Help with textures!

[Inactive-Shapeshifter]

People, i really could use some help! I work in Blender 3D, and managed to get some very good models, even made my own class of starships! But texture is my nightmare! I have seen a thousand tutorials about it! Some of them actually were especially about Trek textures, but i just can't get that right! I made textures, but they all look cartoonish, and non-realistic!

I would REALLY like some help, especially after seeing the work of some of you here!

 

[Inactive-Shapeshifter]

Here's one example, the Stargazer, with textures made by me, but you can totally see it's not good!

 

[MadMan1701A]

I think it looks pretty good, to me. It looks like you have color maps and specular maps working. Do you have a bigger picture?

-Ricky

 

[Inactive-Shapeshifter]

I think it looks pretty good, to me. It looks like you have color maps and specular maps working. Do you have a bigger picture?

-Ricky

MADMAN! You're a legend! I've been seeing your work on Blender for quite some time! Very good stuff!

I don't have any bigger picture, but i can make one with no problem!

Keep in mind, please, that i had a hard time doing the maps, and some i even got from other websites.

I would REALLY like some help! I'm going to see if i manage to post my other ships too, some off then even without textures.

 

[Inactive-Shapeshifter]

Here you go:

I know the textures a ok, but there is something missing! The ship looks to flat, to much like a "toy". I lacks a certain "life" that models like yours have

 

[Tiberius]

I think it's because the virtual camera has a long focal length. Kinda gives it the squashed look. Try a shorter focal length if you can (basically, zoom out and move the camera closer). Also try playing with the contrast. Real life is contrastier than you think.

 

[Melakon]

I like to use a 35mm lens for space scenes, as it seems to make the ships look bigger.

 

[Klondike307]

I think it's more of a lighting thing then a texture one. It looks like you have a top or spot light shining down on it which makes it look more like a model then a large scale object. It's also causing your ship not to have realistic looking shadows, you're seeing a lot more flat medium grays then blacks. Make sure the curvature of the text on saucer matches the curvature of the saucer texture and always try to create and export your textures in high resolution. Also, the porthole and sensor dome lights shouldn't appear so bright if they are already being bathed in a bright top light. The model looks really good though, keep it up!

 

[Inactive-Shapeshifter]

I think it's more of a lighting thing then a texture one. It looks like you have a top or spot light shining down on it which makes it look more like a model then a large scale object. It's also causing your ship not to have realistic looking shadows, you're seeing a lot more flat medium grays then blacks. Make sure the curvature of the text on saucer matches the curvature of the saucer texture and always try to create and export your textures in high resolution. Also, the porthole and sensor dome lights shouldn't appear so bright if they are already being bathed in a bright top light. The model looks really good though, keep it up!

Thanks! I intent too! I have other ships too, i especially like my Enterprise NX-01, for me, the best ship I've done (Ironically , it's the only one i've used textures already made )

About the lighting, i do have problem with setting it up on the scene. Any tutorials or tricks to share?

Thanks for the help! I finally fell like i'm going to solve this damn problem i've tried to fix for years.

 

[Inactive-Shapeshifter]

Here's my NX-01, best ship on my fleet of 3D models.
Unfortunately, as i said, the textures aren't mine.

 

[MadMan1701A]

I think it looks pretty good, to me. It looks like you have color maps and specular maps working. Do you have a bigger picture?

-Ricky

MADMAN! You're a legend! I've been seeing your work on Blender for quite some time! Very good stuff!

I don't have any bigger picture, but i can make one with no problem!

Keep in mind, please, that i had a hard time doing the maps, and some i even got from other websites.

I would REALLY like some help! I'm going to see if i manage to post my other ships too, some off then even without textures.

Ha, thanks.

Sorry to take so long to get back to the thread, been a busy week.

What software are you using to create the actual textures in? I use Photoshop, but you could use GIMP, or another free tool like that.

