Post by velen on Mar 9, 2012 18:29:52 GMT -6
Being someone who has used Photoshop for years, I know the ins and outs of the program to a great extent, and I have also made many textures (one of which happened to take 100 layers( and there are more I have not released), so I also happen to know quite a bit about texture making. I am going to talk about HD Textures.
HD, or "High-Definition" as it's name implies, means that the details on the screen are rather crisp and clear, and in some cases, very plain to see. A lot of video games on consoles like the 360 and PS3 have what fans call "HD Textures". However, it seems to me, upon past observation of many "HD" textures, they are pretty much nothing more than masses of high contrast shading.
These are the rules I follow for HD Textures:
1. Subtlety in Shading is Key.
2. Layer Styles are Your Friend.
3. Fine Details are the Top Priority.
Explaining each rule:
1. Subtlety in Shading is Key: Most textures you find on models from HD Consoles will have an amazing lack of highly defined, high contrast shading of any kind. The reason for this -believe it or not- serves a purpose for the game. Shaders are the main source of shading on models, making the need for high contrast shading more like a waste of bytes; So, because of this, subtle shading is key on an HD texture, so that the texture doesn't try to stand out by it's shading alone, which is a no-no if you want good quality.
2.Layer Styles are your friend:
Layer Styles are an amazing, and helpful tool in Photoshop for a variety of reasons. The most prominent I can mention is that they make the shading of metal much easier for beginners, as well as provide ways to add depth and patterns to something without having to go through painstakingly long steps to make them part of the texture. Layer Styles are a prominent part of the HD texture making process, and don't let anybody tell you any different (that is of course unless there really is no need for them if you can do all the tough details yourself.)
3.Fine Details are the Top Priority:
As High Definition means "highly defined", highly defined details -where needed- are key to an HD texture. On metal for example, while it is indeed a smooth type of object most of the time, it has visible grain in it most of the time (or a tv noise look to it). It doesn't matter what kind of material is on a character, there are fine details that can be added to define the texture without resorting to highly contrasty shading. Too much fine detail will make the texture look cluttered and ugly, whereas high contrast will make the image too bright and dark, and ugly.
In short, the key in making an HD texture is a balance of subtle shading and fine details.
To give an example. Look at the following rendering of Metal Sonic from Sonic Generations. I put it in URL form due to it's large size.
Click Here.
Note the fine details of the metal on Metal Sonic's head. While the cause of the shading is not the textures themselves for the most part, look at how subtle the shading is, not too contrasty or too bright. This is what High Definition is: being subtle in shading, and presenting fine details, without going too overboard with it in either extreme.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Discuss if you like.
HD, or "High-Definition" as it's name implies, means that the details on the screen are rather crisp and clear, and in some cases, very plain to see. A lot of video games on consoles like the 360 and PS3 have what fans call "HD Textures". However, it seems to me, upon past observation of many "HD" textures, they are pretty much nothing more than masses of high contrast shading.
These are the rules I follow for HD Textures:
1. Subtlety in Shading is Key.
2. Layer Styles are Your Friend.
3. Fine Details are the Top Priority.
Explaining each rule:
1. Subtlety in Shading is Key: Most textures you find on models from HD Consoles will have an amazing lack of highly defined, high contrast shading of any kind. The reason for this -believe it or not- serves a purpose for the game. Shaders are the main source of shading on models, making the need for high contrast shading more like a waste of bytes; So, because of this, subtle shading is key on an HD texture, so that the texture doesn't try to stand out by it's shading alone, which is a no-no if you want good quality.
2.Layer Styles are your friend:
Layer Styles are an amazing, and helpful tool in Photoshop for a variety of reasons. The most prominent I can mention is that they make the shading of metal much easier for beginners, as well as provide ways to add depth and patterns to something without having to go through painstakingly long steps to make them part of the texture. Layer Styles are a prominent part of the HD texture making process, and don't let anybody tell you any different (that is of course unless there really is no need for them if you can do all the tough details yourself.)
3.Fine Details are the Top Priority:
As High Definition means "highly defined", highly defined details -where needed- are key to an HD texture. On metal for example, while it is indeed a smooth type of object most of the time, it has visible grain in it most of the time (or a tv noise look to it). It doesn't matter what kind of material is on a character, there are fine details that can be added to define the texture without resorting to highly contrasty shading. Too much fine detail will make the texture look cluttered and ugly, whereas high contrast will make the image too bright and dark, and ugly.
In short, the key in making an HD texture is a balance of subtle shading and fine details.
To give an example. Look at the following rendering of Metal Sonic from Sonic Generations. I put it in URL form due to it's large size.
Click Here.
Note the fine details of the metal on Metal Sonic's head. While the cause of the shading is not the textures themselves for the most part, look at how subtle the shading is, not too contrasty or too bright. This is what High Definition is: being subtle in shading, and presenting fine details, without going too overboard with it in either extreme.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Discuss if you like.
