Targetware: 3D Dev Guide


Texture Mapping Guidelines

For the external model, you have some latitude in organizing the distribution of parts between the two files. Many modelers put wings on one file, and the fuselage on the other, but you do not necessarily have to follow this pattern. Use whatever gives the most important parts the highest texture ratio possible, while maintaining an easy-to-paint organization. Some rules we enforce with Target Rabaul (you don't have to follow these rules if you aren't developing for TR, but you should consider applying them to your own projects):

  • Minimize distortion--use the right mapping technique for each part.
     
  • Use all available map space, but no more than the number of textures allotted to your project (2 x 512x512 in most cases)
     
  • Do not mirror wing or fuselage surfaces unless it is absolutely necessary.
     
  • Fuselage halves (and belly and dorsal sections) should be lined up horizontally (or vertically) with each other to the highest degree possible. This makes it much easier to align panel lines and complex camo schemes.
     
  • Assign important parts more space than less visible or less important parts. For example: a fuselage should always run the length of the texture file whenever possible, but an exhaust stack does not require more than a small amount of space on the texture map.
     
  • Try to allow as much detail as possible for the 2D artist, so if you have a little space somewhere, use it for some object that can take detail.
     
  • Virtually everything should be texture mapped, even if that just means having a tiny patch for some seemingly unimportant part. Non-textured parts—those assigned colors only through the material settings—will look unnatural in game.
     
  • If you are using shared pilot meshes, you do not need to leave space on your texture map for a pilot texture, use that space for something else.
     
  • Texture files must not be in subdirectories. They must be in the same directory as the geometry.
     
  • Virtually no texture map job will be done perfectly, or completely, the first time around. Work with the 2D artist, be prepared to remap parts as necessary to get the best results.