Realistic wood textures

[Ashen]

Hi everyone!

Great place here
Was wondering if any of you has any experience working with wood textures that end up on 3D models?
Making a wood texture is not an issue, I've got dozens nicely set up as patterns etc, but the problem arises when you apply them to a 3D object ie what I need is avoiding the 'flat' look that usually happens - anyone have any experience with the appropriate filters etc to get a good, realistic wood texture?

I am using them in game objects btw, if that matters.

[tamlin]

Well, I'm guessing you'll need to use a bump map, but I'll move this thread to the 3D Modelling forum as I think this is more of a 3D question than it is a Photoshop one and our resident 3D experts are more likely to see it there.

[Ashen]

Ah much thanks! I opened it in the Ph. one, because that is what I use.

Let me be clearer - the texture is applied to mashes, furniture in this case but apart from the engraving wood, which does give off a nice effect, I also need just plain wood on parts and I need to avoid the 'flatness'.

[agentxi]

hey ashen, you need to use pretty much most of your channels in your shader to get a good texture.

can you let us know what software you are using so that we can help accordingly?

[notjustgraphics]

Originally Posted by agentxi

can you let us know what software you are using so that we can help accordingly?

Somebody is going to comment on this.... I just know it!

Mike.

[Tony_photoplus]

Try this software (free of course). In fact its great for PS and other software.

Wood Workshop - Free Seamless Texture Maker

Hope it helps

Tony_photoplus

[tamlin]

Hey - nice find, Tony. I haven't tried it out yet, but it looks pretty good and could be very useful.

[Tony_photoplus]

Its very, very useful. Can use it to create frames, backgrounds all sorts.

Tony_photoplus

[unleash]

I've heard of it, but mostly my textures are like different on al parts
=>so no seampless for me(Look at the images, you will see no seamless)

but i do think it's a very handy programm, so thanks Tony

[Ashen]

Originally Posted by Tony_photoplus

Try this software (free of course). In fact its great for PS and other software.

Wood Workshop - Free Seamless Texture Maker

Hope it helps

Tony_photoplus

Actually that is exactly what I am using. It gives out really good textures so I've used it for quite some time now, with excellent results.

The problem I am facing right now, is that this is the first time I've tried using them with in-game objects and it really does not work. So of course Photoshop seems to be the solution, ie some kind of editing of the textures but so far I've had rotten luck, though it looks great in P, it does not look so great on the model.

Oh of course, thanks for helping guys!

[agentxi]

hey ashen, so you are using it for ingame?

If you are using this for a game, then i would create a specular map, the color map could have your "lighting" painted right into the texture, but most of the more recent gaming engines do support bump mapping and normal mapping...so having to paint in the lighting/shadows isn't as necessary.

bump mapping is a greyscale image that works much like a displacement map in photoshop, where the white is "higher" and black is "lower" and the normal maps are a colored map (usually a gradient from pink to purple/blue) that helps gives the illusion of way more detail than there really is. the specular map will help with how the light will show up on the texture as well, which really helps with getting rid of the "flat" look as well, just keep in mind, don't use a solid colored spec map or your model will look like plastic. it'll need variance, especially with wood.

just do a search on umm, hey tamlin, what's that search engine's name again?
...anyways, use a search engine to find out more on normal mapping, I don't know enough about it to give proper advice, i only know basics on it.

[Snubs]

Originally Posted by Tony_photoplus

Try this software (free of course). In fact its great for PS and other software.

Wood Workshop - Free Seamless Texture Maker

Hope it helps

Tony_photoplus

Do you know of any thing similar to this but for metal textures?