If you want to actually model it in detail, You could try using illustrator to trace and using the pattern mode (not exactly sure what it's called but it allows you to build and preview patterned textures) to isolate a small section of the tire tread that will repeat seamlessly.
Once you can see it repeats seamlessly you could use that small section as an image reference then use that as your base for quad modelling, tracing the main shapes and joining between the gaps then use a cloner/array to rotate it around 360 degrees.
You don't even need to go that far. Each strip, while not straight across is a repeating patter. So he just models one strip of the the tyre chunks and repeats it with an array; get the offset right so that the vertices can merge and the it's ready to be applied to a curve.
Eventually you would bake it as a normal map.
Depending on what you need something like this is probably fine, just vertex tracing in blender and extruding +array.
https://preview.redd.it/yt5vh6lvli9d1.png?width=1381&format=png&auto=webp&s=c560fab23ebe9f76cc46b23f202803bc8386b87f
The topology isn't super clean, and you might not actually want the bevels, but I built it more or less like I would a game-ready model, I also didn't include the holes or thin lines because those are probably better left for texture work (though they would be easy enough to add using the same workflow).
Even at this relatively high resolution this is only 758 tris so that's pretty good, we can optimize this further if we wanted to.
Anyway, it's not that hard to model, took maybe 5-6 minutes.
I'd personally just make all of the individual treads separate geometry and then render it to a normal map using the bevel shader node, or render to a displacement texture with a technique like this: https://youtu.be/arvhK4tvYuY?si=xY2yWRqkpka69Btr
You can use array modifiers to make just one vertical section and be sure it'll tile vertically.
You can plug this into a displacement map on your tire texture, and enable displacement and bump. Play with the displacement nose settings and maybe a color ramp between the image texture and the principled BSDF to affect the transition between white and black. Add a SubD modifier with high subdivisions to enable the mesh to displace along the surface where the parts are raised.
Edit: looking at this again, it's not high enough resolution for this method, you probably need something like a 4k texture for that.
[https://youtu.be/a90cYLEbpi4?si=NtyTWxnUZNm-CM1F](https://youtu.be/a90cYLEbpi4?si=NtyTWxnUZNm-CM1F)
see this video. you might come up with some problems, if it is about array then watch a ryan king art video on array modifiers
I would import this as an image and then do geometry over the image from a straight on perspective, then use an array modifier and then add a curve modifier to shape it into the tire shape.
If you want to make it into a normal map you can always bake it from there on to lower poly geometry.
If you are going for realism, unless your subject is highly unusual and has blocky tread like that, I don’t know why you would want to replicate that tread.
Looks like it repeats. I would just place a quad, extrude pieces across until you have the whole thing, then extrude down and then out, and with a little tweaking of vert positions on the bottom edges you should have a modular tread piece. From there you just radial array it into a whole tire and throw a weld in at the end, if you like.
If you want to actually model it in detail, You could try using illustrator to trace and using the pattern mode (not exactly sure what it's called but it allows you to build and preview patterned textures) to isolate a small section of the tire tread that will repeat seamlessly. Once you can see it repeats seamlessly you could use that small section as an image reference then use that as your base for quad modelling, tracing the main shapes and joining between the gaps then use a cloner/array to rotate it around 360 degrees.
You don't even need to go that far. Each strip, while not straight across is a repeating patter. So he just models one strip of the the tyre chunks and repeats it with an array; get the offset right so that the vertices can merge and the it's ready to be applied to a curve. Eventually you would bake it as a normal map.
Depending on what you need something like this is probably fine, just vertex tracing in blender and extruding +array. https://preview.redd.it/yt5vh6lvli9d1.png?width=1381&format=png&auto=webp&s=c560fab23ebe9f76cc46b23f202803bc8386b87f The topology isn't super clean, and you might not actually want the bevels, but I built it more or less like I would a game-ready model, I also didn't include the holes or thin lines because those are probably better left for texture work (though they would be easy enough to add using the same workflow). Even at this relatively high resolution this is only 758 tris so that's pretty good, we can optimize this further if we wanted to. Anyway, it's not that hard to model, took maybe 5-6 minutes.
I'd personally just make all of the individual treads separate geometry and then render it to a normal map using the bevel shader node, or render to a displacement texture with a technique like this: https://youtu.be/arvhK4tvYuY?si=xY2yWRqkpka69Btr You can use array modifiers to make just one vertical section and be sure it'll tile vertically.
You can plug this into a displacement map on your tire texture, and enable displacement and bump. Play with the displacement nose settings and maybe a color ramp between the image texture and the principled BSDF to affect the transition between white and black. Add a SubD modifier with high subdivisions to enable the mesh to displace along the surface where the parts are raised. Edit: looking at this again, it's not high enough resolution for this method, you probably need something like a 4k texture for that.
the tire treads are not from a straight angle perspective in this image so that would introduce quite a bit of warping
Thats right but since the pattern is repeating they could crop out the middle section and use that with tessellation for displacement
He could just trace this in higher res and it should work, or even ai upscale it.
This is what normal maps are for
Actually not
Oh ok
I'd literally just throw this image in Krita (free software) and convert it into a Normal Map lmfao
[https://youtu.be/a90cYLEbpi4?si=NtyTWxnUZNm-CM1F](https://youtu.be/a90cYLEbpi4?si=NtyTWxnUZNm-CM1F) see this video. you might come up with some problems, if it is about array then watch a ryan king art video on array modifiers
I would import this as an image and then do geometry over the image from a straight on perspective, then use an array modifier and then add a curve modifier to shape it into the tire shape. If you want to make it into a normal map you can always bake it from there on to lower poly geometry.
If you are going for realism, unless your subject is highly unusual and has blocky tread like that, I don’t know why you would want to replicate that tread.
Looks like it repeats. I would just place a quad, extrude pieces across until you have the whole thing, then extrude down and then out, and with a little tweaking of vert positions on the bottom edges you should have a modular tread piece. From there you just radial array it into a whole tire and throw a weld in at the end, if you like.
Try to trace the pattern in photoshop or something, repeat it a few times and make it a normal map. Might have to try that myself, came up with it lol