Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 1.13 shows a wooden door. You could create this door using nothing more
than color and geometry, but that would be an extreme waste of computer proces-
sor time that you could devote instead to more critical game needs. It would also be
an extreme waste of your time. A better method would be to create the appearance
of the wooden door in a 2D picture and paste that picture on a relatively simple
object.
Figure 1.13
Adding a texture for the door can save processor time.
You will notice on close examination that every surface in nature has some qualities
that you can fit into a few specific categories.
Color
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Roughness
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Translucency
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Reflectivity
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Luminance
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Each one of these qualities or attributes is part of what gives the surface the look
and feel it has. To make a 3D model look believable in a game, the artist needs to
capture the inherent qualities of the surfaces he is trying to depict by creating tex-
tures that match the surface as closely as possible. The metallic sheen of a kitchen
appliance has a very different look than a weathered fencepost. The hard gray of a
sidewalk is very different than the spiky look of the lawn right next to it.