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Mountain Rock Texture Demo for CAW Beginners
auntielynds
Posts: 3,071 Member
I usually read through this forum every day to keep up on whats new, and to help out if there is a question I can answer with my limited knowledge. I've noticed newer CAW builders strugle with terrain paint, especially on mountains, so I thought I'd come up with a recipe for mountain painting that takes care of that horrible tiling that occurs with the rock_shale_base default texture.
This is the finished product.
[img]<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=5ajynyit0un&thumb=4"><img src="http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/151821046c61cd156fd730f01d80fbae4g.jpg" border="0"></a>[/img]
This is the first layer, rock_shale_base
See the tiling of the pattern? Not very realistic.
[img]<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=wiwyuynnmdw&thumb=4"><img src="http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/014459482ad17af858344b16cab510d94g.jpg" border="0"></a>[/img]
Layer #2 is the rust_rock_shale_base just scribbled on the top.
I took the default rock_shale_base into gimp and increased its saturation.
[img]<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=iktgwwjdkqk&thumb=4"><img src="http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/2c436b38872dbe3bbb22df5208cd8acd4g.jpg" border="0"></a>[/img]
Layer #3 is moss_rock_shale_base
I scribbled this on too, placing more of it on the shadowed side of the mountain where more moss would grow naturally.
[img]<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=2jt5oty3ty0&thumb=4"><img src="http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/a3ff64595fd1f1f2fd678123c03e6cf84g.jpg" border="0"></a>[/img]
Layer #4 is rock_shale_base_dark
I placed this where I wanted extra contrast, in valleys and crevices.
[img]<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=jnlwx2evizq&thumb=4"><img src="http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/e0d6846cb8ad627b3f741e656d847a6f4g.jpg" border="0"></a>[/img]
Layer #5 is shale_rock_contrast
this is a little harder to see but I set my brush size down to 1 and scribbled around to obliterate the tiling effect, see next photo......
[img]<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=mchmymndwny&thumb=4"><img src="http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/c56f706d7e43750cacb6786915b5892a4g.jpg" border="0"></a>[/img]
I took out all the other paint layers so you can see how I laid the shale_rock_contrast.
[img]<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=2o2emnmntgz&thumb=4"><img src="http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/a7b2ef2fb7debe5fed873756240f55434g.jpg" border="0"></a>[/img]
Layer #6 Martine_grass_spring
This texture is from Martine at MTS. this texture works great to blend grassy areas into any other texture,rock, sand, dirt, ect. I also used it in patches on the mountains where grass might grow sparsley. Now just add some trees and Wa-La, you're done!
[img]<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=hnnjkmyncn5&thumb=4"><img src="http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/ad241c395440235b7190837eb73367c44g.jpg" border="0"></a>[/img]
I uploaded my altered textures to MediaFire and paced a Z1-6 in front of the file name so they will all clusster together in your terrain paint file. Here are the links to those.
Z1_rock_shale_base.dds http://www.mediafire.com/?jchyvmgzxzz
Z2_rust_rock_shale_base.dds http://www.mediafire.com/?5lezywyttjm
Z3_moss_rock_shale_base.dds http://www.mediafire.com/?ujirzzwmzit
Z4_rock_shale_base_dark.dds http://www.mediafire.com/?yzbdt1mzkwk
Z5_Shale_Rock_Contrast.dds http://www.mediafire.com/?mohyi4mwzyy
Z6_Martine_Grass_Spring.dds http://www.mediafire.com/?0rzgnqtmuzt+
When you download click on save and then download them where you can find them.
Okay now you have your files downloaded I will walk you through putting them into your game. Again, I'm writing this for beginers like I was just a few months ago.
Find your files and then open up Windows Explorer.
On the lefthand side under Folders, go down to Documents,
then to Electronic Arts,
then to The Sims 3 Create A World,
then to UserToolData.
then click on SourceTextures.
Now just drag and drop the new files into the SourceTextures file.
Now you can go forth and make beautiful, non tiling Mountains
This is the finished product.
[img]<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=5ajynyit0un&thumb=4"><img src="http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/151821046c61cd156fd730f01d80fbae4g.jpg" border="0"></a>[/img]
This is the first layer, rock_shale_base
See the tiling of the pattern? Not very realistic.
[img]<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=wiwyuynnmdw&thumb=4"><img src="http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/014459482ad17af858344b16cab510d94g.jpg" border="0"></a>[/img]
Layer #2 is the rust_rock_shale_base just scribbled on the top.
I took the default rock_shale_base into gimp and increased its saturation.
[img]<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=iktgwwjdkqk&thumb=4"><img src="http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/2c436b38872dbe3bbb22df5208cd8acd4g.jpg" border="0"></a>[/img]
Layer #3 is moss_rock_shale_base
I scribbled this on too, placing more of it on the shadowed side of the mountain where more moss would grow naturally.
