With this simple hex model, I achieve lumpy ground look with noise textures generated within Blender. You could easily add your own image instead, but either way uses the same modifiers.
Subdivide the mesh enough so details are visible. This may require quite a few levels, in this case 4.
Then use Displace modifiers with your textures of choice. When first applied, the whole 3D model will be textured. To fix this so only the top gets bumpy, I assign those vertexies to a Vertex Group.
A single loop of verts around the edge of the base really helps here. Select what verts you want to be bumpy, hit the + button to create a new empty Vertex Group, name it, and press Assign to add your verts to this newly created/named Vertex Group.
In the above example, I made two Vertex Groups: "Base Texture" and "Base Flats"
I named them as such because they're both for a miniature base, and one area I want textured, but the other area I want flat/non-textured. All vertices I want bumpy are assigned to "Base Texture" and every other vert in the model gets assigned to "Base Flats."
Now you can have a Modifier only work in areas you desire and not others by telling it a Vertex Group.
If the Modifier is still affecting unintended areas of your 3D model, select those troublesome verts, use the Remove button in the Vertex Group window to take those verts out of your Base Texture group, and Assign to put them where you want (in my case Base Flats).
Don't forget to name all your objects, textures, and vertex groups.
Also if you have trouble with Displace, or any Modifiers really, make sure your model's Scale is set to 1.000, 1.000, 1.000. Do this with "Apply Scale." Modifiers try to be helpful and incorporate your mesh's scale in their calculations, so if those numbers aren't all 1s, the results may look unexpected and difficult to diagnose.
(This post was last modified: 01-07-2024, 05:55 AM by LordCommandHook.
Edit Reason: Ensmalled paragraph spacing
)
Subdivide the mesh enough so details are visible. This may require quite a few levels, in this case 4.
Then use Displace modifiers with your textures of choice. When first applied, the whole 3D model will be textured. To fix this so only the top gets bumpy, I assign those vertexies to a Vertex Group.
A single loop of verts around the edge of the base really helps here. Select what verts you want to be bumpy, hit the + button to create a new empty Vertex Group, name it, and press Assign to add your verts to this newly created/named Vertex Group.
In the above example, I made two Vertex Groups: "Base Texture" and "Base Flats"
I named them as such because they're both for a miniature base, and one area I want textured, but the other area I want flat/non-textured. All vertices I want bumpy are assigned to "Base Texture" and every other vert in the model gets assigned to "Base Flats."
Now you can have a Modifier only work in areas you desire and not others by telling it a Vertex Group.
If the Modifier is still affecting unintended areas of your 3D model, select those troublesome verts, use the Remove button in the Vertex Group window to take those verts out of your Base Texture group, and Assign to put them where you want (in my case Base Flats).
Don't forget to name all your objects, textures, and vertex groups.
Also if you have trouble with Displace, or any Modifiers really, make sure your model's Scale is set to 1.000, 1.000, 1.000. Do this with "Apply Scale." Modifiers try to be helpful and incorporate your mesh's scale in their calculations, so if those numbers aren't all 1s, the results may look unexpected and difficult to diagnose.
