Problem creating seamless textures

[system]

Hi All,
I’ve only recently stumbled on ZBrush and I find it to be quite an impressive program. Being a developer and not an artist, this tool will allow me to quickly create professional looking graphics for various programming projects I play around with.
I was particularly interested in using ZBrush to create seamless texture bitmaps but I have the following problem. The top and left line of pixels in the image are not rendering smoothly and I’m getting images that will not tile seamlessly because the have very visible discolored lines along those edges.
I’m currently using ZBrush 1.23b on Windows 2000. I ran this question by Pixologic as well but wanted to see if anyone here has seen it. Thanks.

• PawnB

[aurick]

What material are you filling your layer with when you start creating the texture? I’ve noticed that the Basic Material leaves a line, just as you describe. If that’s the problem, use the Flat Color material for your starting point, instead.

Hope that does the trick for you!

[system]

This is true, but I think it would seriously limit the output of my textures unless there is a way to get back to some of the other textures later without the lines (I see the line in just about every material). Thanks

• PawnB

[aurick]

There is a way around what’s happening. Start out by filling your layer with the Flat Color material. Then paint in your new material and colors, starting with the center of the screen. As you get to the edges of the screen, use tilde (~) scrolling to bring the edges to the center so that you can continue to paint without touching the edges.

When you have the whole seamless texture created, if you’ve used any materials other than Flat Color, don’t forget to bake the layer before you use MRGBZGrabber. Otherwise, you won’t get material-created colorations when you create the final texture.

[system]

Thanks again. I guess I should have added that I mean to create a seamless texture that I can export as a bitmap. I have been using the tilde key to move things around but I need to have objects overlap the edges or the textures won’t tile well. Since the entire image in ZBrush will ultimately be the texture, I’m not sure that the steps you indicated will achieve that since it seems that anything (other than flat) that crosses the top and side edges produce those lines. I appreciate your speedy responses.

• PawnB

[Kruzr]

Hi PawnB . . .

I think Aurick answered your questions pretty accurately. But I’ll add this:, “I guess I should have added that I mean to create a seamless texture that I can export as a bitmap.” You can export ANY textures from ZBrush as bitmaps & use them in any programs that accept .BMP’s. Once you use “MRGBZGrabber” to grab a design, Material or what ever, it then becomes a Texture, which in turn becomes something that can be exported as a .BMP. Also, there are several different ways to create a texture & “Tilable Textures” in ZBrush, but I don’t really have the time at this moment to describe the procedures in doing so. I have been very busy since this past Tuesday, & haven’t even had the time to use ZBrush much since then. If nobody goes into any detail on how to achieve this goal, then as soon as I can get the time, I’ll try to post a way to do what your looking for.

In the image below, I’ve created a “Tilable Texture” or “Seamless Texture” which is showing in the background. In front of the background the Sphere3D that is textured with that same “Seamless Texture”.

I’m sorry that I can’t give the time at this moment to offer you any more information, but I still have several uncompleted things to do after the Tuesday disaster.

I hope this will help you some, until you can get more in depth information, either from someone else or when I have more time to do so. Have a good one . . . Mark.

[aurick]

Here you go, PawnB. I’ve created this Seamless Texture Tutorial to show how you can use materials, 3D Objects – anything at all – to create seamless textures in ZBrush. You can then export these textures as part of an OBJ file, or as a stand-alone BMP texture.

(For Windows, right-click on the link above and save as a text file in your ZScripts folder.)

Also, I know that Pixolator is working on a tutorial for creating high quality textures using ZBrush. It will probably be out fairly soon, and will definitely go farther than mine (knowing him :)). But this should get you started.

Something else that just occurred to me: That line that you are experiencing is due to the fact that all materials other than Flat Color create shadows based upon your lighting. Since the 1st default light has shadows turned on, and is set where it is, it creates those shadow lines on those two edges. If you turn off shadows for that light, or move the light, you may be able to get rid of the artifact that way.

[system]

Thanks Kruzr and aurick, I see now how I can get the results I’m after. The lighting certainly seems to play a part in these lines. I thought moving the light would cause the other sides to have lines but they seem to stay on the top and left. No matter though, you two have given me the info I need to move forward. I’m very impressed with the support provided by this community. Keep up the good work. I’m off to make some textures now

• PawnB

[Pixolator]

Hi
I’ll add a few suggestions to the above excellent replies (Thanks )

Use the MRGBZGrabber to grab the texture from the canvas (not a screen grab). The MRGBZGrabber will automatically adjust the top and left line when grabbing from the canvas.

If you have tried the above and you are still noticing a seam, you should turn on the RENDER MODIFIERS DETPH ADJUSMENTS, apply RENDER BEST RENDER, and MRGBZGrab the texture.

If you have tried the above and you are still noticing a seam, please let me know and I’ll post a ZScript that will allow you to blend the edge of the texture to compensate for the irregularity.

-Pixolator