When another artist opens your model, they expect all bitmap textures to load seamlessly—without errors or unnecessary troubleshooting. They also expect textures and materials to have meaningful, identifiable names.
If textures are difficult to locate or materials are ambiguously named, artists waste valuable time searching for the right files and deciphering their purpose. To avoid these issues, follow these best practices:
Meaningful Bitmap Texture Names
Remember that your model will often be merged into another scene with other models. When the bitmap textures and materials are named correctly, it makes it much easier for an artist to find, edit, and replace them as needed.
Beyond naming your textures and materials clearly, make sure to strip out all bitmap paths referenced within your 3d application. Otherwise, error messages will appear when your scene is loaded, stating that your bitmaps can’t be found even when they’re included with the model.
No Texture Paths
Your model should not contain explicit file paths for bitmap textures. Instead, package all necessary files in a flat folder structure—meaning all textures and assets should be in a single directory without subfolders.
A flat file structure is essential for several reasons:
Efficiency – Artists won’t need to sift through multiple subfolders to find textures.
Compatibility – It prevents unfamiliar folder structures from interfering with a team’s production pipeline.
Flexibility – If a user prefers a different organization, they can easily create their own folders and relocate textures accordingly.
Bitmap Textures and Materials Checklist
Before finalizing your model, ensure your textures and materials meet these requirements:
Meaningful names for bitmap textures and materials.
No unused textures/materials lingering in the scene (e.g., in 3ds Max’s Material Editor).
No explicit texture paths referenced in your 3D application.
Flat file structure – all bitmap textures packaged in a single directory within the ZIP or RAR archive.
Most 3D software includes a tool for packaging textures with a model to ensure all required files are included. Refer to your application’s Help section for details on how to do this.