What you ask isn't something that can really be told in a simple forum thread. There is plenty of tutorials around on how to create custom textures, but the best method to learn is by simply making them and learning new techniques along the way.
A few simple points though-
Most game textures should be in powers of two. This means that their total texture resolution (size) should be 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048 etc. The bigger the size the larger the file size will be.
Modern games make use of many different types of textures. The most common types are diffuse (these are what gives an object color essentially,) Specular (governs how shiny and object is) Normal Map (helps to project additional details on a low poly object without having additional geometry. The process of generating a normal map is a very involved process. There are a lot of tutorials on this.) Emmisive maps make parts of a texture glow.
Textures are traditionally applied to a model in one of two (or both even) ways. Tiling or UV mapping. Tilling is simply tiling a texture across parts of a model. For example, a red brick wall texture can be tiled. The advantages to this are that you can keep the texture relativly small and its easy to do from a modeling standpoint. The cons are that there will be a lack of unique textured detail across the tiled areas. Luckily, you can apply decals (textures with opaque areas) on top of tiled areas to help break up the tiling. Another good example of tiling is in games such as command and conquere, where the grass texture is used repetedly. Other textures in addition can be used to help break up tiling as well in environments.
UV mapping is the process of taking a model and "unwrapping" it so that its skin can lie flat on a surface. This allows a artist to essentially paint directly onto the skin of an object. Thiink of the paper boxes or globes that many of us had to make as kids in school. You start with a sheet of paper (a 2d texture) and then you glue sides together to create the object. That is what uvmapping is but in reverse. The goal is to figure out how to break an object down into a 2d texture. Unwrapping allows a artist to output a map with the lines of an object showing thus alowing you to "paint by numbers." Meaning that you have a template similiar to that of a coloring book. You paint within the lines. Once done you can hide the layer and you have a complete texture.
Theres is a lot more information that you need to know but thats a few of the basics.
F9 in editor brings up the import window
You have to apply the texture to the model in a 3d editing program such as 3ds max via a material, then export the object mesh.
Then import the mesh and texture into sc2 using said import function.
I haven't been able to find any sort of lua or xml document detailing the texture path/info for the imported object so manually editing is impossible, it has to be done within the 3d modeling program.
Theres a m3 exporter on the forum, search for it.
Its pretty buggy though atm.
If you're just reskinning models, the easiest way is to extract the textures of the model and edit them, then import them back with the same name/directory.
very nicely put. i just mind one thing that you said, that you said "Tiling or UV mapping". Even if you gonna tile on a texture to your model you still most likely have to UV-Map it. scretching and unwanted rotations can occur wanted results unwanted results
All you need is photoshop and dds plugins with mpq editor thingy. Extract the textures you want (The ghost is under hpolyghost diffuse) The normal like colors and shit are diffuse. Open in photoshop, edit, save as dds (when you save it'll pop up with a window make sure the intepol or something like that is selected), go into map, click the page with the arrow, right click the blank space, import and then right click and move then type Assets/Textures/ in the option under root.
That's how I do it so the new textures are only in my maps and doesn't effect my normal game.
Now if you want all thye normal stuff and a duplicate unit that has the textures you need 3dsmax or there's some way to do it with a text editor.
Okay I'm going to start with something simple: Marines I plan on making Marines that have different types of Helmet decals as shown here:
Any ideas on how I should Proceed with this?
ok, so you're going to need to find the marine textures in the assets. Find marine_diffuse, open it up with photoshop. You're going to see all the pictures you'd usually see on a marine but laid out flat. Find the picture that looks like a helmet. Edit it to have your helmet picture instead. Save as a dds. argb interpolate alpha. Re-import the textures into your editor (F9). Re link the marine's textures. A bit brief but you should see the picture.
All you need is photoshop and dds plugins with mpq editor thingy. Extract the textures you want (The ghost is under hpolyghost diffuse) The normal like colors and shit are diffuse. Open in photoshop, edit, save as dds (when you save it'll pop up with a window make sure the intepol or something like that is selected), go into map, click the page with the arrow, right click the blank space, import and then right click and move then type Assets/Textures/ in the option under root.
That's how I do it so the new textures are only in my maps and doesn't effect my normal game.
Now if you want all thye normal stuff and a duplicate unit that has the textures you need 3dsmax or there's some way to do it with a text editor.
Hope this helps.
Ummmm... it didn't work for me can you post some pictures for the Editor part?
That's what I want to do, but I searched for hours and I can't find how to do it.
I want just to reskin. so I exported the M3 model file, and I'm looking for a way to unpack it, and then to repack it.
I know already how to deal with the DDS file format.
Help will be gladly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
I don't want to have to make a bunch of requests for textures so could someone help me learn how to edit textures? Thanks in advance, Ghost.
