Creating a Metal Texture for Guns?

RogueKnight

Hello, I'm decently new here, I've lurked for a while and decided it would be to my advantage to make an account.

I've made multiple 3D models of guns in the past, but as far as my texturing skills go, most of them have turned out pretty bad due to the fact that I cannot create a proper texture for them.

Some examples of my work:




This one is just a texture that I made for a model of a CIS Blaster Rifle from Star Wars Battlefront II


While I would call that my best texture, It still isn't what I'm looking to achieve. I'm trying to get something similar in quality to gun textures used in game series like CoD, Battlefield, and Medal of Honor.

I use Milkshape 3D for modeling, and Photoshop Elements 7 for my texturing, and sometimes a little GIMP. Are there any other programs out there that might help me achieve this goal? I would be willing to learn a better modeling program if need be.

I have read tutorials on this, mainly from this deviantART search, but none of them have shown the quality texture that I am hoping to achieve.

I still am fairly a beginner in the whole area of 3D modeling, as you can probably tell by my models, I have only been modeling for a few months, and there is a lot of stuff I still don't know.

ralusek

if you have photoshop, i think you'll live. i don't really do guns, but if you're talking CoD, battlefield, and MoH, you're talking about guns that already exist. you already have the textures of the real thing as a perfect reference for modeling and texturing, and can pretty much start with that texture as a base. from most gun textures i see, it's just liberal use of existing textures and then overlaying some detail and decals. also, spec maps are going to help a lot with anything metal, especially with contrasting materials found in guns

SyncViewS

Hi, I recommend racer445's tutorials, in particular "AK Tutorial" texturing parts of course, and "Hand Painting Metal".

http://racer445.com/

RogueKnight

SyncViewS wrote: »

Hi, I recommend racer445's tutorials, in particular "AK Tutorial" texturing parts of course, and "Hand Painting Metal".

http://racer445.com/

Thank you very much, that looks very helpful.

...also, spec maps are going to help a lot with anything metal, especially with contrasting materials found in guns.

I'm not quite sure what spec maps are, nor how to make them. Do I need a certain modeling program to make them?

Sage

From looking at your texture, it looks like you don't have any overlays on it and the more important thing is you are not using color to shade your texture.

A good one to buy might be El Coro Weapon Design. It should give you ideas on how to texture your weapons. It is about making concepts though.

http://media.massiveblack.com/downloads.html

If you want to make to make your materials look real make some real weapons and use reference, then apply what you learned to your sci fi stuff.