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Introduction:
+ Show Spoiler +For those who still know me, I salute you. For those who don't, I did some mapping some time ago, and was kind of known for the aesthetic aspects of it. This was because I was kind of good at making stuff look good, but also because I totally sucked at everything else. Back then, I did some aesthetic work for other mappers, including iGrok, EffectS, and of course the iCCup team.
This time, I'll try to contribute to the flourishing mapping scene by creating a number of structured tutorials. Hopefully, this will be of help to those not yet proficient at aesthetic mapping, and maybe also for those who believe themselves to be.
Basic Texturing Principles.
I believe that most textures can be classified as belonging to one of two sub-groups rather easily.
There are spacious textures, which can be used to cover large areas without looking too bad,
and there are transition textures, most of which have a distinctive pattern that gets very repetitive when used spaciously, but looks very fine when used together with spacious textures.
Examples for spacious textures:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ieits.jpg)
Examples for transition textures:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/jmsra.jpg)
Quite often, spacious textures are hard to put next to other spacious textures of a different kind. You can mix different grass types to create to a more interesting, natural looking meadow, but it is hard to put grasslands next to dirt textures, for example. The problem is that most spacious textures are pretty boring by themselves, and this is why they are so easy to use on big plains. They just don't have many recognizable details. Although I defined them by the fact that they can be used on large plains, don't think you won't need to create some variation when using them- it is always good to use several textures of a kind on a plain to create a more natural, vivid feel, at least when trying to recreate natural settings. The transitions between them shouldn't be visible, and none but the most experienced mappers should be able to tell where which texture was used.
i.e.: do this:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/sdWgh.jpg)
not this:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/HTz8Y.jpg)
Transition textures, in the opposite, have a more interesting structure- yet, their repetitive nature makes it impossible to apply them to larger plains.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/fGNL5.jpg)
The first picture shows the transition between a very decent meadow- at least moderate effort has been put into these grasslands, and the three different grassy textures of the Agria tileset are used to create them. However, the transition to the dirt still looks a bit bland- not terribly, because I seem to be really bad at supporting my ideas with visuals, but still.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Sgx3s.jpg)
The second picture shows how a texture, in this case the rough dirt texture was used to create a harsher, more interesting transition.
Since I fucked the first example up so thoroughly, let's just use another one: grass and snow
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/xl0CZ.jpg)
The Meinhoff white sand and sand dunes textures have been used to create the snow, the grass texture is Bel'Shir grass light.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/iPgXd.jpg)
The transition texture used is Tarsonis rubble, and the effect is more pronounced.
This easy technique can be used to create nice natural landscapes, like this:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/2hrbX.jpg)
Stealing texture features.
An extension from the transition texture principle. This time, distinctive features of textures from certain textures are used with other textures for great effect.
Here I used the cracks of the Port Zion dirt cracked texture and added them to a concrete texture to create a broken road.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/5Vgad.jpg)
When you're doing this, make sure you're applying the texture you're planning to steal from first, and then add the spacious texture to hide the unwanted parts of the first texture. Easier this way.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Bk4aY.jpg)
This first tutorial was a bit of an experiment. I would like to create more of them in the future, and I'd be happy to get some suggestions for topics (the artistic stuff, I'm not the right person to ask about technical advise) and feedback in general.
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I see you tactfully strayed away from the char red cracks texture as a transition lol. That's a really difficult one to fit in, in my experience. Although, I did do something cool with it on one of my unfinished maps from a while ago, similar to your broken road. That road is awesome btw.  Nice tutorial for the more nooby texture-ers.
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Wow, nice tutorial
Will definitely be useful
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On February 06 2012 07:51 MisfortuneS Ghost wrote:I see you tactfully strayed away from the char red cracks texture as a transition lol. That's a really difficult one to fit in, in my experience. Although, I did do something cool with it on one of my unfinished maps from a while ago, similar to your broken road. That road is awesome btw. Nice tutorial for the more nooby texture-ers.
You mean this one? + Show Spoiler +
Can be used as a secondary transition texture, or just to add some highlights to the lava cracks texture from the same tileset. I didn't purposely stray away from it, the transition textures for that picture were chosen really quickly, there are of course much more .
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Nice tutorial. The problem is that good texturing takes forever... xD. I wish I had the time to pull off some of this stuff, but as it stands I'm not experienced enough to do anything close to this level in any sort of timely manner. I think my next map is gonna look pretty cool, but it takes me sooo long.