[img]<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=2jt5oty3ty0&thumb=4"><img src="http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/a3ff64595fd1f1f2fd678123c03e6cf84g.jpg" border="0"></a>[/img]
Layer #4 is rock_shale_base_dark
I placed this where I wanted extra contrast, in valleys and crevices.
[img]<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=jnlwx2evizq&thumb=4"><img src="http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/e0d6846cb8ad627b3f741e656d847a6f4g.jpg" border="0"></a>[/img]
Layer #5 is shale_rock_contrast
this is a little harder to see but I set my brush size down to 1 and scribbled around to obliterate the tiling effect, see next photo......
[img]<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=mchmymndwny&thumb=4"><img src="http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/c56f706d7e43750cacb6786915b5892a4g.jpg" border="0"></a>[/img]
I took out all the other paint layers so you can see how I laid the shale_rock_contrast.
[img]<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=2o2emnmntgz&thumb=4"><img src="http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/a7b2ef2fb7debe5fed873756240f55434g.jpg" border="0"></a>[/img]
Layer #6 Martine_grass_spring
This texture is from Martine at MTS. this texture works great to blend grassy areas into any other texture,rock, sand, dirt, ect. I also used it in patches on the mountains where grass might grow sparsley. Now just add some trees and Wa-La, you're done!
[img]<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=hnnjkmyncn5&thumb=4"><img src="http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/ad241c395440235b7190837eb73367c44g.jpg" border="0"></a>[/img]
I uploaded my altered textures to MediaFire and paced a Z1-6 in front of the file name so they will all clusster together in your terrain paint file. Here are the links to those.
Z1_rock_shale_base.dds http://www.mediafire.com/?jchyvmgzxzz
Z2_rust_rock_shale_base.dds http://www.mediafire.com/?5lezywyttjm
Z3_moss_rock_shale_base.dds http://www.mediafire.com/?ujirzzwmzit
Z4_rock_shale_base_dark.dds http://www.mediafire.com/?yzbdt1mzkwk
Z5_Shale_Rock_Contrast.dds http://www.mediafire.com/?mohyi4mwzyy
Z6_Martine_Grass_Spring.dds http://www.mediafire.com/?0rzgnqtmuzt+
When you download click on save and then download them where you can find them.
Okay now you have your files downloaded I will walk you through putting them into your game. Again, I'm writing this for beginers like I was just a few months ago.
Find your files and then open up Windows Explorer.
On the lefthand side under Folders, go down to Documents,
then to Electronic Arts,
then to The Sims 3 Create A World,
then to UserToolData.
then click on SourceTextures.
Now just drag and drop the new files into the SourceTextures file.
Now you can go forth and make beautiful, non tiling Mountains
Post edited by EA_Solaire on
0
Comments
Custom Water Color (or sky colors, sun sizes, etc) to your world
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=388840
Heatwave effect
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=386817
Fossil Terrain set
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=391016
Ice age set
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=391892
Lava Rock set
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=391837
BSI Reginas Terrain paints
http://www.bogsims.com/sims3/regina/misc/create-a-world01.htm
Martine's WA textures
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=385025
Badlands texture pack
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=391861
The Sims Creators' Consortium
I love the fact that you are showing so many layers here on your mountain. I think many people either don't get how to layer textures or don't want to spend the time. For seriously, texture layering can make or break a terrain paint job. It takes a ton of work and even more experimenting but the end justifies the means. That is nicely done.
I'm curious what brush sizes you used. Fall off? Opacity? Or did you just trial and error it?
Thanks Auntie! I would also like to know what Myskaal asked as well.
I saved this post just in case too.
I havnt even attempted to paint the terrain in my NYC world and Im stressed just thinking about it! LOL I have some questions about what I've created so far and things I should do to my world that Id like your opinion on. If youd like to help, I can post some pictures, back on my thread, to show you. I'll take suggestions from others who would like to help me too.
***** VISIT MY GALLERY *****
I'm surprised to see this. I wrote it in February!
I steam lined the technique a bit. I don't use the default shale any longer, in fact I edit it and replace it with the rust because it has a nice dash of color.
So, I Spray on the rust shale, full strength, a bit of fall off, maybe 50-65%
Then I take the Moss shale, opacity full, Falloff 50-65%, and just spray it in spots you would expect to find moss or algae growing.
Same with the dark shale, use it to accentuate the the valleys.
Then the contrast which is smallest brush, full opacity and no falloff.
The Spring grass at 20-30% opacity, no falloff.
You have to keep in mind that you want to keep your textures down to like 8 per chunk boundary. When you click on the "show chunk boundaries" they're okay if they are white. if they are red, you have to many textures.
Edit;
The brush sizes just depend on the size of the ares you're working on, and feel comfortable using.
Since I posted this, there are some more textures available, and some of the rock textures in the horror pack are very nice. In my siggy there is a link to all the textures I know about.
The Sims Creators' Consortium