Throwback blog from the old days.

While the premise of the game itself is straightforward, and the actual graphic requirements aren't too high, just due to the style of game play, (top down, seeing most of the world at once), I decided to still use it as an opportunity to work on my skills, specifically with UV mapping and practice using real world textures on the game models to make them look a lot better.

In an earlier post I showed a bridge that I worked on, which used a real texture from quite an amazing bridge photograph that I had. And when applied to the model, it really brought it forward into the world.

Most recently I have been working on the models for the boy characters within this game project, once I had the model itself looking how I wanted, I started experimenting with the texturing. I have largely been using images of the materials that I want and then mapping them over the parts of the model that I want.

Leather over boots and belt, dirty cloth over the shirts, that kind of thing. I found, for me at least, it created a much more realistic looking texture, far, far better than just throwing a few colours down, and a lot faster too, which is a vital part of asset creation.

The most rewarding part of this whole thing was probably when I started applying a photo of a human face over the face of the game model. Almost instantly it turned from a quite average looking model to being of a much higher quality. I can already see the applications now of using real textures, and very specific photographs, to really make things look quite amazing, that combined with some more photoshop work, specific colouring and drawing in needed, minute details, can really bring a model out, and make it shine.

The first application of the facial textures.

This was just the face loosely placed over the model, and already it looked amazing, but still, needed work.

The eye textures were from a separate, high resolution photo of an eye, put over the eye object. Unneeded detail for the actual game mode, but valuable experience for myself, and I guess an enjoyable sight for anyone who decides to zoom way way in on the models.

This was the face and hair of the model once I had finished the texturing.

I went with a dirty skin appearance, since the character is set in medieval times, and is essentially a peasant child.

I was really happy with how this turned out, and look forward to doing more skin work like this in the future. The hair was done in the same way, with a repeated image of human hair placed over the area.

I believe texturing like this is a really good way to make things look good enough for today's game markets (if you are going for photo-realism, of course).

More practice with it to come, and more fine tweaking with photo editing and extra textures and effects too, but, valuable learning experience.</p>

This is a far away shot of the same boy model.

Skin textures on the arms, leather on the boot belts, gloves. Dirty cloth on the shirt, and a cloth texture on the legs.

Considering the model is only really going to be viewed from far away, this is ample detail.

For a closer model, I would spend a lot more time on finer nuances of his design, little rips, scabs, scuffs, laces, things like that, and more dangly bits on the belt too!