leaf texture with Photoshop

The shown leaf texture is not detailed and anyhow sufficient. Broad-leaf tree 2 is consisting of such leaves. The finished texture is often scaled in the modelling program. That's why it looks like a camouflage net.  3D games like "Return to Castle of Wolfenstein " (TM) are using a similiar technique.

First we create a new file. In this case 200x200 pixels will be enough. If several of these textures will be used, 100x100 pixels would be sufficient, too. Paint the branches or cut out a few naked out of a picture. Next create a new layer with LAYER --> NEW --> LAYER (SHIFT + Strg + N). I'd call it "leaves". Fill it with a dark green (K).

Let's alter this green with FILTER --> TEXTURE --> GRAIN bearbeitet. Now use the magic wand (W) in the black parts of the pattern. The tolerance may be different, depending how settings were. It should be selected approximately 40 % of the image . This will be the gaps between our leaves.

Delete the selection by hitting the DEL key. You can now see the underneath layer with the branches. With the now visible shape of the branches you can adjust your leaves to them. With the eraser (E) you can carfully delete parts of the leaf image. But keep in mind: no part of the leaves may range to the borders of the image. If this would be the case, it would ingame look if the branch has been cut off. Don't delete any parts, try to keep near the white gaps. This will be our holes ingame. If necessary scale the eraser size smaller.

Now make one layer out of every layers. LAYER --> REDUCE TO ONE LAYER (STRG + E). The last thing to do is creating the alpha channel for the ingame not visible parts. Select the white pieces with the magic wand tool. For how to go on look at the "creating an alpha channel for a texture" tutorial.

That's the result. Save it in TGA format with 32 bit.

Here a tree texture in 300x300 pixels. You can see that you are able to have many parts of a tree in one image. You could assign parts of this image in the size 100x100 pixels different parts of your tree.

Mirek Thier (Lolek) März 2002 / translate by Matthias Wermund (xck3001)