Game art & low poly content creation tutorials

Easy to follow text and video tutorials on creating game art, modding, Blender modelling, 3D modeling, level design and texture making. Unique explaination of methods and principles you won't find anywhere else on using Blender 3D, modelling and modding, level design and texture making tutorials, resources and downloads.

Featured Tutorials ^

Blender Basics - series on how to use and make, texture and UVW map a simple chair

Blender Basics - and extensive series of tutorials on building your first model, a simple chair

Extensive tutorial series using Blender 3D, learning the application in relation to making a simple chair model. Includes mesh editing, materials, texturing and UVW maps.

Importing Google SketchUp files directly into Blender 3D without converting

Importing Google SketchUp files into Blender 3D

This tutorial discusses how to import files from Googles free 3D modelling application, Google SketchUp, into Blender 3D to allow further editing as part of the overall content creation process.

VIDEO Tutorials ^

View the latest YouTube video tutorials

Baking ambient occlusion maps for terrain using Blender 3D

Using Blender to bake ambient occlusion maps for terrain made from models is a simple way to add depth to textures.

The best way to make spiral stairs VIDEO and text tutorial

Generally regarded as one of the trickyest constructions to make when level editing. Follow the video and read the accompanying tutorial and make professional quality steps in no time!

Using Blender 3D's Automatic IK system for game animating

Short tutorial (modelling tip) running through the results of using Blender 3D's 'Automatic IK' system and how it effects the movement of individual bones and bone 'chains'.

Video tutorials - Series 1; 14 part video tutorial

This series of Blender 3D video tutorials runs at almost 3hrs worth of footage (no audio). Essential veiwing for current BlenderHeads looking to do low poly modelling or modders new to modelling wanting to get to grips with some of the techniques of using Blender 3D.

Using Blenders Retopo(ology) tool to create low poly meshes

The Retopo Tool is a quick and clean way to rebuild low poly meshes from higher resolution objects... a valuable and handy skill to know!.

Making tracks (track editing) for Trackmania Nations - Forever

Making custom tracks for Trackmania Nations

Learn the steps you need to know to start creating brand new custom tracks for Trackmania Forever, with the new 'Simple' editing mode it's easy to get up and running quickly.

Trackmania nations editing video tutorials

Short text and image tutorial explanations to accompany the short video tutorials on how to create some of the lesser known and undocumented basic track shapes seen and used in Trackmania Nations; circle, oval, crosier and double circle... These basic track sections form the basis upon which further track editing can take place.

Blender3D, game and interactive 3D modeling tutorials ^

The following tutorials cover the use of Blender3D in creating modelled content for games as well as other general 3D related subjects. Currently Blender is on v2.4x so although these tutorials were written with v2.3x in mind the general principles should hold true as they don't make use of any specific 'features' not currently present in the application.

Blender Basics: Part 1 - series on how to use and make, texture and UVW map a simple chair

An extensive tutorial series on using Blender 3D for the first time and learning the application in relation to making a simple chair model. Includes mesh editing, materials, texturing and UVW maps.

Blender Basics: Part 3 - modeling a chair, learning to use Blender

The best way to learn something is to do it. Part 3 of the Blender Basics tutorial series builds a simple chair model to teach the core skills for making any 3D object.

Blender Basics: Part 5 - UVW unwrapping, undestanding Blenders UVW and Image Editor

Part 5 of the Blender Basics tutorial series show how to apply textures to UVW maps so images become visible on meshes and models.

Exporting & importing Google Building Maker models into Blender

Another tool from Google that potentially make asset creation relatively straightforward whilst being based entirely on real world locations and buildings.

Exporting models from gmax to *.obj using gmax2obj Max script

Using a gmax Max script it's possible to export models out from gmax as *.obj files so they can be imported into other 3D apps for further work.

An alternative use for Blender 3D 'Sculpt' Tool - aging models

You don't always have to 'sculpt' with Blender 3D's sculpt tool, it's also a quite handy and a quick way to edit a mesh to make it 'wonkey' and 'aged'.

UT3 editing, Blender 3D and smoothing (smoothgroups)

Making smoothgroups in Blender for UT3 model editing

Making custom models for UT3 or UDK present issues, one of which is getting smoothing to work to properly. The following tutorial explains a couple of ways to getting smooth groups to work on Blender models.

Using brush based terrain for Mega Texture terrain

Converting brushes into a terrain models for use with MegaTexture

Tutorial explaining how level designers using GTK Radiant can and will be able make brush or patch mesh based terrain as part of the Mega Texture system in idtech powered games.

Blender 3D, Python and setting up the Python Path variable in Windows XP

Setting up Blenders Python Path variable in Windows OS

Although most scripts in Blender, installed or 3rd party, don't always need the Python API installed, some more complex ones do, reporting the classic "Python Path" error. This tutorials shows you how to set that up.