Anyway, you got some nice tricks there. I'll definitely work on making my transitions sharper and cleaner. The snow/grass one is really clear and well done. I'll have to experiment some more, but I think I can apply a lot of this to my maps.
Thanks.
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On February 06 2012 08:02 IveReturned wrote:
Wow, nice tutorial
Will definitely be useful
Not much to add to this, but your thread still deserves openly stating my appreciation.
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Very cool stuff you have here. Though I must ask, why not just use the actual snow textures in the editor?
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On February 06 2012 09:19 Timetwister22 wrote:
Very cool stuff you have here. Though I must ask, why not just use the actual snow textures in the editor?
I'm guessing because they're more difficult to access. The meinhoff sands work just as well for snow, and is in plain sight for your average bear.
*points at self*
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On February 06 2012 09:07 RumbleBadger wrote:
Nice tutorial. The problem is that good texturing takes forever... xD. I wish I had the time to pull off some of this stuff, but as it stands I'm not experienced enough to do anything close to this level in any sort of timely manner. I think my next map is gonna look pretty cool, but it takes me sooo long.
Anyway, you got some nice tricks there. I'll definitely work on making my transitions sharper and cleaner. The snow/grass one is really clear and well done. I'll have to experiment some more, but I think I can apply a lot of this to my maps.
Thanks.
Once you really know what you're doing, texturing usually is the least time consuming part, unless it's something like the cracked street or a lot of the artificial stuff. Proper doodad placement takes way longer.
EDIT: On February 06 2012 09:19 Timetwister22 wrote:
Very cool stuff you have here. Though I must ask, why not just use the actual snow textures in the editor?
Because I like it this way.
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Thanks for the tutorial! Your artwork is amazing, and I am very jealous of your abilities.
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I was not in this scene when you were here the fist time but I can see why everyone missed you so!
Spacial and Tranisitional is a very good way of looking at things I use the same concept while texturing my maps, though I cannot say I am nearly as good as you at it!
That snow scene looks amazing by the way!
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On February 06 2012 09:22 Koagel wrote:Show nested quote +On February 06 2012 09:07 RumbleBadger wrote:
Nice tutorial. The problem is that good texturing takes forever... xD. I wish I had the time to pull off some of this stuff, but as it stands I'm not experienced enough to do anything close to this level in any sort of timely manner. I think my next map is gonna look pretty cool, but it takes me sooo long.
Anyway, you got some nice tricks there. I'll definitely work on making my transitions sharper and cleaner. The snow/grass one is really clear and well done. I'll have to experiment some more, but I think I can apply a lot of this to my maps.
Thanks. Once you really know what you're doing, texturing usually is the least time consuming part, unless it's something like the cracked street or a lot of the artificial stuff. Proper doodad placement takes way longer.
Yeah, I know. And that's why it's so difficult for me to produce good maps. I take forever to get layouts I like (well, at least now I do, I didn't back when my maps sucked) and then I take forever to texture and then even longer to do doodads... oh well. I can always get better. =D
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Koagel is the fucking best :D
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On February 06 2012 09:22 Koagel wrote:
Once you really know what you're doing, texturing usually is the least time consuming part, unless it's something like the cracked street or a lot of the artificial stuff. Proper doodad placement takes way longer.
It can still take a long time, proof being I have spent the last 3 hours texturing and placing doodads on my third expansion of my latest map
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Content matches the title perfectly. Everyone starting out who wants to have a hope of looking good should know about this stuff. Nice guide.
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Thank you folks, that surely gets me pumped up for more... If somebody has any requests for further tutorials, post 'em.
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O_____O Will be put to use, that's for sure. The rubble/snow one was just amazing.
On February 06 2012 18:28 Koagel wrote:
Thank you folks, that surely gets me pumped up for more... If somebody has any requests for further tutorials, post 'em.
How do you merge doodads to create the landscapes and details your maps show ? I wanna know !
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On February 07 2012 03:52 Barrin wrote:
So that is what I was missing! I did pretty good without really knowing about this transition thing lol.
The importance of transition textures greatly varies depending on which textures you use... If you look at the first example of a transition grass/dirt, you won't see much difference. Other times, I believe it's immensely important to use transition textures. But it's always a good thing to have in the back of your head. :-)
On February 07 2012 03:08 ArcticRaven wrote:
How do you merge doodads to create the landscapes and details your maps show ? I wanna know !
