Seamless Texture

Introduction

This workshop will allow us to source pictures and images that we are going to be able to convert to textures. By default, these images wont be seamless, therefore we need to manipulate the images in Photoshop – creating a tiled seamless texture for our assets.

Alt + Ctrl + I (image > image size) to change image size. We dragged an example of stone/rubble ground into Photoshop and rescaled it.

We changed the resolution to match the appropriate resolution size used in Unreal Engine. We also changed the measurements to pixels instead of centimetres.

Using Alt +Ctrl + C to get canvas size, we changed the dimensions to 4096 and unlocked the layer so that the image had a transparent background.

We use Ctrl + J to duplicate the layer and add a mask to the new layer. Then using the mask, we blend the two images together, removing any repetitive stones or grass and making it blend smoothly. We use a mask layer because it is non-destructive editing.

S is the shortcut for the clone tool, which we’re using on a new layer. We need to change the sample in the top bar, to current and below, so that we can clone from all of the layers or else we will get no result from cloning on just a blank layer.

Using Alt + Click we can pick our target and then paint over repetitive stones and texture to give the image a better look

Ctrl + Shift + Alt + E creates a new, separate layer that merges all of the layers into one but on it’s own layer.

We then created another clone layer with current and below sample, then alt + clicked to blend in the seams and removing any repetitive texture.

After blending and adding some rocks and stones to change the texture, we added another merge layer and did Filter > Other > Offset and tiled the texture again to check if the image is entirely seamless.

We created a new solid colour above the merge layer and change the colour to a random colour.

We double clicked on the layer and selected Pattern Overlay in the Layer Style menu. Then we selected the pattern we just made.

Select normal map on the merge 2 layer and it will produce something like this:

I changed the detail scale to 120% to look like this:

We saved these layers separately as displacement etc.

Conclusion

This process in Photoshop was relatively straight forward to me, duplicating the image we want and using the brush tool and masks to add and remove the seam lines, then using the clone tool to remove any repetitive elements. However I think this example we did was easier compared to others like a brick wall. That would require more accuracy and time to make the brick wall seem seamless yet also realistic.