Getting custom models into Doom 3 - pt.1

Prepping and exporting models from Blender 3D to Doom3/idtech 4 games

Tutorial showing how to get custom made models into D3Radiant, the steps needed to prepare the mesh and then export and load into Doom3Edit.

Exporting models from .gmax to .max

If you're thinking of creating 'static' map objects for Doom 3 (doorways, crates etc.) they need to be in one of two formats; *.ase and *.lwo. Animated objects and characters in the Doom 3 use the propriatory MD5 format.

UVWmapping & 2d art work using gmax ('skinning')

2D artwork was used on the meshes which ment using UVWmap and and UVWunwrap. As this is a big part of the workload for the scene it's probably a good idea to run through the process.

Blender Basics: Part 2 - keyboard and mouse control, moving around Blender

Blenders movement control system does take a little getting used to. In part 2 of the Blender Basics tutorial series, essential keyboard and mouse controls are discussed.

Blender Basics: Part 4 - materials and textures, using Blenders material system

Blender Basics part 2 - materials and textures

Blender material system can be a little tricky to get to grips with the first time its used so part 4 of the Blender Basics tutorials shows how to apply materials to meshes.

**Exporting models from Blender 3D to *.o3d using Googles converter**

This tutorial runs through the process of convering models into Open 3D *.o3d files using Googles o3dconvert.exe sample conversion program.

Renderbump and baking normal maps from a high poly models using Blender 3D

Most modern games use normal maps and luckily for Blender users the program has a native abilty to render bake them from high resolution meshes.

Resizing textures on Blender models used for game content

Texture scale, games and resizing UVW maps

A common mistake that easily corrected one you know how, the correct way to resize textures applied to modelled content used in games.

Making maps with Blender 3D (exporting a model to *.map)

Make maps in Blender 3D as models and export them out as *.map files that can be opened directly in to map editors like Radiant.

Rendering custom Skyboxes using Blender 3D (+ sample files)

Rendering game ready sky boxes using Blender 3D

Trying to make a custom sky-box but can't quite get there? Use Blender 3D and the available skybox sample file to quickly render out your own custom skyboxes with very little hassle, ready for use in games.

Making/exporting maps as models

An extensive tutorial showing Radiant based level designers what they need to know and understand when converting maps or brushwork into ASE models using Q3map2 compile options.

Preparing and exporting custom Lightwave 'LWO' models in Blender 3D

Prepping and exporting LWO files from Blender

Shows what needs to be done to prepare and export custom LWO models from Blender to idtech 4 games. Includes material set-up, and adding mesh smoothing to exproted models.

idtech 4 models & smoothing (smooth groups)

Forcing smoothgroups on models with Blender

There are 3 model formats idtech 4 can use. *.ase, *.lwo and *.MD5. All these formats use smooth groups in one of two ways, this tutorial shows how to do that.

Modelling a map with Blender 3D

This is a over view of the methods and principles used to create the sample map shown below, kat1024. The processes and techniques involved can be used for modelling any map for Quake 3 or Doom 3 powered games.

Blender 3D - useful shortcut keys

A list of shortcut keys that are useful when modelling meshes and objects for games and interactive 3D.

3D Chat and Virtual World content tutorials ^

Making furniture items for Frenzoo with Blender 3D, export and conversion.

Making furniture items for Frenzoo using Blender 3D

Although the process of making products and items for Frenzoo is relatively straighforward, you need to be mindful of how a model should be properly prepared, exported and converted.

How to make animated pets for IMVU with Blender 3D

Part 1 of a two part tutorial on creating an animated pet for use in IMVU made with Blender 3D. Part 1 covers making the pet in Blender 3D and what needs to be considered when doing so before then going on to discuss more 'advanced' subjects that need to be considered.

Guide to making rooms and scenes for IMVU using Blender 3D

This tutorial explains the steps required to make, prepare and export a model mesh to CAL 3D, constucting the results in IMVU's Previewer tool for upload to IMVU as a scene or room.

Making opacity maps for IMVU products (imvu specific tutorial on transparency)

How do you create transparency for your products and items in IMvu? Easy, use opacity maps. Their setup and use can be a little confusing so this tutorial highlights the things you need to know in order to get them to work properly.

Exporting models from Blender for use in Frenzoo - converting .dae files to .efa

Exporting models from Blender to Frenzoo

Making content for Frenzoo using anything other than 3DS max requires a couple of extra steps when producing content for Frenzoo, this tutorial will show how that's done.

Blender to Frenzoo export and dae to efa conversion errors

A 'list' of common errors and problems associated with exporting meshes from Blender 3D to Collada and conversion to Frenzoo's efa format from dae

Making furniture items and static objects for IMVU using Blender 3D

Making furniture items for IMVU using Blender 3D

A 'quick & dirty' tutorial taking you through the essential steps needed to export a contents of a scene or series of objects from Blender 3D to IMVU, put together in the 'Previewer' tool. A template/sample file is available for download to accompany this tutorial.

