Label on a bottle texture mapping

[Anonymous]

Learning Maya from Max right now.

Sorry for turning to the forum for what I am sure is a simple issue, but I have not been able to find out how to simply create/apply a shader that contains a bitmap w/alpha over another surface texture to create something as simple as say a label on a bottle.

I keep finding apparently older videos that show the Arnold Standard Surface having both refraction, reflection attributes, and that using the texture map in the refraction channel is how you get the label applied, or something like that, but there are no reflection/refraction slots in the ASS shader anymore that I can tell.

Anyway, what is the correct way to get a shader like this. Something so incredibly basic in other applications has me stumped with maya/arnold.

Thanks

Sam

[sean.heasley]

Hi @Anonymous 

I'd be happy to do that for you but I would just be doing the same process I did in the video I sent you.

UV map the bottle, take it into a texturing program like Substance Painter, then just use the textures inside Maya and render.

[Anonymous]

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@sean.heasley wrote:

Hi @Anonymous 

I'd be happy to do that for you but I would just be doing the same process I did in the video I sent you.

UV map the bottle, take it into a texturing program like Substance Painter, then just use the textures inside Maya and render.

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Sean -

While I appreciate the time that you have put into this, please note that from my perspective you have told me -

1. "If you're just looking to assign a texture with an alpha all you have to do is plug the texture into the color tab of the material shader."

2."If you're looking to only work in Maya then no, there isn't a "simple" way to do this. Texturing a prop requires a 3rd party application like Photoshop, Substance Painter, 3D Coat etc."

So with the first one you basically imply "hey, it's simple"

With the second you say "sorry, cant be done"

This thread has left me confused, irritated, angry, frustrated and many other negative emotions.

There must (I repeat MUST) be a way for Maya/Arnold to create a material that has 2 layers, one for the white plastic, one for the label  (that is a bitmap texture).

I literally sent you a file that showed the label in position, I just need to know how to add a second material so that I can tell the area of the bottle not covered by the label to be white plastic.

I cant really think of many more basic things for a 3D app to do, and yet, here we are on the second page of a thread that has gone nowhere in terms of creating a solution to this simple problem.

Sorry for the rant but this is just crazy.

[sean.heasley · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous 

Sorry for the confusion and I understand your frustration. Its hard for me to explain things without knowing what you knowledge of  3d application/Maya is.

To start, yes you can use Arnold to make a material that will have the plastic of a bottle but also have the label. However, a material can not have "layers" that will control where the plastic is and where the label is. One material must be the plastic and a whole separate material will be the label for your specific set up.

The reason I say you can't do this all in just Maya is because you need to have the texture files first. You can't make the textures of the bottle in Maya. At least not good quality ones that have the normal map information you want.

For the file you sent me. Yes you have a bottle broken up into a few pieces including a piece for the label. So, in order to get the result you would like you need to:

1. Create a texture for the bottle itself.
2. Create a texture for the label.
3. Plugin the bottle texture to an Arnold shader.
4. Assign that Arnold shader to the bottle geometry.
5. Plugin the label texture to an Arnold shader.
6. Assign the Arnold shader to the bottle geometry.
7. Add lights etc.
8. Render.

There are dozens of tutorials on this process and workflow out there that I highly recommend to get you started with this type of workflow. This one specifically covers using just a standard shader for the bottle but then an image for the label:

[Anonymous]

Thanks, that'll do it!