My models looked correct, but something felt off. The surface looked flat and unrealistic. That’s when I realized textures and sculpting matter more than I thought.
This post is part of my daily learning journey in game development.
I’m sharing what I learn each day — the basics, the confusion, and the real progress — from the perspective of a beginner.
On Day 29 of my game development journey, I learned about texturing basics and sculpting fundamentals.
What I tried / learned today
I learned that proper texturing needs multiple texture maps to look realistic.
I explored common maps like:
- Diffuse (Base Color)
- Specular
- Normal
- Ambient Occlusion (AO)
- Displacement
I understood that a Normal map adds surface detail without adding extra geometry. Compared to that, a Bump map only fakes depth and looks less realistic.
I used a normal map generator to create maps quickly. I also learned that AmbientCG is a good source for free, PBR-ready textures.
On the sculpting side, I learned that sculpting depends heavily on vertex count. More vertices allow finer details.
I explored different sculpting brushes and learned:
- Brush size controls the affected area
- Brush strength controls how strong the effect is
What confused me
At first, I was confused about:
- When to use each texture map
- The real difference between bump and normal maps
- Why sculpting looks bad on low-poly meshes
- Which texture maps are actually required
Displacement maps also confused me because they change the mesh shape instead of just shading it.
What worked or finally clicked
I finally understood that:
- Normal maps fake detail without adding vertices
- Bump maps are very basic compared to normal maps
- Sculpting needs enough geometry to work properly
- Brush size and strength must be balanced
Good textures can improve visuals without hurting performance.
One lesson for beginners
- Not all detail needs geometry
- Normal maps are more powerful than bump maps
- Sculpting needs enough vertices
- Start with low brush strength
- Good textures help save performance
Slow progress — but I’m building a strong foundation.
If you’re also learning game development,
what was the first thing that confused you when you started?
See you in the next post 🎮🚀
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