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Help creating metal textures


Hellsrage

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Well after some problems with my PC I'm finally working on my project again!

Up until now I have just been using an image of metal I found on the web as my texture but it was just a placeholder that I would prefer to replace with something I can create. I've followed a few guides on creating some basic metal textures but I would really like to improve on them.

Here are a few quick goes I had at what I learned from those guides.
Untitled-1.jpgUntitled-1-Recovered.jpgUntitled-2.jpgUntitled-3.jpg

If anyone has some tips/guides on making some awesome metal textures I'd really appreciate the info.
 

Tom Mann

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I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I have worked with a lot of metal in my life, and not one of those images that you posted look like any piece of metal that I have ever seen, whether just out of a machine shop, e.g.,

http://image.shutterstock.com/displ...to-machined-metal-blocks-stacked-19306345.jpg

http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/machined-metal-blocks-angle-6817982.jpg

http://images.stockfreeimages.com/681/sfi/free_6817987.jpg

https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets...2b5c4a39aea7ae05ba8723a3_large.jpg?1362345708

http://www.cnc-precisionparts.com/p..._parts_cnc_turning_cutting_machining_part.jpg

or weathered and corroded.

If you want realism, I would suggest you stick with real images. You can always turn real images into seamless tiled versions if you need to fill up more space, and, if done correctly, they will almost certainly look better than these synthesized attempts.

HTH,

Tom M
 

IamSam

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Hey Hellsrage, one thing I would suggest is adding color. Most non-corroded or treated metals will posses some reflective qualities and take on the hue of it's surrounding environment. In most simulations, a sky blue is the most commonly use tint added to metal. Good contrast is another addition.Another rule of thumb to remember, is that nothing viewed or photographed has consistent lighting across the board. There will always be light and shade, albeit subtle, on everything.

This is a GIF.
MetalChange_02.gif
 
Last edited:

Hellsrage

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I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I have worked with a lot of metal in my life, and not one of those images that you posted look like any piece of metal that I have ever seen, whether just out of a machine shop, or weathered and corroded.

If you want realism, I would suggest you stick with real images. You can always turn real images into seamless tiled versions if you need to fill up more space, and, if done correctly, they will almost certainly look better than these synthesized attempts.

HTH,

Tom M
Ha ha, yeah I know they don't look like real metal but I've never tried making a texture before so hopefully I can improve on that.

Hey Hellsrage, one thing I would suggest is adding color. Most non-corroded or treated metals will posses some reflective qualities and take on the hue of it's surrounding environment. In most simulations, a sky blue is the most commonly use tint added to metal. Good contrast is another addition.Another rule of thumb to remember, is that nothing viewed or photographed has consistent lighting across the board. There will always be light and shade, albeit subtle, on everything.
Thanks for the tips!


The project I'm working on is being based somewhat around the game Star Citizen(Space Simulator, yet to be released) so I'd really like to end up with a texture that is similar to what you might find in the game.

Here are a few screenshots of a fighter.
N0ec7QT.jpgjFj20Nz.jpgMEslwlu.jpg
 

IamSam

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Very cool. I would like to see some of the image(s) your working on, maybe you can post them at sometime.

Also remember there are tons of metal textures available on the net.
 

Hellsrage

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Very cool. I would like to see some of the image(s) your working on, maybe you can post them at sometime.
Sure, here is what I have so far.
bOytIdj.png
There isn't too much that I'm dead set on so it could end up looking very different in the end, so feel free to say what you think of it.

If I finish this it will be used as a skin for a program call Rainmeter, it'll display information about your computers temps, storage activity and do other things.

Also remember there are tons of metal textures available on the net.
Oh trust me I know, I've got a folder full of different metal textures, I just wanted to try creating my own.
 
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Hellsrage,

keep making metal like you're doing in Ps, but to add some realism, get some nice photos of metal surfaces from cgtextures or some free stock site, and drop 'em in on a layer above your graphic, and switch the blend mode to overlay. Play with opacity and brightness, and it will add some pop to your metal.

Agent
 

Hellsrage

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keep making metal like you're doing in Ps, but to add some realism, get some nice photos of metal surfaces from cgtextures or some free stock site, and drop 'em in on a layer above your graphic, and switch the blend mode to overlay. Play with opacity and brightness, and it will add some pop to your metal.
Thanks for the tips Agent!

I messed around again trying to make some metal like textures, here are the results.
MetalStuff2.png MetalStuff1.png MetalStuff3.png

I also went ahead and tried blend mode with images of real metal like Agent suggested.
Metal Overlay.png Metal Overlay2.png

And here is small update on my project, I should make a thread in the Showroom for this but I'm already here! :cheesygrin:
1BtqXwk.png
 

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