topic Re: Decal won't apply around face cutout in Fusion Support Forum

Decal won't apply around face cutout

mark — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 01:47:33 GMT

Hi,

I am trying to apply a decal to a face that has a hole through the middle. When inserting the decal it shows a "handle" at the decal origin to move the decal around into position. This handle appears to be positioned randomly in the middle of the decal image (not at a corner). The handle location is exactly over the hole in the surface I want to apply it and Fusion wont allow me to move it into this position. I've tried editing the position using the coordinate system but it also won't allow the decal origin to move over the hole.

Is there a way to move the decal origin?

How can I apply a decal to a surface with a hole?

I've attached a video showing this problem.

Re: Decal won't apply around face cutout

ryan.bales — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 14:45:12 GMT

So this is a pretty old 'problem' in that the decal origin is the center and you cannot move the origin. It also therefore will not place the origin over a hole or cutout as there is nothing there to bind it to.

The easiest workaround is to create a surface patch of that hole and bind it to that surface. Then you can shut the surface off.

Re: Decal won't apply around face cutout

jhackney1972 — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 15:39:55 GMT

I have been following this Forum post in order to pick up a new trick or two. You mention "The easiest workaround is to create a surface patch of that hole and bind it to that surface. Then you can shut the surface off." I am puzzled what you mean by "bind it to that surface", could you explain this process? Placing a surface patch on the surface is not enough obviously. Thanks for a further explanation of this process.

Re: Decal won't apply around face cutout

ryan.bales — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 16:20:05 GMT

Well its been a long time since testing this i'm not seeing it work like it used to. Its basically paraphrasing from here: https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/fusion-360/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Unable-to-properly-align-decal-in-Fusion-360.html

Re: Decal won't apply around face cutout

jhackney1972 — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 17:03:42 GMT

Thanks for the solution link. It seems to work just fine. Of course I am bridging the hole, I think the original poster wanted to apply it, position it and then leave the hole open with the decal showing around the hole.

Re: Decal won't apply around face cutout

mark — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 22:00:58 GMT

You are correct John Hackney I wanted to leave the hole in the middle. If I create a patch and put the decal on the patch, then turn the patch off the decal is also turned off.

I haven't quite been able to understand how the above work-arounds posted by Ryan Bales are used, but I've sort of improvised them by placing a png image with a transparent background (with the hole cut out) onto a body with a clear acrylic material. It means I do get a slight reflection of acrylic in the hole during render which I can live with. Note that reducing the body opacity to zero does not work as the decal disappears completely.

Re: Decal won't apply around face cutout

wmhazzard — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 02:05:49 GMT

I think the only way to do what you want is to place the decal on the face before the hole is cut out. Make sure to deselect chain faces on the decal so that the decal doesn't wrap around the hole.

Re: Decal won't apply around face cutout

mark — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 02:34:24 GMT

Yes I thought so too but when the hole is cut the decal origin resets itself into a new location to the side of the hole.

Re: Decal won't apply around face cutout

peter_caddy — Tue, 27 May 2025 07:37:14 GMT

I too have been having problems with putting decals on plates with holes in the middle. I did try to add the decal first and then add the hole second but when I add the hole the decal moves into the wrong place. I did some searching and found a forum post from 9 years ago with this same issue but it seems it's way down on the list of things to fix 😞

Did you ever manage to find a solution?