Textures....UGH
by Kevin Cunningham · in General Discussion · 04/04/2008 (2:01 pm) · 6 replies
So, I've been designing a level in world editor and I've noticed (unless I've done something wrong) that you can only have 6 textures per level??
What am I doing wrong here =(
What am I doing wrong here =(
About the author
#2
04/04/2008 (2:22 pm)
Yeah, definitely need more than 6 textures. I'll look around for this, but if anyone has the direct link it would be much appreciated.
#3
Please don't take this the wrong way, but you may be going about your scene creation inefficiently if you automatically assume you "need more textures".
More is not "better" necessarily, from either an artistic or performance standpoint. Without knowing more about your specific project it's hard to make assumptions or suggestions, but keep in mind the purpose of terrain--to hold up the character!
That sounds silly kind of, but it really isn't. Look at uses of foliage replication, dts/dif for things like roads, caves, other scene features and the like.
04/04/2008 (2:28 pm)
Quote:
Yeah, definitely need more than 6 textures. I'll look around for this, but if anyone has the direct link it would be much appreciated.
Please don't take this the wrong way, but you may be going about your scene creation inefficiently if you automatically assume you "need more textures".
More is not "better" necessarily, from either an artistic or performance standpoint. Without knowing more about your specific project it's hard to make assumptions or suggestions, but keep in mind the purpose of terrain--to hold up the character!
That sounds silly kind of, but it really isn't. Look at uses of foliage replication, dts/dif for things like roads, caves, other scene features and the like.
#4
Maybe there is a more efficient way to do this kind of thing, but so far our teacher has not shown us these.
04/04/2008 (2:43 pm)
Well, I'm definitely not an advanced Torque user. Why I think I'm going to need more than 6 textures is for different grass shades, different rock shades on mountains etc. Maybe there is a more efficient way to do this kind of thing, but so far our teacher has not shown us these.
#5
I'm not an artist (boy, am I not an artist!) so I can't give you specific techniques or advice, but I would suggest trying out various terrains with just the stock textures, and see what you can do. Be patient with it, try different methods, and get a feel for the types of blending and texture use the engine supports, and I think you'll have a much better feeling for what your own textures should be.
Also, as I semi-jokingly replied earlier, textures on terrain are not the only way to accomplish visual effects...you mention having different grass shades--why not just have different grasses (foliage replication), and you mentioned different rock shades--there are techniques for that as well (shape replication, using actual rocks, etc).
Each of those techniques have their limitations as well--and at the risk of sounding patronizing (I don't mean to be), that's one of the things that hopefully you'll be learning in school: how to accomplish the visuals you want within the limitations of a real time rendering engine :)
04/04/2008 (2:49 pm)
Torque allows you to "paint" the 6 (stock) textures on to the terrain with different "weights" (think of overlaying different colors of paint), and automatically blends all of those textures together into a single texture that is sent to the video card, per frame. This allows for some amazing visual styles relatively easily, once you become more familiar with the technique.I'm not an artist (boy, am I not an artist!) so I can't give you specific techniques or advice, but I would suggest trying out various terrains with just the stock textures, and see what you can do. Be patient with it, try different methods, and get a feel for the types of blending and texture use the engine supports, and I think you'll have a much better feeling for what your own textures should be.
Also, as I semi-jokingly replied earlier, textures on terrain are not the only way to accomplish visual effects...you mention having different grass shades--why not just have different grasses (foliage replication), and you mentioned different rock shades--there are techniques for that as well (shape replication, using actual rocks, etc).
Each of those techniques have their limitations as well--and at the risk of sounding patronizing (I don't mean to be), that's one of the things that hopefully you'll be learning in school: how to accomplish the visuals you want within the limitations of a real time rendering engine :)
#6
I'll try to look up some different ways to add things into my level, but usually my ability to find things that I want is pretty poor X(
04/04/2008 (2:52 pm)
Yes hopefully I will be learning these, however I like to be ahead of the curve. Having a whole game document written and sitting in front of me is pretty frustrating when I can't make it =(I'll try to look up some different ways to add things into my level, but usually my ability to find things that I want is pretty poor X(
Torque Owner Mike Rowley
Mike Rowley