Okay, I'll try to think of a way to make a useful tutorial for that... I don't use doodads as systematically as I use textures, but I'm sure I'll find a way to create something helpful.
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I love how simple this is. The difference between "spacious" and "transition" textures is really easy to grasp, and following the prinicple will drastically improve a new mapper's texturing. I would also be interested in seeing this extended to doodads.
A question: there are a number of non-natural textures (grating and the like) which I would not quailfy as either "spacious" or "transition". What would you say are the most effective ways of implementing those?
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On February 07 2012 07:29 mangoloid wrote:
I love how simple this is. The difference between "spacious" and "transition" textures is really easy to grasp, and following the prinicple will drastically improve a new mapper's texturing. I would also be interested in seeing this extended to doodads.
A question: there are a number of non-natural textures (grating and the like) which I would not quailfy as either "spacious" or "transition". What would you say are the most effective ways of implementing those?
Yes, you are correct, this principle is not applicable to artificial textures (maybe to concrete, but it depends on the way you're using it). The first tutorial I wrote, a long long time ago, dealt with some of this stuff. You can look at it in the Good Map Textures thread, you can find it in the Mapmaking Links Compilation, or just by clicking here.
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On February 07 2012 07:45 Koagel wrote:The first tutorial I wrote, a long long time ago, dealt with some of this stuff. You can look at it in the Good Map Textures thread, you can find it in the Mapmaking Links Compilation, or just by clicking here.
Oh, you should add more of this into the OP. It's good stuff. Would you consider doing a tutorial where you texture a map from scratch? It might take a lot of work, but I bet it would help a lot of mappers (who aren't the best artists).
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Sounds like a plan. Tileset? (I'll customize it anyway...)
Someone wants to send me a layout?
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On February 07 2012 19:35 Koagel wrote:
Sounds like a plan. Tileset? (I'll customize it anyway...)
Someone wants to send me a layout?
No takers? 
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On February 10 2012 17:24 mangoloid wrote:Show nested quote +On February 07 2012 19:35 Koagel wrote:
Sounds like a plan. Tileset? (I'll customize it anyway...)
Someone wants to send me a layout? No takers?
Mieszko sent me a map. But I'm still open for tileset requests. Originally wanted to use the snow textures and create a brood war style snow map, but now that Superouman released a snow map, it seems boring to me, so I'm still open for ideas.
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On February 10 2012 20:01 Koagel wrote:Show nested quote +On February 10 2012 17:24 mangoloid wrote:On February 07 2012 19:35 Koagel wrote:
Sounds like a plan. Tileset? (I'll customize it anyway...)
Someone wants to send me a layout? No takers? Mieszko sent me a map. But I'm still open for tileset requests. Originally wanted to use the snow textures and create a brood war style snow map, but now that Superouman released a snow map, it seems boring to me, so I'm still open for ideas.
For the map i sent you i had planned for a darksiders-ish theme (post apocalyptic - city in ruins, flowing lava etc). Would've liked to see your take on it, or if you're not up for a dark theme, maybe you could combine a desert/metal theme?
Darksiders screenshots
+ Show Spoiler +
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On February 10 2012 20:01 Koagel wrote:Show nested quote +On February 10 2012 17:24 mangoloid wrote:On February 07 2012 19:35 Koagel wrote:
Sounds like a plan. Tileset? (I'll customize it anyway...)
Someone wants to send me a layout? No takers? Mieszko sent me a map. But I'm still open for tileset requests. Originally wanted to use the snow textures and create a brood war style snow map, but now that Superouman released a snow map, it seems boring to me, so I'm still open for ideas.
I would suggest you do a beach map. It has been done so many times before but the problem I have with it is that I feel they are generally overrated and poorly textured. People accept these maps as good looking because the textures and the water mix nicely no matter how terrible you are at it. The sand/grass transitions often looks spraypainted and with very little sence of detail. Beach maps can look so much better then the ones we see now.
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I did this beach map ages ago: Big S-Isle
The layout from Mieszko makes a proper beach map impossible, I think I'll go with the apocalyptic theme. If I do this, I'll have to do the doodads too, because there's no way to make a clear cut between the two. Doodads and textures interact way too much in a city, especially a wasted one.
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Apocalyptic theme sounds like you could do a good mix between the natural and non-natural textures. Looking forward to it.
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/I569L.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/YiJTl.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/96JP6.jpg)
