50 replies to this topic

[DPRoberts]

Had free time today to crank out a few tutorials on creating custom textures and setting up the Layers Library to use those textures. Only downside is my sinus headache and being on several medications. I fade a bit on the last tutorial but I think there is some good usable stuff here if you can tolerate me long enough!

 

I divided up the videos so you can skip the custom creation if you already have textures that you want to use. You really have to be a go getter if you are going to try and generate your own textures. It takes time to learn photoshop, or whatever tool, and time to tweak for quality results. What I am showing you is the basics and concepts for something usable in a few minutes. My textures for Kiawah actually have many hours of tweaks and experimenting. It's not for everybody.

 

I also provide a little introduction to the Layers Library and some issues that I encounter when dealing with the Library. We all know it is a little fussy at times but plenty of members get quality results with a little patience and understanding.

 

If you have never used a custom layers library, start with Mike's tutorial here (post #33 and #34) - http://www.perfectpa...utorials/page-2

 

Then, you should watch K11's Layers Library 101 - 

 

I am also using a K11 black and white grass texture in my videos for a detail texture. It can be found on this page (post #22) - second post on page 2 - http://www.perfectpa...-normals/page-2

 

Just like the Blender stuff, I don't expect all to give it a shot. Hoping maybe one or two of you may join in on custom texture creation. Not sure if any of it will be applicable with procedural grass though when JNPG2 comes out. 

 

Plenty of coffee recommended for survival. Sleep apneics, you will never make it through. Enjoy!

[DPRoberts]

Setting Up Layers Library

 

 

Modifying Existing Textures and Setting Up Normal Maps

[DPRoberts]

Creating a Texture From Scratch

 

NB - You may want to watch from 32:25 on even if you are not creating a texture from scratch. That part of the video shows how you can create a divot layer or grunge type layer as a mirror of your base fairway layer and then use that to paint some areas of grunge using a custom spline layer. 

[DPRoberts]

Adding Mowlines (1 of 2)

 

Adding Mowlines and remove tiling seam(2 of 2)

[DPRoberts]

Bringing it All together - Importing textures, creating new layers and little effects

 

Sorry, was really fading on this one at the end. I would recommend the darkening layers for the semi rough/fairway divide and rough/semi rough divide, be much smaller. The sum of the changes should probably be 0.04 or less. Try making those changes at the end as 0.02 and 0.02 or even smaller to your liking. Obviously, test in game and get the vibe. Sizing appears slightly different in game. That goes for the detail texture sizing as well. 

[Justin9926]

Oh boy, I know what I'm doing tonight.  First though, Going to make some popcorn  .  Thanks alot DP.

[uvmnick]

This is great! Thanks DP.

[jt83]

Modifying Existing Textures video down?

[DPRoberts]

Looks like they might have been in the process of moving into new forum topic. Working on my end. Let me know.

[Crow357]

Looks like they might have been in the process of moving into new forum topic. Working on my end. Let me know.

I can't play it either.

[Justin9926]

I can't play it either.

Me 2

[DPRoberts]

Ok, looks like it was accidentally set to Private, should be better now?

[Justin9926]

I can now that I switch to the other post

[Justin9926]

I was refreshing my page from the show and tell 

[worrybirdie]

Thanks DP! I'm looking forward to these tutes (especially if it makes it so I can use the LL...my nemesis!).

[pingzing]

Perfect timing Dp

 

I have a problem with layers library, save as then reload and library just not loading back in properly , trying to work out where its supposed be saved to, then to load library  back into scene so this might help me out.

 

After watching the Setting Up Layers Library-  , now i know why my layers library wasnt saving properly

wonder why mikes tutorial didnt bring this up Huh ...

So thanks Dp, you shined a big light down onto this which was frustrating me no end

 

Very generous of you with your time to help out

[DPRoberts]

PZ, pm me if you need me to send you that
video file direct.

I am worried your files that you are in search of may have been overwritten. Check in the Documents folder and if not in there and not showing in your Unity project panel, they are probably lost unless you had something like File History enabled or imaging backup in play.

[clubcaptain]

Thanks Matt. Great work as usual. Inevitably a couple of questions please.

 

1. Under the texture 1 and 2 slots is a number. Say, 120 for top left which could be fairway. What do those numbers denote and what is the effect of changing the values.

 

2. Same with the two normal slots.

 

3. Underneath the normal slots there are sliders. Same question please.

 

4. How does the fresnel intensity affect things. and does that act on all the slots.

 

Thanks.

[DPRoberts]

Thanks Matt. Great work as usual. Inevitably a couple of questions please.

1. Under the texture 1 and 2 slots is a number. Say, 120 for top left which could be fairway. What do those numbers denote and what is the effect of changing the values.

2. Same with the two normal slots.

3. Underneath the normal slots there are sliders. Same question please.

4. How does the fresnel intensity affect things. and does that act on all the slots.

Thanks.

No problem CC. I probably rushed that video at the end. Kids coming home from school and a bit faded getting to that point. My video makes some assumptions on the basics that may or may not have been covered in those previously referenced videos.

1. Number under the texture slots dictates "tiling". Say, 120 - the image will tile every 120 meters and therefore appear larger. Set to 20 - the image will tile every 20 meters and appear smaller. Usually, for the way I am working with a 1024x1024 texture and how the Art filters appear with Photoshop, I am running my images for fairway at 40-60 for the Texture 1 channel. What I am calling the "detail texture slot" in Texture 2 is more like grass strands and is in the 1.5-5 range depending on the surface I am trying to replicate. This way, a 1024x1024 texture will really shrink down and make your grass look appropriate. That's where you can use the sphere at 0.043m in size (golf ball) to see how large the grass appears next to it.

2. Same as above.

3. Slider below normal is the "Strength" of the normal. A larger number will make the normal more apparent (in my mind more shadowing showing). So, with a typical normal, I am running those numbers in the 0.03-0.2 range. However, it depends how the normal was created and imported. A stronger appearing normal may just need to be toned down. So, trial and error is your best bet here. Additionally, it depends on the effect you are going for. If you watched all the way through that second video on Modifying Existing Textures and Setting Up Normal Maps, I am using the 2 normal method. One normal is giving you closer detail and some grass highlights and that runs at a higher setting like 0.5 and one normal that is giving farther detail and some suggestion of grunge and is set at like 0.03. On Kiawah, I only used the 2 normal method on the fairways, I believe.

4. Fresnel intensity is one that I don't seem to adjust much. I believe the above normal settings will interplay with that a bit. I kind of see fresnel intensity maybe as what happens as you lower toward the earth and the sun is bouncing off. My numbers for that tend to be stock or low like 0.06 or smaller. I think it may be more of an issue in like a bunker where you have brighter whites that you may choose to tone down. In this case, I use a smaller Fresnel such as 0.025 and add a detail texture (Texture slot 2) with a bit of gray clouding in it and maybe some coloring in the Texture 1 slot to minimize that bunker reflectivity.

For all of this, adjust only a single number and keep using that Main Camera to move around and check game view. Sometimes, you have to pay close attention or move closer to the ground. Also, go to different areas of your course to watch the changes. The angle of the directional light will play with those normals and something that looks good heading directly into the sun may appear much different with it at your back. So, I would caution going to strong with the larger tiled normals.

[clubcaptain]

Thanks so much.