This
tutorial was made in 3DStudio max
5 but covers theories and principles
only which are relevant to all 3D
software packages.
To
start, we will set up a very simple
scene, the intention is to let the
textures and the lighting to the work
so all we have for the geometry is
2 planes and 1 sphere, indicated below
with 1,2 & 3. The only other objects
we have are a skylight, omni light
and a camera (4, 5 & 6). If your
software doesn't support a feature
that creates radiosity and soft shadows
such as this 'skylight' you can fake
it with an array of many dull standard
point (omni) lights placed in a dome
formation. Both lights I have here
are casting shadows and the omni '5'
is the main light source.
The image is rendered from the camera
and below is the initial result.
So
now the tutorial will really begin
by looking at ways of improving our
render by adjusting these textures.
The next image show that all of the
textures have now been 'tiled' meaning
repeated across the objects surfaces.
As all the textures on this cd are
seamless they should tile very well,
but problems can still arise when
the repeating parts of the textures
become too obvious and for this reason
some textures 'tile' better than others.
By
tiling the colour maps and their bump
maps you increase the detail across
the geometry as you can see below.
Texture
colour maps and their matching bumps
have been assigned to the 3 objects
but that's as far as it's gone,
no work as to setting UVW co-ordinates
or editing the textures in any way
has been performed, the colour map
is set to 100% and the bump map
to 30%. What you can see below is
the usual case of your software
stretching the texture to fit these
basic geometry shapes as best it
can using its default UWV co-ordinates
that come with primitive objects.
Again
an example of no texture editing
with just the colour map applied
at 100% and the bump map at 30%:
Next we have the 'repetition texture
problem' indicated, but as it is not
too severe we will continue with these
choices of textures. Also the next
stages will break the textures up
a little more.
Our
second example showing the increase
in detail by tiling the texture
maps (second sphere):
3DTotal
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The
next tip could be the most important
one here in getting those quality
results from your renders. You have
to make the textures fit and work
with your geometry as much as possible.
The next two renders show the before
and after of poorly 'fitted' textures
and how we have simply improved them.
Below
we have improved these issues by rotating
the texture on the floor and then
aligning both textures so there is
appropriate detail (especially in
the 'bump' detail) where the wall
meets the floor.
Look especially at this joint, those
odd marks that were in the centre
of the wall now work very well at
the base.
