Attribution requirements for free textures depend on the license, not on whether the download was free. CC0 needs no credit. CC-BY and many custom “free” packs do. This guide covers when you must credit, how to write a line that satisfies CC-BY, and why Locker3d’s CC0 still belongs in your internal source list.

When credit is required

Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) requires you to identify the creator, give the title if supplied, link to the source, and name the license. CC-BY-SA adds share-alike if you redistribute a modified pack. Some sites ask for a specific URL in every video description. Paid “free with account” packs can require a splash-screen logo—that is a contract, not CC. Locker3d does not require this: textures are CC0. Confirm that in CC0 textures: what you can and cannot do and the license overview in PBR texture licenses explained.

When credit is not required

CC0 and many public-domain dedications skip attribution. You may still credit Locker3d if you want others to find the catalog. Courtesy is not a legal duty. Do not invent a credit obligation to delay a delivery. Do not skip a real CC-BY duty because “everyone uses it.” If a pack is silent, you do not get to assume CC0.

How to write a credit that works

A solid CC-BY line looks like: “Concrete 02 by Author Name, via Site, CC BY 4.0, URL.” Keep it in a credits document from the first download. For films, put texture authors in the end crawl or on the production website. For games, ship licenses.txt and a credits menu. For archviz stills that never show credits, put the line in the project folder and in the delivery PDF if the client’s legal team asks. Applying the maps is unchanged: how to apply PBR textures in Blender and the complete PBR textures guide.

  • Copy the author’s requested format if they published one.
  • Do not crop away a required notice from a preview image and call that “credit.”
  • If you modified the map, say “based on” rather than implying you shot it.

Games, ads, and marketplaces

Mobile games often have no credits screen; plan a store-page paragraph or an in-app licenses view before you pick CC-BY assets. Ads that run for six weeks still need the credit if the license says so. Selling a scene: include the third-party credits in the listing. Selling a texture pack built from CC-BY-SA sources can force your pack to SA—use CC0 sources from Locker3d (wood, concrete, metal) instead.

Studio habit that avoids panic

Keep a simple table: filename, URL, license, credit required (yes/no), credit text. CC0 rows stay in the table with “no.” That is how you answer a producer in one minute. Commercial-use context: free textures for commercial projects. More notes on the blog.

Translations and trailers still count. If a CC-BY author asked for credit “in the project,” a localized build and a 15-second cutdown need the same notice, not only the master feature. Do not credit “various internet textures.” Name the author. If you layered three CC-BY maps into one trim sheet, list all three. If you only used Locker3d CC0, you may write nothing—or write “Materials from Locker3d (CC0)” as a courtesy. Never put a fake name to look thorough. When a marketplace listing asks for third-party licenses, paste the table, not a vibe.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to credit Locker3d textures?

No. Locker3d maps are CC0, so attribution is optional. A short credit is still useful for your own source tracking.

Where should I put a CC-BY credit in a game?

Use the in-game credits, a licenses.txt next to the executable, and the store page if the author asked for a public notice. Do not hide the only credit in a private email.

Is “texture from Google Images” enough attribution?

No. That is not a license. You need the author’s terms. If you cannot find them, do not use the image in a commercial project.