What you ask isn't something that can really be told in a simple forum thread. There is plenty of tutorials around on how to create custom textures, but the best method to learn is by simply making them and learning new techniques along the way.
A few simple points though- Most game textures should be in powers of two. This means that their total texture resolution (size) should be 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048 etc. The bigger the size the larger the file size will be.
Modern games make use of many different types of textures. The most common types are diffuse (these are what gives an object color essentially,) Specular (governs how shiny and object is) Normal Map (helps to project additional details on a low poly object without having additional geometry. The process of generating a normal map is a very involved process. There are a lot of tutorials on this.) Emmisive maps make parts of a texture glow.
Textures are traditionally applied to a model in one of two (or both even) ways. Tiling or UV mapping. Tilling is simply tiling a texture across parts of a model. For example, a red brick wall texture can be tiled. The advantages to this are that you can keep the texture relativly small and its easy to do from a modeling standpoint. The cons are that there will be a lack of unique textured detail across the tiled areas. Luckily, you can apply decals (textures with opaque areas) on top of tiled areas to help break up the tiling. Another good example of tiling is in games such as command and conquere, where the grass texture is used repetedly. Other textures in addition can be used to help break up tiling as well in environments.
UV mapping is the process of taking a model and "unwrapping" it so that its skin can lie flat on a surface. This allows a artist to essentially paint directly onto the skin of an object. Thiink of the paper boxes or globes that many of us had to make as kids in school. You start with a sheet of paper (a 2d texture) and then you glue sides together to create the object. That is what uvmapping is but in reverse. The goal is to figure out how to break an object down into a 2d texture. Unwrapping allows a artist to output a map with the lines of an object showing thus alowing you to "paint by numbers." Meaning that you have a template similiar to that of a coloring book. You paint within the lines. Once done you can hide the layer and you have a complete texture.
Theres is a lot more information that you need to know but thats a few of the basics.
Thanks, and how would I import the Textures into the Editor? And then attach them to the Units?
@GhostTwoSix: Go
F9 in editor brings up the import window You have to apply the texture to the model in a 3d editing program such as 3ds max via a material, then export the object mesh. Then import the mesh and texture into sc2 using said import function.
I haven't been able to find any sort of lua or xml document detailing the texture path/info for the imported object so manually editing is impossible, it has to be done within the 3d modeling program.
Theres a m3 exporter on the forum, search for it. Its pretty buggy though atm.
If you're just reskinning models, the easiest way is to extract the textures of the model and edit them, then import them back with the same name/directory.
@Nanophage: Go
very nicely put. i just mind one thing that you said, that you said "Tiling or UV mapping". Even if you gonna tile on a texture to your model you still most likely have to UV-Map it. scretching and unwanted rotations can occur wanted results unwanted results
Uhmmmm what if I don't have a 3D software program should I find someone who does to export it so I can Import?
@GhostTwoSix: Go
All you need is photoshop and dds plugins with mpq editor thingy. Extract the textures you want (The ghost is under hpolyghost diffuse) The normal like colors and shit are diffuse. Open in photoshop, edit, save as dds (when you save it'll pop up with a window make sure the intepol or something like that is selected), go into map, click the page with the arrow, right click the blank space, import and then right click and move then type Assets/Textures/ in the option under root.
That's how I do it so the new textures are only in my maps and doesn't effect my normal game.
Now if you want all thye normal stuff and a duplicate unit that has the textures you need 3dsmax or there's some way to do it with a text editor.
Hope this helps.
Okay I'm going to start with something simple: Marines I plan on making Marines that have different types of Helmet decals as shown here: Any ideas on how I should Proceed with this?
ok, so you're going to need to find the marine textures in the assets. Find marine_diffuse, open it up with photoshop. You're going to see all the pictures you'd usually see on a marine but laid out flat. Find the picture that looks like a helmet. Edit it to have your helmet picture instead. Save as a dds. argb interpolate alpha. Re-import the textures into your editor (F9). Re link the marine's textures. A bit brief but you should see the picture.
And if I want to make it so I have multiple variations of the Marine similar to the Colonist/Civilian set up. How would I do that exactly?
Tbh... If they're not random, i'd say seperate units with same stats and model but different textures. If you want the textures to be random.. Idk
Ummmm... it didn't work for me can you post some pictures for the Editor part?
@Kanaru: Go
That's what I want to do, but I searched for hours and I can't find how to do it. I want just to reskin. so I exported the M3 model file, and I'm looking for a way to unpack it, and then to repack it. I know already how to deal with the DDS file format.
Help will be gladly appreciated! Thanks in advance!
We'll be covering basic UV mapping and texturing <sub>and importing into SC</sub> this Saturday on ModCraft.