Hello everyone. I have decided NOT to use pictures from the internet for my latest project (and hopefully future projects). I want to take my own pictures for textures. There are a few things I am unsure about how to take pictures of (or make in blender/gimp):
Hair (game engine)
FIRE!!! (game engine)
er… that’s all I can think of at the moment actually… if I think of anything else, I will edit this.
- Barrels (I don’t have access to any barrels, though. Is there any other way to get textures of barrels?)
Barrels are generally made of planks of wood so just take photos of planks of wood and position them in your image editor of choice. You don’t need to take photos of the actual thing you are modelling, as long as it looks like it in the final result who cares whet the photo is from. Use your imagination with objects you have around you and what you can combine to create different types of objects.
Barrels - Yes, agreed, don’t take pictures of things you are going to model - take pictures of things you’ll model unwrapped. That is, if you were to remove the lid and bottom of a barrel, and cut down the side, then unwrap it, laying it flat, you’d see a bunch of planks and some bands:
One of my barrels - this link should show you the texture:
http://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/barrel-3d-3ds/605915
Edit: It doesn’t. Just click the thumbnail for the texture.
You probably won’t find planks with metal straps to use. So, as I did, create your texture in PS or gimp. The planks should tile on the x axis, left to right, so that when you unwrap your barrel, it will be seamless.
360 skies require special lenses. You can use photoshop or gimp to stitch together panoramas, and then use another PS filter to make them into domes or skyboxes, but really, it’s complex if you don’t have a system down. I use images I’ve photographed as the basis for textures, and images on the web. Regardless, you’ll want to modify them for your use, so…how shall I put this - if you don’t have a really nice camera, and you don’t want to paint all of your own textures, then use what you find on line, but mod the hell out of them. Pride in your own work is great, but the finished product is the most important thing. You’ll find that a style emerges anyway as you work.
Thanks, guys. I will try your idea with the barrel.
I have a PowerShotSX10IS Canon if that means anything to you (because I have no idea what I just typed.) It is actually my mom’s camera, but she let’s me use it. >:] The size of the pictures I take are around 2700 by 3700 pixels. Which is more than enough for what I need/want. I guess I will just try to find an open field, take pictures from all directions, bring them all into gimp (can’t afford PS), stitch 'em together somehow.
If I have anymore questions, I will use this thread.
Another question. I have the planks, how would I put the “straps” of the barrel onto that texture without retaking the picture with them on?
Could put them onto the texture with Photoshop/Gimp, or set them as separate textures and make the straps as separate planes on the model.
ok, I did what curley said… sorta. Here is the final result of my barrel.
The only problem with my texture right now is that I I have screws in the boards, which can be taken out with the clone tool (I think…). I will work on it more tonight. Please tell me what you think of the texture and model!
3Dmedieval, how did you bake the ambient occlusion map AND have the top and bottom of the barrel not get in the way? In other words, how did you unwrap it a second time without it messing up the diffuse texture?
Oops, just figured it out. You have to use UV Layers. Yay! I just learned something new in blender. But seriously though, how’s my barrel? ^^
Any answers???
You can use layers, but for the most part, I just leave room on the texture map for all my parts. Look at my barrel again. The last thumb shows the ao map, which you can compare to the diffuse -that will show you where my parts have been laid out…
http://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/barrel-3d-3ds/605915
For game ready models, I bake the diffuse and AO together, but for TS, I sometimes leave them separate for flexibility.
@3D, I see.
@BAcommunity, PLEASE ANSWER QUESTIONS IN 1ST POST!!!
I would suggest asking these questions one at a time, since they all require lengthy explanations. Shouting, ( typing in all caps + exclamations points ) is not necessary. Also, you can learn these things by referring to the wiki docs, and release notes for recent versions, or doing a google search, if you feel your question has not been answered promptly, or to your satisfaction.
Just to add in, you can try Hugin for stitching photos together into a panorama, and they don’t have to be perfectly lined up to begin with.
Ok, I updated the first post. I should’ve been more clear that I wanted fire and hair for the game engine. I know you use animated textures for fires. I just want to know how to create a fire texture for an animated texture. I also just want to know how to create hair textures for the game engine.
If you have access to a good quality scanner, as a basis for a hair texture you could try scanning a wig or a cooperative person’s long hair right on the scanner bed. It’s great because you get completely flat illumination without shadows, highlights, or geometric distortion. Plus you can set the resolution to whatever you want, and can use a lossless image format.
Doubt that will happen.
@3D, thanks. Even though I want to make all the textures myself, this hair will probably work for now. But, is the picture of the blonde hair(the big one) even, er, usable? In other words, can I use it for commercial or personal use without giving credit? I couldn’t quite find this info.
Also, the thread you posted isn’t quite what I was looking for. What I was trying to figure out is how to create the animatable texture that has fire on it. The only thing I could think of doing would be possibly baking particles to a plane (if that’s possible).
Hair- no idea.
Fire - I hope you were able to gain some knowledge from that blend I posted. Creating the actual animated flame is something I don’t have any idea how to do, other than shooting a video of a flame, and removing frames. No idea how to do that. I’ll say this - remember that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel - I know you’d like to learn to create all types of textures, and that’s great, but honestly, I’d start with learning Gimp or PS - learn about layers, masks, layer styles etc. Until yo can do that, everything else is at a higher level. Just one man’s opinion.
Ok, thanks anyway. I do know a lot about Gimp. Dunno if it’s enough though. But because you’ve been so helpful to me on these forums, I’ll add you as a friend. 
Also, the fire blend did help a lot. Just not for what I needed at the moment.
