uv-mapping

[Coldfusionstorm]

Hey, so im trying to make good UV maps, but im abit unsure how to do that,i use mostly fixed size texture (square texture or retangel). With different size, basically im having trouble with getting textures to look good on the model, up untill now ive tried just making a uv-map with lots of spare inside the mesh to make space for details.

But mostly ive given up and just smack a single colour all over the place

[wciow]

Hi Cold, A few pointers to help you with uv mapping:

1) Try to unwrap so that there is as little blank space as possible on the texture. Less blank space equals more detail.

2) Try to unwrap into as large a chunks as possible, lots of small bits generally makes for hard work and a bad texture.

3) You can use a checker board texture to check that all parts of the model are well mapped before you start painting.

4) For Glest try not to put too much detail into the texture, its a waste of time as the small details are missed from far away. Try to add detail/shading which is visible from the default camera in Glest. Size: 256 is fine for units 512 for buildings and big units. 

Personally I find that working with both Blender and Gimp open together is the best way to texture. Unwrapping and attempting to texture 'blind'  not so good. Blender allows you to tweak the UV map in real time as you go.

[Coldfusionstorm]

Thanks wcicow, il try to incorporate some of these in my workflow!

[Omega]

The most important "parts" are making a good unwrapped map and applying a good texture to that.

Firstly, it's crucial that the unwrapped model is workable. It's far to difficult to apply a good texture if every face is separated or is "warped". As Wciow recommended, apply a checkerboard texture as a "testing" texture, and use that as a template for modifying the UV map. Like the mesh itself, you can move the vertices and faces of the map. Do so until the checkerboard is consistent throughout the entire model (no stretching or unequal sizes) and doesn't have visible seems. This can take quite a bit of time, and requires some degree of patience and skill (practice makes perfect).

Try and imagine how a 3D object would be unwrapped if you were to cut it out and place it flat on a table. It should be easy to imagine how a cube would look. Expand that thinking to other shapes, such as people. Here's a nice infographic made by Tucho that illustrates my point well (the image was made for 3DS Max, but the way he unwraps and textures it applies to Blender as well).

Secondly, there's the texturing itself, once the model is all nicely unwrapped. Unfortunately, there's no easy shortcuts here, you just need some sick graphics design skills. Being very familiar with your program (be it the GIMP, Paint.NET, or Photoshop) is definitely the way to start. Also consider using tileable textures, if applicable. I've found a nice cache of images can be downloaded with the Genetica Viewer (the free image comes with a fair number of images that can be freely used in games without credit or royalties, and the pay version comes with many more). There's also some sites that offer a number of public domain or otherwise royalty free images available for use that would be compatible with Glest mods.

I'd recommend you export it with an alpha background (that should be the default in current Blender versions) and use layers so that background appears above your work, so you can see the outline of the UV as you texture. Leave a small gap outside of the outline because it's "rounded". Note where the texture seams will be, and try to ensure that the texture will appear continuous (eg, you don't see a noticeable difference where the UV map "jumps").

On the modeling side, try and keep the model simple. Avoid intersecting faces, extremely complex shapes (the detail will be lost in Glest, and just reduces performance), etc. That will make unwrapping easier, and lead to a better texture. Depending on the engine, consider using normal and spectacular maps (if applicable) to increase depth greatly without the performance hit of a high polycount.

Also on a minor note, for compatibility, ensure the dimensions of the texture are factors of two (eg, 64, 128, 256, 512). This will prevent problems with some old graphics cards.

[John.d.h]

You can also fiddle with procedural textures in Blender to get a basic "flat" texture, then color on the details in your image editor.  For example, you could apply a nice cloth material to a character's clothed parts, bake it onto the image, then color on some patterns, buttons, buckles, and decorations.  This way might be easier if you are someone like me who has some skill with 3D art but almost none with 2D, as it allows you to generate textures procedurally by editing metrics, rather than relying on poor drawing skills.

[Coldfusionstorm]

These are some very good advices, thanks, il try them all out!, especially Jhon.D sounds good!