DIRT!: Patreon 3D Model Archive

3D Model

This month brings us something a bit unusual: dirt! One of the more frustrating things about rendering ground in 3D is that it almost always has to be covered in something: leaves, straw, brush, debris, you name it. Otherwise, it’s this lumpy, solid mass, even if it has a really good texture and normal maps. To address this, I delved into Modo’s particle systems and created a series of lumps to scatter small bits of dirt down their sides, gathered in the hollows and crannies in order to resemble an actual pile of dirt.

On top of this was layered multiple ground textures, to accomodate the fact that dirt piles like these are often a composition of many different environments, with the lighter materials on top. It works well on its own, or in ecosystems to populate across large areas, and comes in four final texture sets: light, brow, mossy, and grassy. Enjoy!