Blender tutorial: How to blend textures

Here we examine the simpliest way to blend two textures, in order to achieve a smooth transition between grass and terrain in a classic fantasy environment. I assume you are using Blender 2.49 and you are have basic modeling skills. We will use projection painting and layer cloning.

This is the final effect:


and here you can download the .blend files packed with textures:

CRPGSources-Blend-textures.blend

If you have any trouble in reading this article, you perhaps need to read this page: http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Dev:Ref/Release_Notes/2.49/Projection_Paint

I apologise in advance for my bad English. I hope you can understand the procedure, anyway.

We start opening Blender and delete the default cube. Let's add a simple plane (spacebar -> add -> mesh -> plane):


Scale it (SKEY) as you like, enter Edit mode (TAB) and subdivide it (WKEY -> subdivide multi) 11 times.


We model it in order to create a simple path and some little hills using proportional falloff (OKEY) and grab tool. Set it to smooth (WKEY -> Set smooth). Let's keep it really simple.



Now save these two textures on your hd.


Add 3 UV layers (F9 -> UV textures -> add new) and name it something similar to "grass", "pebbles" or "terrain", "blend".



Then split the upper window in two parts (right click with mouse in the bottom border -> split area) and change the right window now created into UV image editor.



Now press Alt-Z with the cursor in the left window; move to the UV editor on the right and hit Alt-O to open the two textures previously saved into your hd and select the grass image; now select the first layer created before (the one named "grass") and, with mouse cursor on the left window, press TAB to switch into Edit mode then AKEY to select all and UKEY to unwrap the mesh. Now choose the grass image from the browser. Scale the UV map (in the UV editor window on the right, AKEY and SKEY) as you like since the image provide is tileable.


Now select the second layer ("terrain" or "pebbles") and do it as before.


So you have two layers ready to be fully or partially cloned to a new one: let's create it now.

Go on the UV Image Editor window: ALT-N to create a new one (remember to pack it as PNG). Let's call it "Blend". 1024 x 1024 is ok, remember NOT TO SCALE THE UV MAP. Select the third layer and unwrap it as usual.



Now go on the first window and switch to Texture painting mode. You can see in the bottom window two new buttons near the UV layers created before. Select the first, the second and the fourth of the last layer ("terrain" or "pebbles") and the third one of the first layer ("grass").


In the "Paint" panel select "clone" and "clone layer". Set the brush opacity to 1 and the size as you like. Start painting directly on the mesh.



Now you can amuse yourself with your great painting skills: i you followed me till here you can cleary understand that using the two different layers and brush opacity we can reach our goal.

Try changing brush opacity in the overlapping areas in order to blend smoothly and avoid seams.

Paint the grass where you want it to be then select the third icon of the terrain UV Layer and start painting the path... that's it!


If you want you can adjust Brush size, mode, and obviously draw on the new texture in order to achieve the best effect, calibrating midtones, lights and shadows. I suggest to you to change often the point of view rotating the mesh and trying to watch closely it as a real character walking on it.


I often use Flying camera mode (SHIFT-F) to position my camera near specific points and fulfill the immersion in the environment.

Final result:


It' s clear this tecnique can be used in several ways, extending its use to increase the level of detail of a texture or to enliven a boring procedural one.

Hope you liked it: thanx for reading :)