I'm pretty convinced some of you folks are magicians...
by Mitovo · in Artist Corner · 06/06/2011 (3:42 pm) · 28 replies
Hello everyone,
So this is a post about creating good looking textures in T3D, specifically it's about finding that "magic formula" of diffuse and detail maps that yields some of the amazing results I see in the T3D demos (especially the newest ones released recently), and in some of the work done by users of the engine.
For my background, I'm a graphics artist/designer. I've done a lot of texture art with Photoshop, both entirely from scratch and using photo-sourced images. I can get some really nice effects using the various layer blending modes in PS and the right combination of textures. I understand the concept behind detail textures.
For the life of me, though, I can not "crack the code" to get consistently good-looking textures in T3D. It's entirely hit or miss.
I've gone through the threads recommending to use high-pass, others that say don't use high-pass but just desaturate the texture instead, I've tried different ranges of shades of gray that average around the 128 mark and don't deviate, but it just never looks right. It's either way too bright, way too dark, or extremes of both at the same. I try adjusting the "strength" setting for the diffuse texture... It's typically of little help.
I read posts by people who basically say, "it's easy... you just "x", "y" and "z", and their posts include a screenshot of a gorgeous looking, beautifully textured scene they created using their technique. I do what they suggest... and it looks terrible.
What's even more maddening is that there's the rare occasion where I get exactly the effect I'm going for the first time, with only a little tweaking - and I'm doing exactly the same thing, following the same guidelines and procedures that I used every other time and got horrible results. So, I can't even differentiate between what I did right that time, and what I did wrong every other. It's rather maddening lol.
I look at the texture work in the Pacific and Deathball demo in-game, and think "man, those look incredible". I look at the actual texture files in the folders, and understand what the process is. The diffuse texture provides the overall "coloring" for the texture layer, while the detail texture is overlayed to make it look like whatever kind of surface it is. I get it. I just can't replicate it.
So, I'm turning to the magicians here in the Torque community for some help. Is there any kind of "a ha!" moment you had when learning how T3D handles textures? Is there some kind of "guideline" you follow, certain specific details or steps you use... I've looked up some kind of tutorial explaining how to get the best results with textures in T3D, but to no avail.
Any kind of assistance would be most appreciated.
Thanks!
So this is a post about creating good looking textures in T3D, specifically it's about finding that "magic formula" of diffuse and detail maps that yields some of the amazing results I see in the T3D demos (especially the newest ones released recently), and in some of the work done by users of the engine.
For my background, I'm a graphics artist/designer. I've done a lot of texture art with Photoshop, both entirely from scratch and using photo-sourced images. I can get some really nice effects using the various layer blending modes in PS and the right combination of textures. I understand the concept behind detail textures.
For the life of me, though, I can not "crack the code" to get consistently good-looking textures in T3D. It's entirely hit or miss.
I've gone through the threads recommending to use high-pass, others that say don't use high-pass but just desaturate the texture instead, I've tried different ranges of shades of gray that average around the 128 mark and don't deviate, but it just never looks right. It's either way too bright, way too dark, or extremes of both at the same. I try adjusting the "strength" setting for the diffuse texture... It's typically of little help.
I read posts by people who basically say, "it's easy... you just "x", "y" and "z", and their posts include a screenshot of a gorgeous looking, beautifully textured scene they created using their technique. I do what they suggest... and it looks terrible.
What's even more maddening is that there's the rare occasion where I get exactly the effect I'm going for the first time, with only a little tweaking - and I'm doing exactly the same thing, following the same guidelines and procedures that I used every other time and got horrible results. So, I can't even differentiate between what I did right that time, and what I did wrong every other. It's rather maddening lol.
I look at the texture work in the Pacific and Deathball demo in-game, and think "man, those look incredible". I look at the actual texture files in the folders, and understand what the process is. The diffuse texture provides the overall "coloring" for the texture layer, while the detail texture is overlayed to make it look like whatever kind of surface it is. I get it. I just can't replicate it.
So, I'm turning to the magicians here in the Torque community for some help. Is there any kind of "a ha!" moment you had when learning how T3D handles textures? Is there some kind of "guideline" you follow, certain specific details or steps you use... I've looked up some kind of tutorial explaining how to get the best results with textures in T3D, but to no avail.
Any kind of assistance would be most appreciated.
Thanks!
About the author
#22
06/28/2011 (1:44 pm)
I'm just curious, as I've just had a similar thing happen to me when using DDS normal maps, a problem that appeared, and then today when I try to reproduce it as a bug report it fixed itself, or rather refused to cooperate and break the way it broke before, anyway if that was it can be solved simply by using png files for normal maps (saving PNGs is also less cumbersome too) 
#23
If I recall correctly, the cached texture gets stored in the levels directory (blah.base.dds?). Try deleting that and seeing if the terrain looks correct again.
If it does then I would recommend updating your video drivers, deleting the cached texture, and seeing if that fixes the problem.
06/28/2011 (5:25 pm)
I seem to recall a long while back someone was getting this problem because when Torque 3D was baking out the cached terrain texture, their video drivers would cause the texture to corrupt.If I recall correctly, the cached texture gets stored in the levels directory (blah.base.dds?). Try deleting that and seeing if the terrain looks correct again.
If it does then I would recommend updating your video drivers, deleting the cached texture, and seeing if that fixes the problem.
#24
most of the good looking screens i have seen are reduced in size so much they look alright, i have done this my self.. i have spent over a year working with the terrain texture system in t3d trying to make terrain textures work.. i am talking 8 hours a day + tweaking textures. they look good in udk, unity but they all look bad in t3d.
03/21/2012 (4:50 pm)
From my experience, you cannot make terrain textures look good in t3d you can make them look alright if your project was to be release in oh say 1999 early 2000 but as of now the whole terrain material system needs work.most of the good looking screens i have seen are reduced in size so much they look alright, i have done this my self.. i have spent over a year working with the terrain texture system in t3d trying to make terrain textures work.. i am talking 8 hours a day + tweaking textures. they look good in udk, unity but they all look bad in t3d.
#25
03/21/2012 (5:02 pm)
Quote:
From and including: Tuesday, June 28, 2011
To and including: Thursday, March 22, 2012
It is 269 days from the start date to the end date, end date included
Or 8 months, 24 days including the end date
Alternative time units
269 days can be converted to one of these units:
23,241,600 seconds
387,360 minutes
6456 hours
38 weeks (rounded down)
#26
03/21/2012 (6:55 pm)
can I point out none of my screens are reduced in size apart from mission preview thumbnails 
#27
Any fault in an inability to make Torque terrains look good lies with the user.
03/22/2012 (8:04 am)
Andy has made some pretty darn good looking screens! As well as many others.Any fault in an inability to make Torque terrains look good lies with the user.
Associate Scott Burns
GG Alumni
Did you receive a windows update in between those sessions? We encountered a recent windows update the other day that caused some unusual problems. I believe we had to reinstall the video drivers to correct it.