How to take Photo for texture?

[dg]

Hi,

I'm not the best person to answer you that, but using something to diffuse the light, if light source isn't diffused already with the most neutral temperature as possible, and trying to eliminate the shadows as much as you can, should give you a good usable texture.

But don't take as a rule since I'm not an expert in creating texture even less a photographer :D

I hope it helps :hmm:



Cheers,
dg

[Zeddicus]

diogo girondi has some good pointers. Also give the following a try:

http://www.gfxartist.com/features/tutorials/740

http://www.3dark.com/archives/zeros_tips.html

Found them with a quick Google search. :)

[EricChadwick]

Best tiling tutorial I've seen...
http://www.planetquake.com/6thfloor/tutorials/texture/index.html

But you need good photos to start. Here are a few suggestions I have...

Never use a flash. Never shoot in sunlight. Always taking photos on overcast days. These methods provide the most even lighting, so your 3d program's lighting doesn't have to fight with any existing photo lighting.

Try to get as flat-on as you can to the subject, to avoid perspective in your photo. Use a zoom lens whenever possible, to limit parallax and barrel distortions.

Think about tiling or cropping or touch-up work you'll need to do, and frame the shot accordingly.

Shoot at as high resolution as you can, with the least compression possible (uncompressed is best).

Bracket your exposures (overlit, regular, underlit) to have the best lighting choices to choose from when you get back to the computer.

Hope that helps.

[Zeddicus]

Great tutorial EricChadwick! I own an Canon EOS 10D and this thread has really got me thinking about tackling the use of photos for tileable textures instead of painting them (might be spring fever too, hehe). By the way, one way to simulate overcast lighting on a sunny day is to use a large frosted plastic sheet. Though, you may get odd looks from bystanders watching you take your photos while under one. Anyways, good job on all the great tips. ;)

Edit: Oh yeah! And don't leave home without the tripod lol! :D

[EricChadwick]

Yeah sometimes I get odd looks, lying on the ground to get a particular shot, or contorting my body in some weird way to get the best angle... ;)

Tripod is a good one. I recommend using the lowest ASA/ISO number your camera supports, which usually forces you to use a slow shutter speed, thus requiring a tripod. Low ISO gives the least graininess, whether using a film camera or a digital camera.

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