If you want to take apart my Enterprise V6 model, looking at how the textures are set up might help. http://madshipyard.com/downloads.htm

If you unpack the textures, it will save the actual files out into a directory, and you can see which ones are color maps, and which ones are specular maps.

As far as lighting goes, I always use a 3 point light setup. One bright light (using the Sun lamp), usually, and a couple of fill lights (also Sun lamps) of different colors, depending on what my background is going to be. Also make sure to turn on Ray Tracing for the shadows, it makes a big difference. You can do that under the settings for each individual light.

If you want, I can send you some scene files I've used.

-Ricky

 

[Inactive-Shapeshifter]

Thanks a lot!

Your models are very well done and detailed!

Could i ask some help on some of the materials? I have some issues understanding the specualrity map, for example. I never understand were to use darker or brighter tones. And how the hell i make those aztec patterns become proper spec maps?
Also, can i use such maps on Cycles?

And just one more question

Do you use Boolean for the windows? I do that and my mesh tends to become a mess.

By the way, i use Gimp

 

[MadMan1701A]

You're welcome.

With spec maps, it's trial and error for me. I usually start with my color map, and de-saturate it. I'll crank the contrast way up, and see how it looks in a render. I'll keep tweaking the file and re-rendering, until I like it. I haven't used cycles, I've just usedthe regular Blender internal renderer, so far.

Most of the time, I will do booleans for windows and stuff. If you can put subdivisions around the area of where the boolean will be cut, it will only mess up a small area. It also helps to go in close and clean up duplicate vertices and faces that might happen.

Cool, Gimp should be able to do anything Photoshop can.

-Ricky

 

[Cjohnson1701]

Thanks a lot!

Your models are very well done and detailed!

Could i ask some help on some of the materials? I have some issues understanding the specualrity map, for example. I never understand were to use darker or brighter tones. And how the hell i make those aztec patterns become proper spec maps?
Also, can i use such maps on Cycles?

And just one more question

Do you use Boolean for the windows? I do that and my mesh tends to become a mess.


By the way, i use Gimp

I'll Pitch into the specularity bit,

In truth specularity is really a bunch of "things" to do with how a surface accepts light.

This is a really important concept to grasp, because most of your texture detail is in the spec. Now, I'm going to break this even further a good spec map, fills three functions.

1. Colour
2. Reflectivity
3. Glossiness

In more complicated shots, I would separate all three into individual textures.

The first would be as madman describes it, it basically lighter in colour then the diffuse.

The second would be a "shades of grey" type map where:

1 = White = Max Reflective Strength
0 = Black = No Reflectivity at all. (like the vacuum of space, )

The third map is basically a high contrast version of the second, this will determine the clarity of the reflection again same concept as the second map.

1 = White = Max Reflective Clarity (Think clean mirror)
0 = Black = An Incredibly Fuzzy Reflective Surface ( A rock.)

And that is the basic concept.

Normal Maps, and Displacement Maps (One is a bump map on steroids, the latter makes both look like Napoleon Dynamite standing next to Mike Tyson) are also a huge part in spec maps and will help determine how light will fall on a surface.

Also look at these links:

Fresnel Effect
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresnel_equations

Raytracing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_tracing_(graphics)

How the Blinn/Phong Shader Works:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_tracing_(graphics)

Yeah, it's math. Math sucks, but it'll help you understand the concepts. Because Lighting, and Texturing are practically one and the same.

And when you get a chance look up "Index of Refraction"

Also, I use 24mm for my focal length when I'm rendering. That, and don't be afraid to go into higher details in your mesh, learn to love the 'bevel'.

Also, also. I personally HATE booleans, with a passion. I hate them more then Khan hates Kirk. I'd avoid them at all cost, I would rather crash geometry unless I have no other choice, unless the circular window is in your face. Stick with a normal map.

Last thing, on azteking? Use multiply on the layer and reduce the opacity to 9-12% on the diffuse map, 30-50% on the spec

I think that's it...hmmmmm. Oh well, that should be enough to get you started.

If you want pictures I can show you some stuff, and how I do it.

Good luck