Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Tutorial 3.1: Game Level UV Layout, Tools,
and Techniques
In this tutorial, we will continue working on the EntryWay we began earlier.
Although we won't explicitly map every object, the techniques covered here
are extensible to all the objects in this scene, and indeed into all the scenes in
the rest of the game.
Step 1: Create a checkered pattern. In Photoshop, create an image that is
32×32 pixels. Create guides horizontally and vertically in the middle of the
canvas. Fill the top left and right with black. Select all, choose Edit>Define
Pattern. Name the pattern.
Step 2: Create a checkered base texture. Create a new image that is
1024×1024. Choose Edit>Fill. In the Fill dialog box, choose Use:Pattern and
pick the previously created checkered pattern and click OK. The results
should look like Figure 3.3 . Pretty exciting, eh?
Figure 3.3 Base checkered texture.
Why?
Why a checkered pattern? Why not just use the checkered texture that's
canned in Maya? Why 1024×1024? All good questions. As we attempt
to lay out the UV map, it will be important to know that the mapping
we have created does not cause stretched or pinched textures. Further,
sometimes we want to know how much texture is actually on any one
part of the mesh. By using a checkered texture, we can have a quick
reference of how the texture is mapped across the surface, and how we
are distributing the texture in 3D space. The reason to build your own
instead of using Maya is that the Maya checkerboard is set at the number
of checks across and down. By creating our own, we can create a more
densely populated collection of checks. The file is 1024×1024 because we
want to get in the habit of building by power of two when working with
texture (much more about this later).
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search