Making a product bundle for IMVU for multiple individual products or items

Quite confusing the first time you try to "Make a Bundle" as it's it involves a number of steps that need to be done in order for a bundle product to be successfully created.

IMvu developer hints and tips for Blender 3D

A page dedicated to some of the more common hints and tips for IMvu developing (content creation) when using Blender 3D.

Texture creation related tutorials ^

A series of tutorials covering various aspects of texture creation, in particular for nextGen games that make use of normal maps, bumpmapping as well as DDS textures.

What to look out for and how to make normal maps from photographs

Following on from the previous tutorials about creating normal maps, this tutorials covers some of the things you'll need to know and watch out for when using photographs to create normal maps.

Making an (alpha) mask of a trees leaves from a photograph

Making an alpha mask from a photo of a tree

Creating a leaf mass for use as a tree sprite can be fiddly and time consuming, there are a few steps that can be used though which will allow you to create a mask from a source photograph quite quickly.

Normal maps, texture space, orientation and UVW maps

Normal maps and texture UVW map orientation

Not all games treat Normal Maps the same way, especially when texture rotation is involved. As a result problems can occur when using them on models using tiled textures that have normal maps...

Making normal maps from images - pt1

Making normal maps from images and photos

Although normalmaps (or 'local maps' to give them their proper Doom 3 name) ideally should be generated by rendering an incredibly high resolution three dimensional object into 2D...

Making normal maps from images - pt2

This tutorial explains in further detail the process of creating a heightTemplate for passing through one of the normalmap creation tools, mentioned in the previous tutorial (though not the specifics of 'how to use' the tools)...

DirectX DirectDraw Surface DDS images - "unknown file format"

A common misconception about DDS textures and the "unknown file format" error; they are 'proper' DDS, but 'special'.

Understanding Oblivion's parallax maps with an 'artists' eye

A tutorial to help 'artists' (texture artists, modellers, etc.) new to parallax mapping understand how it works and the differences between parallax and normal maps...

Making/saving DDS image textures using ATI's 'Compressonator'

Making DDS images using ATIs Compressonator

One of the more puzzling aspects of creating content for Doom 3 powered games (Doom 3, Quake 4 et-al) is DDS; what they are, what they do and more importantly, how to create them. This tutorial will walk through the process of creating DDS textures...

A walkthru of the mapcenter texture set

Making textures - Map Center texture set

I though it might be interesting to add this info to the site. It was originally posted on the mapcenter forums as part of the rock texture challenge by way of giving a brief outline/explanation...

Editing idTech4 powered games ^

Tutorials covering subjects useful for the Doom 3 engine; that is; games built on, using, or powered by idsoftwares Doom 3 technology. Current Doom 3 powered games include, Doom 3, Quake 4, Prey, Wolfenstein 360, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars. This means the tutorial listed here will generally apply to all games powered by Doom 3 tech.

Texture Blending (terrain)

Texture blending in the idtech4 game engine

Covers the principles of texture blending in idtech 4 powered games. Model set-up, vertex painting and in-game materials to get texture blending working properly on models...

Outdoor lighting in Doom 3 - parallel lights

Outdoor lighting in Doom 3 and idtech power games

Lighting outdoor scenes when making maps for Doom 3 requires a different approach to normal indoor levels. Find out how to use 'parallel' lights to effect natural looking light in outdoor scenes...

Make Doom 3 terrain from patch meshes pt.1

Making terrain from Patch meshes for Doom 3 and idtech 4

You need a basic understanding of how to manipulate patch mesh to fully grasp the concepts outlined in this tutorial. If you don't know 'how to.. patch mesh' then click here an read that tutorial.

Doom 3 lighting principles

This tutorial isn't going to cover the specific technical details of using lights with Doom 3, instead it'll cover the general principles and what you need to have in mind as you work...

Doom3 Radiant & custom MOD set-up

Setting up Doom 3 and idtech 4 Radiant editor

This tutorial is going to run through the steps you need to take so you're able to use Doom 3 Radiant ('D3Edit' or 'doom edit') to create content (maps) for custom modifications of the Doom 3 engine...

Make Doom 3 terrain using patch meshes pt.2

Making terrain for Doom 3 and idtech 4 using Patch meshes in Radiant editor

This tutorial is a follow up on the previous article about what you need to keep in mind when making a terrain in Doom 3 from patch mesh objects. This tutorial continues the 'optimising' theme..

Misc. and third party tutorials ^

Miscellanious tutorials covering subjects related to game content creation but not specifically Doom 3 or modelling.

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