How To Texture Models From Scratch

[PWNZOR]

This is a tutorial explaining how to apply your own textures to a model, rather than copy the surface properties of another object.

What you'll need:

• LightWave (any version, as long as it can save/export as Lightwave 5)
• The object that you want to apply the texture to
• The texture you want to apply to the object

Step 1: Open the Model and Upload the Image

Open up your model in LightWave. Click on "Image Editor" (or press F6), and click "Load". Browse for the image that you are using. (My suggestion is that you have the file that you want to use saved in the same directory; like a minifig texture would be saved in that same minifig folder). Close the Image Editor.

Step 2: Change the Surface Values

Select a polygon of the surface of the shape that you want to apply the texture to. Open up the Surface Editor.

• If you want black to be transparent values for your textures, then change your values to the following: (the color of the object doesn't really matter if you are coloring it with a texture)
  
  
  
  
• If you don't want black to be transparent values for your textures, then change your values to the following:
  
  

Step 3: Setting up the Texture

Next, click on the "T" to the right of the RGB values on the Basic tab. This brings up the Texture Editor:

• Once here, the first thing you'll want to do is load your image. Click on the arrow next to "(none)" to drop down the menu, and click on the name of the file that you uploaded in Step 1.
• Make sure the other portions of the top two sections in the editor are the same as the above image's, then proceed to the next item in this list.
• "Texture Axis" defines which way the texture is being applied through; along the X, Y, or Z axis. Choose the one that is the same direction as the the way you want your image to face from. Don't worry about the orientation of the image just yet.
• Go to the "Rotation" tab on the bottom, and change the H, P, and B values (in degrees) to how you want the texture to be oriented.
• Click on "Automatic Sizing" to auto-size the image to fit the extents of the object's axis that it is on. Adjust the X, Y, and Z scale and position values as you see fit.
• When you are satisfied with everything, press "Use Texture" and export the model. I suggest keeping LightWave open while you test, in case you have to change something real quick, rather then open it, open the textures, and export it again. You can just change it, and re-export it. Piece of cake.

You're done!


NOTES:

• Changing "Height Tile" and "Width Tile" to something other than "repeat" may change how the texture acts after its end is reached on the object (the Texture Editor).
• If you are doing something like my headlights, and you have the front of a cone filled with a black texture as a transparency, then you will need to check "Double Sided" on the "Basic" tab on the Surface Editor. This applies the textures to both sides of the polygons in the image.
• Changing the Layer Type to "Prodecural Texture" in the Texture Editor will give you a list of pre-made textures that you can apply to your object, rather than using a custom bmp.
• Any textures you use in LRR have to be 8-bit .bmp files. Black is the transparency color, if you're using the transparency method. I suggest using Paint.NET as your creator for the images.

[McJobless]

I didn't read your tutorial, and my Police Car stuffed up. Now I know why. Thanks a heap, man. Without this, I would have never learnt texturing in Lightwave.

[PWNZOR]

I didn't read your tutorial, and my Police Car stuffed up. Now I know why. Thanks a heap, man. Without this, I would have never learnt texturing in Lightwave.

I think this was not a copied comment, but rather one you actually just posted.

Either way, you're welcome, glad to help.

I really ought to make something again, but alas, I have no time.

[McJobless]

I think this was not a copied comment, but rather one you actually just posted.

Yesh, I posted that one last night.