Material issues ... again. Image Map Alignement Problem

[LT.Rusty]

I've tried every possible thing I can think of, and this just isn't working.

I've told Inventor that I want the image NOT to repeat or tile, and yet ... as you can see, Inventor really just doesn't want to do it that way.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over?

I've attached the part and the image.  Anyone else got any ideas that don't include decals?  I've got to use appearances so I can render in Showcase.  Decals don't come through so well there.

 

[blair]

Or just do the decal in Showcase...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jhe_s0pgO6s

[LT.Rusty]

That'd be great, except ...

[blair]

Your face is broken, so much for same day productivity....time to go back to the tell.

[LT.Rusty]

How and where is it broken?  You've got the actual part used in the above screenshot & render.  I don't see any broken-ness in it.

[blair]

Part of the "decal" and it's upside down as well. Nice...

[sam_m]

this has nothing to do with a broken face, it's "just" the way Inventor (and a lot of other programs) handle texture images...  it's something to do with the mapping of the image coordinates with the face's coordinates which results in the centre of circle being the bottom-left of the image.

possible solutions:

1) flip the original image about (swapping top-left quadrant with bottom-right &, top-right with bottom-left) - as the attached image.  This is a ball-ache and something we had to do before Inventor rendered decals.

2) use a decal - far far FAR the easiest option, able to control image size, rotation easily while not needing to mess about with image-editing software.

(i'm trying to find a explanation for the reason why the image quadrants get all swapped about but lacking atm...)

[LT.Rusty]

Decal would be great, but it doesn't pass through to Showcase.  I tried that first, before even doing the image map.    Applying the decal in Showcase doesn't render right either, as shown above.

As far as "lots of programs" doing it this way ... I'm not sure I can really agree with that.  I started off in 3D using Lightwave and moved to Modo.  Neither of them has a problem with it.  Heck, even Blender can apply an image map correctly and render it out, and Blender is free.  I don't use Max much (although perhaps I should be starting to) but I'm pretty sure that it can make an image map come out right.

[innovatenate]

A couple of suggestion to try.

1. Try repositioning the image in the texture editor by using the tile repeat option and then off setting the position (enable the link to move x and y at the same scale). See below image

2. With the Link Texture Transform option enabled, the Adjust tool should allow you to position, rotate, and scale a texture within the modeling environment. I'm having some difficulties getting this to work, but I thought that I would mention it, anyway. I'm not sure why I am unable to use this feature, but I'll circle back to this post when I get to the bottom of it.

3. If you are in a hurry, you may just apply the appearance to a larger part and then cut it down to size to match the texture mapping. 

Hope that helps.

[LT.Rusty]

Thanks, I'll try that out.

Question, though - why doesn't it just work the way that it looks like it's supposed to?  Turn the tile off, have the image map centered, or at least be able to move it around with the appearance editor?  The way it is right now, turning the tiling off doesn't even do anything.

[Anonymous]

Hey Nathan...

Did you ever sort this out at all... because I'm trting to do the same thing, adjust the image map... which the help menu says I can do... but my mini toolbar looks just like yours above... no option for image position adjustment. Changing the position in the appearance browser image editor doesn't change the mapping at all.

Chip R.

[innovatenate]

Hi Chip,

The issue has been confimed by development. So far, no other status update is availalbe at this time. If you'd like to send me a copy of what you're working, I'll be happy to try to find a workable solution for you.

Thanks,