Question about custom model textures/ skins

[Supernova Nexus]

I've always wanted to know how do mod developers make the textures for models so perfectly? From looking at previous model skins, how do they know where to create certain parts of the texture sheet without making it look like a complete mess when it comes to applying the texture to the model. For example, here's the Half-Life 2 Jeep vehicle texture sheet...

 

[Barnz]

You can paint textures in a 3D editor.

 

[b3rnwa]

i'm no expert on the subject, but i believe the model is indeed created in an editor such as blender and its texture is 'painted' to the models polygons. The texture is then converted to a flat image by the editor and then mapped back again in the engine (or anything else) via the wonder of UVW mapping...

google it

like i said i'm no expert, so if i'm wrong on anything i'm wearing my flameproof hat

 

[Vegeta897]

It's a bit more involved than that, since they have to designate what polygons to group together in the image, but yeah it's essentially that.

 

[Krynn72]

I've always wanted to know how do mod developers make the textures for models so perfectly? From looking at previous model skins, how do they know where to create certain parts of the texture sheet without making it look like a complete mess when it comes to applying the texture to the model. For example, here's the Half-Life 2 Jeep vehicle texture sheet...

Experience. Over time you get used to knowing where people's eyes will be drawn to, and then know where you can create seams without people usually noticing. Its a balance between creating fewer seams, and less distortion. Flat surfaces are easy to avoid distortion and a lot simpler to texture. For non-flat surfaces like characters/creatures, it helps that now-a-days a high resolution model is created, and "baked" to a texture as a normal map. This then gives the artist a texture he can use as a guide to know where distortion is occurring (like if a straight edge on the model is arched a bit in the normal map texture) and makes it easier to compensate for when painting.

Most of the texture is actually done in a 2D editor like Photoshop. 3D painting programs are still nowhere near where they need to be to take over as the primary painting method. Usually they're used to start the texture (basic colors, etc) and then to paint out seams towards the end.

 

[Vegeta897]

That seams complicated.

 

[Krynn72]

Its not bad, especially if you have a friend who does it too. Then you can just texture friend if you run into a problem.

 

[b3rnwa]

https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Blender_Modelling_Walkthrough

explains it very well i think

the tutorial is for the old skool blender, but the theory is sound and isn't that difficult to translate to the new UI