Questions about texturing

[Caterpillar]

Days ago I was wondering about some things... I am not a graphic expert.
I was asking myself why game developers, do not use photo as textures to improve reality instead making them by zero with graphic tools? I remember that Max Payne 1 did something like that (or not?)
Now graphic cards have a lot of ram, so it will not be anymore a problem the size of textures...

[Bek]

Often real photo's are used as a base to create different images. Sculpting programs like Zbrush also allow you to paint colour information from a texture (usually a photograph) directly onto models where 1 polygon is essentially a pixel. This lets you easily paint models using images, mixing matching and melting different images together. (For example you might texture a shield or something using different photos of wood grain and metal for different parts)

Creating textures from scratch is a brilliant skill though which helps with creation of lots of things. A few pluses I can think of the top of my head for doing so: Easy to make variants, don't have to find the material in real life, will probably be made tileable, don't have to worry about copyrights if you make it.. things like that.

Also it's not like they can just take a photo of something and that's the job done. It's actually kinda hard to get a good photo to use as a base because it has to be fairly even with the lighting, needs to be a front on shot etc.

[Googolplex]

Yes it is hard work but it looks much much better!
I'm hobby 2D-artist and I create only textures based on real photos.
I did not knew, how the developer not create real photos for surfaces.

You have to work on it but one texture should be ready in 4 houres.
You have to see my textures, they're looking ingame like real surfaces all in high quality full of details.

[Caterpillar]

You have to see my textures, they're looking ingame like real surfaces all in high quality full of details.

Could you show us something?

[hollowleviathan]

I guess you missed this http://www.frictionalgames.com/forum/thread-5929.html

[Caterpillar]

ZOMG thank you for the link

[Caterpillar]

I guess you missed this http://www.frictionalgames.com/forum/thread-5929.html

The link is no longer working, do you remember the name of the topic?

[Your Computer]

Perhaps you'll find something similar in http://www.frictionalgames.com/forum/forum-40.html

[Acies]

Do you want to make high-quality textures or have access to photos of high quality? I cannot view the removed thread so I'm unsured of what is being asked.

[Ghieri]

Some games, like WoW, use stylized textures to give the world a cartoonish feel.