General Question Creating Textures

[Mattyv]

So I have finished making a mesh in anim8or, and I need to move onto making textures. The problem is I've never done this before, and i don't know how to do it. So my question is, how should I go about creating them?

 

[PeriapsisPrograde]

Orbiter comes with a utility that converts .bmp to .dds. It's in the Utils folder of an Orbiter install. Run DxTex.exe, load an image, and save as .dds.

It's real drawback is that the texture dimensions MUST be powers of 2. (16, 32, 64, 128, etc.)

If you want to use any base format other than .bmp, or want to have dimensions other than powers of 2, you need Photoshop or GIMP with a .dds plugin.

 

[Mattyv]

Well, was more asking about how everybody creates their .bmp's, like what programs they use and how they create good textures.

 

[marooder86]

So I have finished making a mesh in anim8or, and I need to move onto making textures. The problem is I've never done this before, and i don't know how to do it. So my question is, how should I go about creating them?

After finishing modelling, you have to unwrap your mesh and make UV map out of it. Then export it as simple image file with whatever extension your UV map tool supports. Import this UV map image file into the image manipulation program of your choice(Photoshop, GIMP, Paint.Net, whatever you're familiar with)as one of layers so you could know where to paint. Paint your texture, save it as image. Now back into the UV mapper or directly toanim8tor if it has one built in. Import your newly created texture, apply it as material->texture, set mapping to UV mapping and voila, you have your texture on the mesh.
That's sort of a long story short verion of texture making process, hope it help's a bit.