How to Retexture a House in Second Life
How to Retexture a House in Second Life
A simple, practical guide
Retexturing a house in Second Life is a basic building task. If an object is modify, you can do this. No scripts. No special tools. No mystical builder powers required.
This guide covers the steps, then explains how to correctly switch a surface from a legacy texture to a PBR material.
Before You Start: Work on a Copy
Always rez a copy of the house and work on that.
Keep the original untouched in your inventory
If you don’t like the result, delete the copy and start over. Delete so you don't get confused later
This removes all pressure to “get it right”
Make this your standard practice.
Step 1: Check Permissions
Right-click the house > Edit
If Modify is checked, you’re good.
If it’s no-modify, face-by-face texturing isn’t possible unless the creator included a HUD.
Step 2: Open Edit and Enable Face Selection
Right-click > Edit
In the Edit window:
Go to the Texture tab
Check Select Face
This is what lets you change one wall instead of the entire house.
Step 3: Select the Surface
With Select Face on:
Click the wall, floor, or surface you want to change
Only that face should highlight
If everything lights up, Select Face isn’t on yet. Click your face till it's the only one highlighted.
*Pro Tip: This is a good time to cam around and see how that piece might affect other areas of your house, like maybe an end that's visible from outside. Good builders usually consider this, but hey... stuff happens. Better to be safe than sorry.
Step 4: Apply a Legacy Texture (Blinn-Phong)
With the face selected:
Stay on the Texture tab (Legacy section)
Click the texture preview box (first box) and select your texture, or drag a texture from inventory into the box or onto the face
Done.
Step 5: Adjust Texture Scale and Position (If Necessary)
Still on the Texture tab:
Repeats (H / V) = scale
Higher numbers = smaller, tiled texture
Lower numbers = larger texture
Offsets move the texture
Rotation turns it
If something feels busy, your repeats are probably too high.
Step 6: Object Size vs Texture Scale
These are not the same thing:
Object tab = physical size of the house or prim
Texture tab = how the texture fits the surface
If you resize the object, you’ll likely need to adjust texture repeats afterward. Normal behavior.
Switching from a Legacy Texture to a PBR Material
If you’re upgrading to PBR, there are two steps. Both matter.
Step 1: Apply the PBR Material
With the face selected, stay on the Texture tab
Open the PBR Materials section
Click the PBR slot the very first slot either with an X in it or another pbr texture already
Apply the PBR material from inventory
Viewers with PBR enabled will now see the material.
Lighting reminder:
PBR responds to light. If you want shine, depth, or reflection, you’ll need lights nearby or a properly lit environment. PBR without lighting is just…polite.
Step 2: Clear the Legacy Texture or Insert Compatible
Look in the PBR folder for Legacy textures also, and add them on the Blinn-Phong tab. If you don’t do this, non-PBR viewers will still see the old texture. If none is included then blank the Legacy texture. Here's how:
In the Blinn-Phong Texture section, click and open as if you were searching for a texture from inventory. On the open pop up look for the button for Blank.
Click Blank on the pop up to open your inventory
Now:
PBR viewers see the PBR material
Non-PBR viewers see a non pbr surface
* Geneva Style It: Use the tint box to tint the blank's space to a color pleasant to the eye resembling your pbr texture. Like if your PBR is black, tint the blank black also.
Common Mistakes (Quick List)
Forgetting Select Face and texturing everything (/me raises hand)
Selecting more than just one face (/me raises hand)
Applying PBR but not addressing the legacy texture (/me raises hand)
Adjusting object size instead of texture repeats (/me raises hand)
Editing the original instead of a copy (/me raises hand)
All fixable. Believe me!
Final Notes
Retexturing is repeatable and low-risk, especially when you work on a copy. If something doesn’t look right, delete it and start again. No harm done. Once you have it textured move it into place and start decorating!
Once you understand face selection and the relationship between legacy and PBR textures, you can retexture anything…houses, interiors, or full builds…with confidence and restraint.
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