[TUTORIAL]: texturing organic form (subsmooth)

kwistenbiebel · 26 Jun 2008, 06:22

Hi friends,

Someone at the Vray forum asked me to make a small tutorial on how to texture a subsmooth organic surface.
I though it would be appropriate to post it here.

Before:

After:

Here is how I did it. Actually it's quite a common method of projecting textures:

I hope this tut is of use to some of you.
The method is 'view dependant' (texture looks a bit distorted at some angles) but it's the best I could do within the Sketchup limits.

Regards,
Kwistenbiebel

pilou · 26 Jun 2008, 07:35

Enlighting tuto!

kwistenbiebel · 26 Jun 2008, 07:52

Thanks
Frederick, as you seem to have trouble viewing photobucket images, I'll attach them internally here:

Frederik · 26 Jun 2008, 07:55

Although I can't see the images you've posted here at my office (something to do with a web-blocker.. ), I'm sure your tut is useful to many, Chris..!
UV-mapping is difficult in SU because of the limitations, so I'm sure many will find a tut on this subject very useful...

Frederik · 26 Jun 2008, 07:58

Thanks, Chris..!!

Slightly different from how I project textures, but a very neat way of doing it...

kwistenbiebel · 26 Jun 2008, 08:58

Thanks.
I wish Whaats UV-tools would do a better job at texturing things like this , but unfortunately the plugin is unresponsive when trying 'spherical' mapping....

I am sharing the object on 3Dwarehouse, so people can try to texture it.
Maybe someone comes up with a method for a non-view-dependant method?

Here's the link:
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=1cfa3f825fd2fcfb4083c414ed3a6752

pilou · 26 Jun 2008, 09:20

Easy method indeed
This wheel has a lot facets (like your subsmooth) for dark reasons because it should be exported to Zbrush
(post subdivide in Zb seems problematic so subdivided is made in SU
Here podium bump maxi, render with "biebel_settings.xml" who is this guy?

Model by Orgelf

Julius · 29 Jun 2008, 16:27

did i do something wrong?

@frederik said:

Slightly different from how I project textures, but a very neat way of doing it...

and how do you porject them?

also, is it possible to make such stunning bump maps in KT, like the second image kwist posted?

Frederik · 29 Jun 2008, 17:50

@julius said:

and how do you porject them?

I import the JPG and once you explode the JPG, it will be available in your "In model" materials as a Projected material ready to be applied on a surface...

@julius said:

also, is it possible to make such stunning bump maps in KT, like the second image kwist posted?

To me it doesn't look like Bump mapping...
I assume that Kwistenbiebel have used Displacement mapping, which isn't availeble in KT2008...

Daniel Bouchard · 1 Jul 2008, 02:33

Thanks for this tutorial Kwistenbiebel.

Very useful for me.

Daniel

kwistenbiebel · 1 Jul 2008, 06:30

@frederik said:

I assume that Kwistenbiebel have used Displacement mapping...

Indeed, I used displacement maps on the object.
It works just like adding a bump map ( a Black@White image defining depth).
The only difference is that displacement will actually deform the geometry by subdividing it to show depth, while a bump map is only mimicing it.
Curently displacement is supported by Vray, Fry, Maxwell and Indigo.
For architectural scenes, bump maps most of the times are sufficient, as displacement tends to increase render time considerably. But the results can be convincing.

This is an example of displacement on that same form using (SK)indigo:

pilou · 1 Jul 2008, 11:31

Macro photography

david_h · 9 Jul 2008, 14:24

Biebel . . .you just amaze me. . ..

Look what I did in school today Mommy!!!

Click Draw · 8 Nov 2008, 23:48

I love this forum. I've learned so much more since I joined. Thx to everyone! Great tutorial. I got the material distributing evenly, I just have to learn to texture properly....
Jeff

pbacot · 13 Nov 2008, 15:16

This is amazing. I never saw displacement like this before. Not that I have experience rendering. But I can use the texturing technique right away. Thanks for posting so people like me can get "edicated"! B

Click Draw · 15 Nov 2008, 17:20

Hi Kwistenbiebel,
Any chance of you doing a Tut on the technique of bump mapping or the way you put or change the actual surface texture? Or, is this something done in another program? I got the understanding of evenly patterning a material but you have pics showing that the surface is not smooth. Thanks in advance....
Jeff

Gaieus · 15 Nov 2008, 18:05

Hi Jeff,

SU doesn't support either bupmapping or displacement. That part was done in a 3rd party renderer.

Click Draw · 15 Nov 2008, 19:32

Thanks Gaieus,

Appreciate that. So that would be one like Podium or Vray?

Jeff

Gaieus · 15 Nov 2008, 19:50

Yes exactly. Even some of those do not do displacement (like Kerkythea at the moment)

Click Draw · 15 Nov 2008, 20:01

What is your preferrance for a rendering program. I'd like to get as much feedback and opinions as possible before I layout the money.
Jeff