[Twacle]

Hello again. These days i have realised that there are many things that i don't know.

So, my question is: are there any rules for textures (like wall textures or roof textures) or you simply draw them from your observations ?

Thanks

[Lunatique]

Most texture artists in the biz uses photos, and then manipulate them. Some paint them from scratch, but that takes longer.

Game textures need to be used as tiles, so your textures have to look good repeated(use the offset function in PS for that), and usually in pretty small sizes(anywhere from 64 x 64 to 256 x 256). If it doesn't tile, you will waste VRAM by adding variation textures. (These techniques are the bread and butter of texture artists. I hope I'm not stepping on any toes giving them away.)

If you are doing textures for cinematics, there are fewer restrictions on size, type, and number.

In most cases, your textures need to look realistic, so use photos(taking them yourself, or from commercial texture libraries). If you have the painting skills, then do it from scratch if that makes you happy. But, the art director won't be if you take forever painting textures from scratch and end up with sub-photo realistic stuff.

Just start up any game and go run around in it and study the textures and how they are placed.

[ February 08, 2002: Message edited by: Lunatique ]

[sunraven0]

In the game engines I use (quake 3 & torque) texture sizes have to be a power of 2. Like 64x64, 256x512, 32x64, etc...and they can't be bigger than 512.
Most of the time I manipulate photos, but sometimes I make easy things that aren't going to be a main focal point in game from scratch....I also make some terrain textures from scratch, depending on what I am working on.

[ February 08, 2002: Message edited by: sunraven0 ]

[Anthony]

Actually painting textures is very fast, and usually results in more realistic textures due to the inherent loss of color variation apparent in photos. Of course you have to know how to paint the textures(use Painter 7, get some good "papers' and use the airbrush, water color, and square chalk tools). If you need the structure to be better, you can build a basic mesh and paste your base textures on it, render it with neutral lighting. In any event, if you do end up using photo textures, be sure to "enhance" them with more detail, more color, and reduced lighting.

[Twacle]

I am not talking about the textures used in games, but those you use in a painting ! Thanks anyway

[Lunatique]

Hahahaha. Ok.

You just draw/paint whatever you think is convincing looking. Anything you see in photographs can be reproduced by a painting. It's just HOW detailed you want to be with your own work. Slavishly reproducing reality is really pointless and boring if you go to extremes.

Try using the natural brushes that comes with PS 6. Or if you have Painter, mess around with the settings that Anthony mentioned.

[[Shizo]]

Haha! That bastard!!
Roof/wall textures.. :0

[Anthony]

Gads realism is horribly boring hehe