Textures

[a_bertrand]

As I said on this forum, textures and lighting are maybe actually even more important than the 3D object itself. As you start creating 3D art you usually concentrate on the 3D shape, and try to model it, however later on, specially for 3D games, you will see that the model can be poor or nearly dull and yet look great. Sure that seems counter intuitive but it's a reality. To show my point I created a couple of renders all based on a stupid 3D box. The light is always the same and basically (beside the last few render) the object remains the same as well. I didn't moved anything either

So let's start with the first render:


As you can see, a box, nothing else, and a default material and light. Not interesting.

Let's apply some "wood" texture from the presets:


I can't say I'm happy with the look, first of all the scale of the texture is wrong. Let's try to resize it:


Well... it does look somehow a wood... but a really poor one. This kind of texture is called procedural, which basically is done via a mathematical formula to archive some look. You can get good results, but it will take you a lot of tweaking. Usually taking a picture is a better option. Let's see of it looks with a wood plank texture based on a picture:


Looks much better, but it can be improved with something called "bump map", it's basically another image applied on the box which defines small height differences:


If you watch carefully you will see that the bump map added some... features on the surface.

Another kind of texture map to play with is the specular map, which defines how shiny an area is:


Again the difference need to be carefully checked, but it does some difference.

Now, the cube does look better, but still, not really all that interesting. Why not try to add some more.... For that I work on the texture map, with the help of photoshop, but any image editor will do the trick too:



You see the edge of the box uses like a different texture, the texture map (the image) is the following:

and the bumpmap:


You can use them for your own trials if you want.

The result is not bad, and could already be used as is in a game. However I would personally add a little bevel on the edge which follow my texture:

the model is now like that


To finish my texture work, I would consider making the faces different, for it, a good stencil (some transparent image) applied to the faces would add some details:


As you can see, the cube went a long way from a boring flat looking thing to this old wood crate. BTW for game asset, don't use textures map which are too big and ideally RE-USE your textures multiple times, by combining them. But this is another story.

[a_bertrand]

BTW If you have questions, suggestions or want more details about how textures works, what UV are, or whatever else, please ask.

[Epiales]

BTW If you have questions, suggestions or want more details about how textures works, what UV are, or whatever else, please ask.

Great pictures and work. Is it possible to do some examples on blender? I've been trying to do some of yours, but there is always a black spot b/c of the shading or sun/lamp. I try and remove them or move them and I can't get a solid white block grrr

[a_bertrand]

I am far from being an expert in blender but will try make nearly the same. If I succeed I will give you my project.

[a_bertrand]

Ok... took about 5 min:

From the initial cube (default Blender scene), you will have either to move around the camera OR move the light such that all the cube faces are lit. Beside that, applying a texture was relatively easy, I set it as cubic projection, and it worked out well:

blender.png

[Jackolantern]

Very nice! And I agree, textures (and the other layers that go along with the textures) are more important than the shape, at least for environmental, non-character models (misshapen characters can be very easy to spot, sadly). In a lot of ways, it was the addition of high res textures, specular maps, bump maps, normal maps, etc., that gave the biggest increase to graphic quality in this generation of game consoles versus the last, not the increase to vertices.

[Epiales]

Ok... took about 5 min:

From the initial cube (default Blender scene), you will have either to move around the camera OR move the light such that all the cube faces are lit. Beside that, applying a texture was relatively easy, I set it as cubic projection, and it worked out well:

blender.png

I downloaded and rendered, but it's only a plain box LOL! I see the camera and one light. Didn't do anything But picture looks great Good job!

[a_bertrand]

You need to apply the texture on it as a blender file doesn't embed textures images.

[Epiales]

You need to apply the texture on it as a blender file doesn't embed textures images.

I went under textrues, materials, and nodes, and there's nothing lol... I must be overlookin' something

[a_bertrand]

texture.png