Placing a Decal at Correct Scale

[davidcuesta76]

Correct Scale

I have a decal which I have designed in illustrator for a bottle design and saved out as .PNG.

The decal is meant to be 30mm tall. My bottle is 55mm tall. 

I need to know how to import the decal so it is the absolute correct size on the bottle.

Simple enough you would think. However if I take the advice from other posts and make the decal 30px it comes out very low res. 

And even then in imports not really at correct scale. I can manually scale it but that is not very precise.

What is the best tested and true way to get the decal to appear in its actual correct size at hi enough res that it does not look pixelated.

Perhaps I could use a different tool, but I actually just want to place it as a label.

[davidcuesta76]

Ok.... so perhaps you may want to go back to read the whole thread.

1. You may also stop and think that If I was doing renders like the ones above in 2016, then I think I can figure out how to roughly place the decal in the right place using some other element as a guide. If you look at the renders I don't think I am struggling to place decals in the right place.

2.  What you overlook is that I am not looking for a work around. 

3. I want to be able to place a decal exactly at correct scale in about 2 mins to speed up my professional work flow.

4. What you are suggesting is like 3-4 extra steps and not very precise.

5. Having used the feature many many times I can well and truly tell you it is not currently fit for purpose.

The thread clearly states: what is wrong with the feature, how it needs to work and lots and lots and lots and lots of people seconding the motion.

I know you're trying to help but what we need is the software to do the necessities well.

[stiller.design]

having a lot of issues too, trying to use Decals for labelling ports on a sheet metal, because the text is different in length they all end up in completely different scales.

why not have a :

- true scale option
- DPI scale option

and please can we get rid of the "Chain Face" being activated? its just causing issues

[magnusbeischer]

Totally agree, though I use Inkscape instead of Corel draw my workflow is the same.

Note to the Autodesk developers and support: We started using FreeCAD in parallell to Fusion 360 and the issue with decals were one of the reasons to go that way. The basic problem should be very easy for Autodesk to solve. Just make the decal use an anchor point on a surface, x and y offset, and dimensions or fixed scale factors (or whatever other implementation that gives an accurate result).

[Phil.E]

Do you have any example images made in FreeCAD to help show what is possible?

[magnusbeischer]

No, the work flow is completely different in FreeCAD, but I can easily achieve what I want when validating that my screen print is ok. In FreeCAD i do that in the drawings section as that environment is compatible with svg and svg is our source format for the screen print. 

The svg can also be included as a sketch and extruded to be a part of the 3D environment in FreeCAD, but that's a different story. 

[Phil.E]

If I hear you correctly, you use decals in 2D drawings in Freecad, is that correct?

[magnusbeischer]

Yes, that workaround solves the bug (or really bad implementation) in Fusion 360 where I need to verify that my screen print / decal is designed correctly (to correct dimensions). I can get the decal about 95 to 98 % correct in Fusion 360 but that is not enough.

[davidcuesta76]

Hiya, 

Can I just sense check, Is it really relevant talking about a workaround that requires another piece of software, where you have to open other software and then reimport it back into Fusion? Or using another piece of software to verify if the decal is correct in Fusion. 

What we need is decal IN FUSION to work correctly.

If you look back to the 2016 conversation @Phil.E  asked for ideas about how to implement a good decal function in Fusion, I gave the example of indesign as one of the best image placement interfaces. Illustrator and Figma are both pretty decent too. Photoshop has it, (Photoshop 3D also has it, I think Dimension has it too.)  

The theory should be 

a) Decal placement respects size of placed file, (checks for DPI and converts DPI to units in fusion) OR does something simpler like makes 1px = 1mm in import.

b) Sets a 0,0 point (Top left or centre of area) on the surface of the face the decal is being attached to. (I understand that this is where the complexity comes in, but I am sure there is a way. Perhaps and idea would be to omit or put an error message when the face is too complex, but certainly on flat faces and cylinders, it should be dead easy, ) 

c) allows you to scale and position the decal off of this 0,0 point.

Mind you I really don't see the need for checking how other softwares do this, if Autodesk can build a program that allows you extrude sketches and then allows you to modify the sketch and then retroactively changes the model (genius!!) then I think they can build a neat little solution about how to respect the resolution of a graphic on a 'face'.

Feels slightly like treading water to me. However other softwares to check may be Maya and Cinema 4d. But the Cinema 4D texture map interface is super complex. Probably overkill for just placing a decal.

dc

[mark.j]

just takes a little effort

[davidcuesta76]

@mark.j isn't the point that we don't want to have to make effort. 

I am not saying I can't do it with the current, feature......................... I am just saying that the feature feels unfinished and does not really accurately actually place and scale the decal in 3D, its always just eyeballing it.

Would it not be nice if it worked precisely 1 click instead of 5? Perfectly at scale, just like everything else in the software.

[mark.j]

That would be awesome!! 

However, working with what's available has always worked best for me. I don't have time to wait or complian. I just do. Once it's available I will adapt 
Bringing the issue to light is great! That's how we get change.
Is there a superior option? Not in my openion. Getting the decal spot on is where I specialize, it took some work but I'm within spec every time on my models because I have to be. But until it's a spot on plug n play, this works for me.

[tom.cleaver]

I have to second this. Given how brilliant Fusion 360 is, and the expert programming knowledge that has clearly gone into it, the fact that you can't import an image of a set size at that same set size is beyond baffling. And why is the sizing seemingly random?

2 times in a row, resizing things to 133 percent works, then the third time, well heaven knows? It's back to endless moving, tweaking and swearing loudly.

[mjames]

The weirdest thing about this problem is that this thread was started SIX years ago and absolutely nothing has been done about it.

[martin.spengler]

I second the original posters request.

If the Scale and Position Numbers qould just not be cumulative that would be an OK solution.

Alternative: Remove the hysteresis on the placement and scale elements.

[tom.cleaver]

And now, in 2023, we're still asking!

[terryHCEB7]

7 years now

[davidcuesta76]

7 years....... zzzzzzzzzzzz

[davidcuesta76]

Feels like autodesk just stopped developing Fusion. Too bad killer piece of software..... oh an thanks for the hike in prices.

[martin.spengler · Accepted solution]

I have to correct my own answer: The workaround from some threads before works quite well. Use a Appearance with an image. Here you can perfectly set the size and position of the image in Units and much more.

[rpotratz_98]

I used inventor for quite a while.  In inventor I could insert the graphic and dimension it.  How hard is it to port that feature over as its peen around for 10 years.