Blender Texturing Tutorial

Texturing a model provides a "skin" that adds realism to the image.

Blender is the most popular free software for creating 3D computer models. It is also highly complicated, with a complex interface and a multitude of functions. Texturing an object in Blender can be done in one of several ways. One way involves the creation of a UV map from the vertices of the model. That map becomes a guide to placing the texture onto the model.



This tutorial produces a cube with labeled sides. However, you can use the same steps to produce a UV textured image for any model in Blender.

Things You'll Need

• PC with Blender 2.34 or higher installed
• Image Editor, such as MS Paint, Photoshop, or GIMP

Instructions

Creating the Texture

1. Open your image editing program. Create a new image.

2. Create a perfect square. In MS Paint, this is accomplished by selecting the Square tool and holding down Shift while you draw.

3. Create the image of a cube layout. Copy and paste the square image to create a "cross"-shaped image, with one square as the center, and four other squares sharing one border with the center square. Add one square onto the left side of the cross. Once again, that square should share a common border with the one next to it.

4. Number the squares "1" through "6", drawing numbers in the center of each square.

5. Save the image as "cubetexture.jpg".

Preparing the Model

1. Open Blender. Click in the main workspace, which starts with a blank cube.

2. Orient the cube to see more of its faces. Holding down the middle mouse button, reorient the cube so that three out of its six faces are visible. Alternatively, hit the "0" on your keyboard number pad.

3. Enter "Edit Mode" in the 3D View Window (the 3D View Window is the panel that displays the 3D model itself) At the bottom of the 3D View Window, click the drop down window that reads "Object Mode". Select "Edit Mode".

4. Create the UV Mapping workspace. Split the 3D View by right clicking on the border between the 3D View and the Buttons Window below it, selecting "Split window" and clicking once in the 3D View. This creates two identical windows. In one of the 3D View windows, open the UV/Image Editor by clicking the Grid button in the lower left corner of the window and switching from "3D View" to UV/Image Editor.

5. Enter Edge select mode. Hit "Shift+Tab" on your keyboard and select "Edges".

Texturing the Cube

1. Import the texture image into the UV/Image Editor. In that window, go to "Image -> Open" and load "cubetexture.jpg".

2. Create seams to unwrap the cube onto. In the 3D View window, select the following seven edges by holding Shift and right-clicking: three out of four edges on the top of the cube, and all four edges on the sides. Hit "Ctrl-E" and then "Mark Seam".

3. Unwrap the cube. Press "A" twice to select all the faces, then hit "U" and select "Unwrap".

4. In the UV/Image Editor window, adjust the representation of the faces so that they match the image. Use "G" to grab and move the vertices, "R" to rotate them, and "S" + "x" or "y" to shrink or enlarge them.

5. To view the end result in the 3D window, enter "Textured" Mode. Click the picture selector at the bottom of the 3D View window (it shows a picture of a cube by default) and select "Textured". You should see a cube with each of its faces labeled.

References

• Blender Manuals

Resources

• Blender Tutorials