layers for this exercise.
Draw one bundle
Open the Hair panel. With the pointer over the 2D viewport, press Bfor Draw Hair. Drag a simple path from the root end toward the tip, then release. Keep the first path nearly straight so the later changes are easy to judge.
You should see a new bundle and a corresponding entry in the hair-layer list. Turn the drawing tool off with B before selecting or moving the layer.
Name it and adjust the hair
Select the new layer and name it Practice lock. In Root Settings, adjust Hair Length and Density. Change one setting at a time: length changes the reach of the hair; density changes how full the bundle looks.
Try one modifier
With the layer selected, click Add Modifier and choose Wave. Increase its strength a little, then turn the modifier off and on to compare the shape. Leave a gentle wave rather than a tight curl for this exercise.
Arrange a few named bundles with clear gaps before baking. Main flow is selected here; Soft locks and Fine flyaways remain separate. The canvas readout summarizes the framing rather than the texture resolution.
- 1Keep source bundles separate
The three practice bundles occupy distinct areas of the same 2D canvas, so their shapes remain recognizable in the atlas.
- 2Match the layer to its bundle
Main flow is selected in the Hair Layers list and outlined in orange on the canvas. Use descriptive names for the other bundles too.
- 3Check the canvas framing
The readout shows the current canvas, content size, padding, layer count, and zoom. This is not the baked texture pixel size.
Bake and inspect the texture
Baking turns the hair on the canvas into images. Editing the source hair later does not update those images until you bake again.
Choose the bake settings
Open Advanced Bake Settings from the toolbar. Choose 1024 x 1024for a practice bake and use Recommended for the map selection. LeaveGenerate UV Layout off for this texture-only exercise.
Run the bake
Click Bake Maps and wait for the progress indicator to finish. Only visible hair layers contribute to the result.
Check color and transparency
Switch to Texture and open Texture maps. SelectAlbedo to inspect the color, then Alpha to inspect the hair outline. White areas of Alpha show visible hair; black areas are empty.
The full bundle, including its tips, should fit inside the image. If it is cropped or overlaps another bundle, return to 2D, adjust the layout, and bake again.
Save and export
Save the editable project
Press Ctrl+S, choose your practice folder, and save asPractice lock.nas. A project keeps your editable work; exporting images is not a substitute for saving it.
Export the texture maps
Open Export Settings from the toolbar. Set Output Folder to your export subfolder and Image Format to PNG. UnderTexture Options, choose the maps you baked. Leave mesh outputs off and clickRun Export.
Check the files
Open the output folder and inspect the Albedo and Alpha images. Check that the bundle is complete and that the files have the expected size. Reopen Practice lock.naswith Ctrl+O when you want to continue editing.
What to learn next
You now have the complete texture-only workflow. Continue with hair layers to build several useful bundle shapes, or use the keyboard and mouse reference while you practice.
When you are comfortable with baking, follow UV card creation. Import a character only when you are ready for the optional grooming lesson.