Texture question

[phix95]

This is hard to explain...

 

Ok, what is the relationship b/t texture size and the size of your model in 3ds? For instance, if you modeled a 6 ft tall shack and you needed a wood material for it, and at some places, some dirt... how do you know how big to make your texture?

I think the standard biggest size a texture should be is 1024 x 1024 yes? So let's say you imported a 1024 x 1024 texture for this 6 ft tall shack...how much of the shack would be covered before it would start to repeat?

What is the resolution of models created in 3ds?

And, another related question..

if you wanted the dirt on some parts of the shack, let's say in 2 random places, you obviously couldn't use the same texture and repeat it b/c of the dirt part. So how would you go about texturing it then? Would it be multiple textures used? It couldn't be one huge texture (like covering one whole side of the shack, which would get rid of the repeating problem) b/c it would need to be huge to be a sharp resolution to cover that space, yes?

If the texture was too small, and it was used for a whole side of the shack (non-repeated), it would blur, correct? And stretch? So how do you know at what point blurring/stretching would occur?

 

I hope I am clear enough here. Having trouble on how to word these questions

[Kopeykin]

It's simply. Your texture size depends on resolution rendering. And your texture size should be no less than your rendering resolution. You don't need to use 2048x2048 texture with 512x512 rendering. On the other hand 512x512 is not enough when you render 2048x2048 close up. Speaking about dirt. There are several ways to do that. First, you can use different textures with different mapping. For example, diffuse texture 1024x1024 with rectangular mapping - 1 meter x 1 meter. Dirt texture 4096x4096 with rectangular mapping - 4 meter x 4 meters. In 3dsmax you can do it using map channels. Second way is to use masks.

[SandmanNinja]

Hi Danielle,

 

I think if you keep just one thought going into your model, and hold onto that thought throughout the entire process, should be - use real world sizes and scale.

 

It's so very important for lighting (attentuation won't be right, shadows won't be right), and it's so very important for your textures.

 

If I have a box primitive and I say that box is 43 inches lone (short wall), and if I know a standard brcik is 8.667 inches long, I know I should scale my brick texture so that it's 5 "brick units" long.

 

Tiled floors are even easier. A STANDARD tiled floor is 12" (1 foot). Set your REAL WORLD size to 12" (if there is just one tile in there).

 

Things like wooden floors are a little tricker. A piece of standard lumber is no more than 2.4m (8 feet) long, and the section they use for flooring is roughly half that size. At this point, I'm "eye-balling" it more than using exact science.

 

Hope this sorta helps.

[Tommy Burns]

Have a look at what I wrote in this thread http://www.cgarchitect.com/vb/31155-tile-texture-issues.html

[JonRashid]

A texture never needs to be larger than it will appear on render(in pixels) - unless it performs a secondary task as in displacement etc . If you add the dirt to your texture as a layer with a different mapping channel you will be able to adjust the dirt without affect the underlying layer. Blend material is one of many ways of achieving this. Real world measurement only really has a relevance (with respect to texture size) if your using a procedural texture as in tiles etc.

[Peter M. Gruhn]

> Ok, what is the relationship b/t texture size and the size of your model in 3ds?

 

Whatever you say it is.

 

Max needs to know how to stick the texture on to the object. Not just size, but rotation and more. You'll notice that some object have this built in at creation. You can make a box, apply your wood texture to it and every face has the texture on it. It's like your texture is in a slide projector and you can move the projector to any place in the scene and spin it about and zoom the picture in and out.

 

This correspondance between texture and model is accomplished through "UVW Coordinates". There is a modifier, "UVW Map," for setting up this "projection." Also, notice on the UVW Map that there is a list of "Mappings". The first one, Planar, is just like the slide projector. Spherical is like a slide projector.. from all directions. Play with them, look in the help.

 

Here you can specify the size of the mapping.

 

Also you can specify a number of repeats (tile) within that size.

 

Also, back on the material editor, under the map itself you can specify tiling.

 

As others have mentioned, you really want to use "Real-World Map Size". Check that on the UVW Mapping and all of those size options go away. Back at the texture in the material editor there is another "Use Real-World Scale" check box. Turn that on and Tiling becomes Size. Here you can say exactly how big, in real world units, you want that texture to be.

 

Go out with your camera. Take a photo of a bit of pavement. Do something so you know how big the photo is: measure the bits that were in frame right there in the field, include a small ruler in the photo and photoshop it out later... whatever. Say your pavement is 64" x 48". Bring that in as a texture for a material. In the ME set that texture to Real World and tell it its width is exactly what the picture covers - 64" x 48". Slap that on an object with real world mapping coords (UVW) and it will be perfect.

[SandmanNinja]

I agree with Peter (Yes, I know he was agreeing with me, too) - Real World Size is the way to go. Good tips, Peter.

[Nic H]

I think real world size is making things unecessarily complicated and a pain in the ass, Id do it by eye on your geometry using uvw modifier and scale/rotate/move the gizmo around to get your desired result.

[Tommy Burns]

I use uvw map as well but I don't do it by eye espcially not brickwork or tiling. With brickwork what you do is count the bricks vertical and horizontally then multiply by brick dimesions adding in mortar lines and this is your accurate map. I never realised how to use real world scale for accuracy but I'll give it a go now.

[Kopeykin]

Everybody find his own way by trial and error. That way that one can find convenient for other could be "pain in the ass". If we don't stop we will make another holywar in no time. ...Real or not real - it doesn't matter. If your client is happy, you made everything allright even if your brick is 1x1 meter.

Edited July 31, 2008 by Kopeykin

[Peter M. Gruhn]

I think real world size is making things unecessarily complicated and a pain in the ass, Id do it by eye on your geometry using uvw modifier and scale/rotate/move the gizmo around to get your desired result.

 

One thing I like about real world size is that a map will be consistent throughout an image with pretty much no fuss. "These stones are 64 inches." Don't care if they are on a huge wall or a small teapot. No eyeballing the tiling or forgetting. Just slap click boom.