I’m a rookie in C4D. I’m getting much more comfortable modeling, but the textures and materials are giving me some problems that I can’t figure out. I’m doing some product visualization of a web cam. I’m trying to apply an alpha logo to just the front of the camera. The tutorial I was working with did this via UV mapping. I simply selected the front facing polys and applied my logos to those. It looked correct on the front of the camera, but when I looked at the back of it, the logo was squished and repeated to where it almost looked liked a distressed texture.
So, my second attempt, I selected all of the polys for the UV map and went through the same process (Front Projection, exporting it to photoshop, placing the logo and assigning it to a new material.) Again, it looked great on the front of the object, but again, on the back of the object the logo was mirrored over. (Just once though, no crazy tiling). Does anyone have any suggestions on what I’m doing wrong?
IF you don’t like that it goes to the back side of your model, then shut it off. The common way would be to click on the Texture Tag in the Object manager, then go to the Attribute Manager and there set it as follow: Side>Front.
Sometimes it might be a good idea to just select the polygons for the area, and make a polygon selection. (Select>Set Selection) The resulting Selection Tag that appears in the Object Manager right sided from the object, can be then dragged into the (Texture Tag active) Attribute manager and there into the “Selection Field”, to limit the Texture tag are to that specific Polygon selection.
Thanks for the quick response. Using a set selection to apply the texture worked like a charm. I feel extremely accomplished now that the problem is solved!
Alright, I’ve got another issue. What causes the texture to stretch like attached pics? I’m having a hard time finding a solution. Im using the UV Edit with a flat projection within the editor. Advice?
Any chance to post the scene file? Images have only a certain value to spot problems. But I would guess with some certainty, that you really have projected the texture flat over the object, and yes, then this is just as it should be. If you use flat only once to apply it to an object, and especially done in a single step only, no adjustments to the surface direction, then yes, that is 100% as it is supposed to be. UV mapping doesn’t work very well if you use just a single flat projection for a 3D object. Sorry, you need to do more.
You might find the answer of course in the UV Edit workspace, by selecting the polygon in the edit window and check how it is working in the UV editor.
Select a point of the UV polygon in question and move it, you get instantly feedback in the editor via (the perspective view for example)
You might go as well in the Standard workspace and check the scene with the texture tool. If in Flat mode (I know you use UV, but before you project) you should see a yellow grid, which allows for a certain prediction.
You’re welcome. Before I suggest to go along all projection tutorials, perhaps you “right mouse click” on the field in the Texture Tag (Attribute manger) where you set up the projection: To request the Help Content. That is the fastest way to get an overview.
The idea that you plant into my head while talking about UV and Flat projection, is like the follow—first select parts of the object, then set up a specific projection, and apply this to the UV(W) information inside the UV Tag. Otherwise—If set e.g., to Flat as projection method, you don’t use any UV information at all! UVs have no influence then. In this way I was not clear where you are at the moment and requested reduced model. Sorry, I don’t like to get the full model, for several reasons. One is, that in many cases the solution becomes clear while producing the reduced version. Honestly, I got in the past “monster” files, with the result to have to investigate up to an hour what part influences what. Certainly not part of my idea what I like to provide here. I want that the stuff becomes clear to the artist, not solving project files with perhaps only a little educational effect.
Having said that, I have attached a file to showcase the idea.
Flat is like a poster that moves flat through an object, and where ever the poster print touches the surfaces it colors the surface.
What you need to do is to work directly on the UV mesh. The carbon like fabric is flexible and if set into the mold it becomes stretched or squeezed before the next layer is produced. It is not something that an automated process can do for you, with more or less complex geometry. As in reality, the more complex the shape, the more you can bet that it was manual work.
I understand completely about the file. I had optimized the file to the best of my ability, but it kept teetering around 4mb. (I suppose it was the texture?)
As far as texture mapping goes, it has been a challenge to find UVW mapping tutorials that don’t involve organic objects. (ex, faces, animals) I do understand some elements of it, but I feel like I haven’t been able to grasp the “big picture” so to speak.
I’m attaching a couple more images of the process I’ve been going through. I’ve seen users relax the UV by selecting edges and points, but I’m having a hard time applying that knowledge to my project. I’m feeling a bit in over my head with it. Do you recommend any tutorials or other training to allow me to grasp this subject better that would apply to product visualization?
This looks like a very dense mesh. Do you have the mesh before it went into a HyperNURBS? In this state (very dense), as it is now, manual work seams nearly impossible for the kind of texture that you like to have. the pre-HyperNURBS state copied (without texture) in a new project and the file size should be small.
It need to be relaxed, but as I do not have it here*, I can’t even explore it. The given texture makes it not to an simple task. As I mentioned above these carbon fabrics adopt to a certain degree to the shape by expanding or become squeezed. I have no idea how to do that with an automated process.
*(BTW, people use all kind of options to share files, like Dropbox). To ahve an option to exchange files with clients is anyway advisable, or to use it as external backup, far away from back up 1 and 2. But quite honestly, I would like to start with the pre-HyperNURBS state. Some suggested to give them my e-mail, but that has lead in the past only to the impression that this “channel” is now open and a constant stream of question came in. I’m focused on forums questions. In that way, many people can share and participate. So, check out drop box, Patric had introduced it in the Cineversity-old forum.
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Learning UV, my best advice, start out with a Plane, set to 3x3 segments, make it editable. Apply a texture (flat) to it. Then use the middle polygon and explore what happen when you move it, scale it, move the points. Observe the results. Do that at least for an hour until it is really in you. The typically “I got it” and can we continue, that I found in some class rooms, will lead only to the question an hour later “what do I need to do?”. So I like to spend normally time on it. It is an essential knowledge to get the idea of UV. Some people argue that PTex is the next step and we shouldn’t worry about UV at all anymore. Well, PTex is connected with a single mesh, no reuse of any texture (So far my knowledge about and why we don’t use it in C4D.
Yes, mesh is dense, but I suppose I understood the process incorrectly, as I thought the object couldn’t have a modifier applied to use the UV. I’ve attached a link to my project file with the unflattened geometry.
I will definitely work on the plane tutorial. I really want a grasp on this concept!!
And just a side note: The mouse that I’m creating simply uses a screen printed texture for the carbon fiber look, so the texture on the 3D object should be symmetrical.
The provided model is a volume model, and not at all the pre-HyperNurbs Model, which makes is—as mentioned—nearly impossible to work. The model has at least 400% too many polygons, especially on the edges. Which is not fun nor efficient to work with. I had asked for the low poly model… Anyway:
It leaves me only to suggest to you, type RELAX into the tutorial search and find there all you need to unwrap and relax the mesh.
N-Gons are great helpers while modeling, but I never leave them in the model when I’m done. As the software takes them over to split them in quads and triangles. Perhaps not in the way you would like that.
As you can see in the image, I select a point and move it it. I do not use anything else than the Color Grid. It shows me clearly where I am, and a texture is only confusing at that state.
Again, move the points around to fit the texture, get used to short cuts e,r,t; 1,2,3 and the space bar. These are the big ones for that work to get fast.
I have relaxed the top part, after selected all the polygons for it.
In the HyperNURBS you find three options in a single pulldown menu that allows for a different Texture handling. Look it up in the manual and find the one that works best for you.
My example (attached) is not fine-tuned, that would take too much time of course, and it is certainly you work, hehe.
