I need a rock texture

Support Basics & Interface
1

Ok, I’m looking for tips from experienced texture/material people. I need a rock texture, and I want it to emulate this rock:
http://www.praiseworthybooks.com/jason/DSC02394.JPG
I would apreciate any help

2

You know, the best way to emulate a rock texture is by taking a photograph of it and then using that as the texture. There are a number of tutorials out there on how to make tileable textures.

3

Making a rock texture is just like he said. Take a picture with a digital camera preferably, unless you want to photograph, develop the film, and then scan it in. Then you can have to make it a seamless texture or else people will see where the edges of the picture on your object line up. That makes for an ugly object.

http://www.highpoly3d.com/writer/tutorials/tileable/seamless.htm
http://www.stormvision.net/index.cfm/act/tutorials/tutorial_ID/1
http://www.mccannas.com/book/chapter4/ptile1.htm
http://www.gfxartist.com/features/tutorials/740
http://www.flashfilmmaker.com/index.php?id=43,123,0,0,1,0

There are three ways of applying an image that I know of.

  1. Make it a texture on the object.
    a. Create a material for the object
    b. Create a new texture
    c. Make the new texture an image
    d. Select the image from your directory
    e. Go to the texture map input and choose sphere (because your
    rock is round.

  2. You can make a UV template of the rock mesh and import that into a paint program allowing you to place the rock image onto your mesh with precision. I have no expierence in doing this, but here are some links to some decent tutorials on this subject :

http://www.ibiblio.org/bvidtute/ (Greybeard’s video tutorial on LSCM UV Mapping)
http://biorust.com/index.php?page=tutorial_detail&tutid=85
http://www.planetannihilation.com/terragen/tut_texturing.shtml
http://www.3dmd.net/Blender_renderingTutorials.htm

  1. Orco imaging. This is something I read about just last night from ENV. He has some really good results from this method and I would suggest you read about it.

http://www.enricovalenza.com/index.html (for the main page)
http://www.enricovalenza.com/textures.html (for the specific tutorial I mentioned.)

Once you have created this, make a bump map and apply it to your rock. This will allow the rough surfaces of your image to create shadows and texture on the rock making the image even more convincing. To do this add another image to your textures only this time load the bump map image you have made. Then in your materials map to, click off “col” (color) and click on “nor” (normals). Now use the Nor slider to adjust the intensity of the affect.

http://www.xach.com/gimp/tutorials/bumpmap.html

Now to getting some pictures for you texture without taking a picture. There are some good repositories on the internet for images you can edit and use. Just make sure they are freeware or what kind of liscense is attatched to them. Some pictures you can use, but you can’t make a sellable product out of.

http://www.oneodddude.net/main.php?locale=textures
http://www.mayang.com/textures/

As always use google to search for these things. You may find even more info than I have.

4

Hey google is cool!!! :stuck_out_tongue: :o :smiley: 8)