Good Texture Site

[rcallicotte]

http://www.diamondfireglass.com/premixed_crystals.html

If you click on any one of these images, it comes up with an 800X500 image.  You'll need to edit it to get rid of the text, but it could be useful for fake stones.

[Oshyan]

Just beware of copyright concerns with using these...

- Oshyan

[rcallicotte]

Really?  Just for making fake stones?  I seriously wonder how that could infringe on their copyrights.  I won't be cutting into their business.  The way I understand copyright law comes from trying to publish writing.  Is there some sort of precedence I need to understand in British law or otherwise that would mean I can't take a picture from the Internet to use as a texture on something I create in TG2? 

[Oshyan]

Is there some sort of precedence I need to understand in British law or otherwise that would mean I can't take a picture from the Internet to use as a texture on something I create in TG2? 

Yes, absolutely. Re-use of anyone else's copyrighted materials without permission is potentially illegal, at least in the US and probably the UK as well (you'll have to look into the relevant UK laws yourself). Of course whether you'll get caught if you're just using it for personal, artistic purposes is questionable, but that doesn't change the fundamental legality of it. There are some exceptions for "fair use", but the terms of this are ill defined in the US.

Copyright certainly does cover more than writing, too. This Wikipedia article may help give some more details:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright

Unfortunately it is a complex subject, but the bottom line is it's always best to get permission unless it is already explicitly given at the source of the material in question (e.g. the website has a notice that says "You may re-use these images for your own purposes as long as there is no commercial use.", etc.).

- Oshyan

[rcallicotte]

Thanks Oshyan. 

The only copyright I found on the above site is - Diamond Fire Glass® is a Registerd Trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Offices.  The pictures themselves have no copyright and this quote from Wikipedia seems to keep the use of these under safe practice - "For example, the copyright which subsists in relation to a Mickey Mouse cartoon prohibits unauthorized parties from distributing copies of the cartoon or creating derivative works which copy or mimic Disney's particular anthropomorphic mouse, but does not prohibit the creation of artistic works about anthropomorphic mice in general, so long as they are sufficiently different to not be deemed imitative of the original..."

I might be safe to use these as textures, especially since the site is about their end product - jewels.  Nevertheless, I won't know unless they make it clearer.

[Oshyan]

As far as I know, in the US anyway, anything that is published is automatically copyrighted to the originator/author. As for the Micky Mouse reference, you are not creating a similiar but non-derivative work - you are talking about actually using the images from that page, which would at the least be considered derivative, if not distribution of copies. Finally, the subject of the site purpose is irrelevant to the copyright issue. The material is copyrighted regardless and although the site creator may not care since they're not actually selling the images, you really can't make that assumption.

As I said, bottom line it's *always* a good idea to ask permission.

- Oshyan

[rcallicotte]

Thanks.  You're right.

[BPauba]

WEll, I tihnk I can add a bit to the texture site list!

sxc.hu
http://mayang.com/textures/
http://resurgere.deviantart.com/

Those are the three I visit when I need some more textures. Resurgere is AWESOME by the way, download their absttract packs. You will be amazed!

[gregsandor]

Really?  Just for making fake stones?  I seriously wonder how that could infringe on their copyrights.  I won't be cutting into their business.  The way I understand copyright law comes from trying to publish writing.  Is there some sort of precedence I need to understand in British law or otherwise that would mean I can't take a picture from the Internet to use as a texture on something I create in TG2? 

Your simplest solution is to email them and just ask.  Tell them what you want to do, include links to your renderings, and tell them how you wish to use the images.

[Will]

I usually just go out around town with a camera and take pictures of whatever I need then edit it in PS.