Art Assets: Textures

Read this fully before beginning to create textures or texture mapping your cars.

Note: Texture Name is the name you should use when generating the texture file using the texture compiler, and Mapping Name is the name that should be used in the materials map file for the model compiler. See Material Mapping for more information.

Custom Textures

The following are textures that you should provide for your model. Strictly speaking, almost all of them are not explicity required. You can omit any texture you don't feel is nessesary. But to comply with the standard set by other EA models, it is recommended that you follow the specified guidelines.

Skin Texture

Texture Name: SKIN1

Mapping Name: x_SKIN1

Recommended Format: DXT1

Recommended Size: 512x512 or less

The skin texture is a virtual texture that is generated by the game. The texture will be covered with the selected car color and any selected vinyls will be overlayed on top. This will will form the SKIN1 texture. Since its automatically generated, there is no need to provide the SKIN1 texture in TEXTURES.BIN. Just use a single colored texture for mapping purposes. An example of how to map your car model onto the texture can be seen from the DEBUG texture as shown below:

It is recommended that the LEFT, TOP, RIGHT, FRONT and REAR sections are mapped into similar areas. Doing so will allow you to create vinyls with ease, and also provide a proper environmental reflection in game.

However, if you wish to directly convert an exisiting model without remapping and do not mind the loss of the ability to support custom colors and vinyls, you may provide the SKIN1 texture in TEXTURES.BIN. This type of approach is taken with some of the cop and traffic car models. If you do this, the recommended size of the SKIN1 texture is 512x512 or less.

Interior Texture

Texture Name: INTERIOR

Mapping Name: x_INTERIOR

Recommended Format: DXT1

Recommended Size: 512x512 or less.

The interior texture contains everything in the car's interior including the steering wheel, and textures for the odometer. These textures are usually high quality. However, due to the fact that NFSMW does not support interior views without an external utility such as NFSMW Cam Hack, you do not need to provide a high quality interior and dash.

Sample Interior Texture:

Brake Light Textures

Texture Name: KIT00_BRAKELIGHT_OFF and KIT00_BRAKELIGHT_ON

Mapping Name: BRAKELIGHT_LEFT, BRAKELIGHT_CENTRE, and BRAKELIGHT_RIGHT (Note: its CENTRE with a -RE not -ER).

Recommended Format: DXT1

Recommended Size: 256x128

Brake light textures are one of the more complicated textures. There are basically two physical texture files, KIT00_BRAKELIGHT_OFF and KIT00_BRAKELIGHT_ON. The first one represents the brake light in an OFF state as shown below:

The second one represents the same texture in an ON state as shown below:

Note that both textures are exactly the same except for the lights being on in one and off in the other. You cannot use two drastically different textures -- they must both be exactly the same, or very close atleast. The reason for this is that the game will replace the OFF texture with the ON texture when you hit in the brakes in the game. However your texture mapping for the model is not changed.

When mapping the car, make sure the left brake light (as viewed from the back of the car) is mapped to a material whose texture is BRAKELIGHT_LEFT, the centre brake light is mapped to BRAKELIGHT_CENTRE and the right brake light is mapped to BRAKELIGHT_RIGHT.

Brake Light Glass Textures (Optional)

Texture Name: KIT00_BRAKELIGHT_GLASS_OFF and KIT00_BRAKELIGHT_GLASS_ON

Mapping Name: BRAKELIGHT_GLASS_LEFT, BRAKELIGHT_GLASS_CENTRE, and BRAKELIGHT_GLASS_RIGHT (Note: its CENTRE with a -RE not -ER).

Recommended Format: DXT3 (transparency)

Recommended Size: 64x64 if extra details, else 32x32.

As with the brake light textures, there are two physical textures and three possible mappings. These textures are basic square textures used for translucency. Sometimes, the texture may have added details such as in the image shown below. These details are added through the alpha channel, the RGB texture should be entirely black for optimal results.

Map the glass textures in a similar manner to the brake light textures. Note that these textures are completely optional and are not required -- some cars don't even have them. You may add the brake light glass details onto the brake light textures itself and omit the glass textures entirely.

Head Light Texture

Texture Name: KIT00_HEADLIGHT_ON and KIT00_HEADLIGHT_OFF

Mapping Name: HEADLIGHT_LEFT and HEADLIGHT_RIGHT

Recommended Format: DXT1

Recommended Size: 256x128

Similar to the brake light textures, there are two physical head light textures. Current research shows that only the ON texture is used by the game, so you may omit the OFF texture. As with the brake light texture, map the left head light (as seen from the back of the car -- its really the right head light from the front) to HEADLIGHT_LEFT and the right head light to HEADLIGHT_RIGHT.

Sample Head Light texture:

Head Light Glass Texture

Texture Name: KIT00_HEADLIGHT_GLASS_ON and KIT00_HEADLIGHT_GLASS_OFF

Mapping Name: HEADLIGHT_GLASS_LEFT and HEADLIGHT_GLASS_RIGHT

Recommended Format: DXT3

Recommended Size: 32x32

There are two physical textures as with the head light textures, but again, only the ON texture is used by the game. This texture is just a small 32x32 square for translucency -- use an RGB color of black and control the alpha channel for transparency. Map the left and right head light glass textures accordingly.

Badging Texture

Texture Name: BADGING and BADGING_N for normal map

Mapping Name: x_BADGING and x_BADGING_N for normal map

Recommended Format: DXT3 (transparency)

Recommended Size: 256x256

The BADGING texture should be used for textures that need to appear with a certain depth. For example, emblems and logos should go onto the badging texture. Along with the badging texture, a normal map texture (BADGING_N) should be provided for depth information. This normal map can be generated using the nVidia Photoshop Normal Map Plugin.

Sample Badging Texture and Normal Map:

Tire Texture

Texture Name: TIRE and TIRE_N for normal map

Mapping Name: x_TIRE and x_TIRE_N for normal map

Recommended Format: DXT1

Recommended Size: 256x256

The TIRE texture contains the stock rims and tire for the car. Usually the brake disc texture is not included in the tire textures, but can be included if desired. Similarly, the tire threads are not included either and all of NFSMW's cars use a common global texture for it (THREAD). However, if desired, this can be included in the TIRE texture as well. The normal map for the tire texture, TIRE_N, is provided to show depth information especially on the threads on the side wall of the tire.

Sample Tire Texture and Normal Map:

Misc Texture

Texture Name: MISC

Mapping Name: x_MISC

Recommended Format: DXT1

Recommended Size: 512x512 or 512x256 (or less)

Any texture that doesn't go elsewhere, put in the MISC texture. You should include the brake disc texture in the MISC texture if you did not include it in the TIRE texture. Other textures such as side mirror textures, grill textures, wiper textures, etc should be included here.

Useful Global Textures

The following are textures provided by NFSMW for use globally. Not all of them are discussed here, but the most common useful ones are. You may download the textures as DDS files from here.

License Plate

Texture/Mapping Name: LICENSE

More will be added to this list soon