Preparing for painting

Learning Resources > Tutorials > Getting Started with Maya > Painting > Lesson 3: Painting textures on surfaces >

Select Dino. You can paint only on selected objects. When you actually use the 3D Paint Tool, the wireframe of a selected object is not highlighted. You can check the Outliner to be sure the object is selected.
Select Texturing > 3D Paint Tool. The following warning appears on the Command Feedback line:
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Warning: Some surfaces have no file texture assigned to the current attribute.
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The 3D Paint Tool requires that the material assigned to your model has a file texture applied to it. Because there is no file texture yet assigned, the warning appears.

When you move the cursor over Dino, you see a circle-X icon that indicates you cannot paint on the model.
To make sure you have the default settings for the 3D Paint Tool, click Reset Tool at the top of the 3D Paint Tool settings panel.
In the File Textures section of the 3D Paint Tool settings panel, set the Attribute to Paint setting to Color, then click Assign/Edit Textures.
This step and the next two steps assign a texture to Dino. (Note that you can also paint over an existing texture that you assigned from Hypershade.)
Type 512 in the Size X box, which is the height of the new file texture in pixels.
By increasing the file texture size, you will see finer detail and resolution in a rendered image of your painting. The number 512 is twice the default size, 256. You could use a higher resolution, but sizes larger than 512 slow the interactive speed as you paint. Notice that Size Y automatically changes to 512. This is because Keep Aspect Ratio is turned on, ensuring that the proportions of the texture are maintained.
Click Assign/Edit Textures in the Assign/Edit File Textures window.
Maya creates a file texture and assigns it to the Color attribute of the DinoSkin material. At the end of the lesson you will learn about the name and location of the file texture that is created.

You are now ready to paint.