Uploading and Applying A Texture

What if you could use a pattern or image you have on your own computer to texture an object? You can! You can upload images that are in a JPEG (JPG), TGA or PNG format. You cannot upload GIFs. Usually, valid images will have .jpg, .tga or .png at the end of their file names.

!! A Special Note About Copyright & Image Permissions !!

It is absolutely crucial that you understand the legal implications of using an image you do not have the right to use on your creations in virtual worlds. By uploading an image that is  copyrighted or owned by someone else and using it in your builds, you are exposing yourself, your team, and the owner or operator of the grid to legal liability from the legal copyright owner. Under no circumstances are you permitted to use images or textures that are copyrighted by someone else unless you have their legal, written permission to do so! Failure to comply may result in disciplinary actions up to and including termination if you are an employee.

Responsible builders understand that their creations must be fully compliant with the  law regarding copyright. If you are not 100% sure of the source of an image  do not use it in your builds. There are millions and millions of images that are available in the  public domain or under a  Creative Commons license, so there’s no reason to steal an image when there are so many perfectly legal textures available. Also be careful using Creative Commons licensed images! The best images to use are released under a Creative Commons 0 license (“CC0”), which has no restrictions on their use.

If a Creative Commons license requires attribution or that it only be used for non-commercial purposes, then you must be sure that your item and any derivative items created from your item all meet the license requirements. Attribution means you must state where the source of the image came from. Non-commercial use means that the image can never be used in an item that will be sold for money. This can be very tricky if you share your work with other people, so it’s best to only use public domain or CC0 licensed items so you never have to worry about copyright in the future.

Instruction

OpenSimulator has the ability to upload – or copy – images from your own computer to be used as textures for objects, avatars and clothing. Even if you don’t have any special imaging software on your computer, you can still upload photos you take or Internet images you have permission to use.

Practice

Step 1. Find an image to upload

On your own personal computer, find an image that you would like to import. Make sure you have permission to import it and that it is in the correct format (.jpg, .tga, or .png). Example images can also be downloaded from the Appendix “Sample Candy Textures” page. This will be especially useful for those using the Primland Building Tutorial.

Step 2. Upload the image

In most viewers, you upload a file by using the File menu at the top of the screen. Under File, choose Upload Image. You will be able to search through your computer’s folders and files to find the image you want.

[image – intro2build.16.a]

In the Upload Preview window that opens, you will see the image you selected. You can rename it at this time. Some viewers offer a temporary upload option to temporarily preview your texture before uploading permanently. In most cases, you will want to choose the permanent upload button to continue or Cancel if you’ve changed your mind.

[image – intro2build.16.b]

Once your image is uploaded you will see it open on your screen as a texture, and the texture will be in your Inventory > Textures folder for future use.

[image – intro2build.16.c]

Now rez a prim and in the edit window > Textures tab, drag your new texture onto the texture box to change the texture of the object. Pretty great!

[image – intro2build.16.d]

One other note, while technically you CAN drag a texture directly onto the face an object, in general this is a bad idea because it is very easy to accidentally drag the texture onto the wrong object, which you may not have the permission or ability to repair. It is best to always drag a texture onto the texture box in the edit window to be safe.

In addition to free textures on the web, you can also use a digital camera to take photos of great textures you see – like a great stone wall, a mossy rock or a piece of old paper. And if you are skilled using an image editor, such as Photoshop, you can make great textures.

Do you have another image you would like to upload? Take a minute and do that now.

If you are using the PRIMLAND Tutorial game, stop here and continue on the path!