Texturing a pavement that curves

[stevesideas]

I realise you can do this using UVW unwrapper but Im wondering is there an easy way to make a tiled paving texture follow a path (im thinking illustrator, although I've yet to find out how to do this). Then bring that into photoshop and dirty up etc.

I created a road by bringing a tiled texture into photoshop but the warp tools are very limited and its not easy to follow a curve. I was thinking the illustrator or similar route might be the best route.

[super gnu]

why not use max to make the texture? set up a spline as a rectangular rendereable. assign your rectangular texture, tiled as many times as you want.
go in a top view, and push and pull the verts till it is the shape you want.. then render out at high res from the top view.. voila.. curvy texture.

[stevesideas]

That would work well if the path was equal width but it widens at the mid point and then reduces back down again whilst all the time curving in different directions.

[dlparisi]

I've used spline mapping before with some pretty good results. It's part of the UVW unwrapper but I didn't think this was what you're referring to.

[MoonDoggie]

It's always tough. Note: this won't work for many situations, BUT there is: scale options on the sweep modifier that allows you to control the width of the sweep down the path. Maybe that helps a bit? Otherwise, start unwrapping.

[lukx]

Steve, you can always just flat uvmap path bring it to photoshop and use pupet warp to match your texture with path Check my iron asylium tutorial on creating pants stitching texture http://www.cgarena.com/freestuff/tut...um/asylum6.php

[chrisjacks21]

It's always tough. Note: this won't work for many situations, BUT there is: scale options on the sweep modifier that allows you to control the width of the sweep down the path. Maybe that helps a bit? Otherwise, start unwrapping.

Colin - I have never seen a scale option on the sweep modifier??

[simmsimaging]

I may be misunderstanding your requirements, but I think Railclone (from Itoosoft) would be a great tool for this as it can bend the road and texture together. Using smaller sections you get fairly minimal stretch in the textures.

Haven't used it a ton yet but seems to do that kind of thing very well.

[mikeh]

I always thought UV Unwrap was the exact tool for this, using spline mapping and then adjusting the verts in the UV Unwrap editor to widen where the road widens and shrink where it shrinks. i just got through mapping a number curving roads that curve in vert direction and horizontal direction using the spline mapping tool. i created a spline that was in the center of the road and then adjusted the map in the material editor and the UV Unwrap editor at the same time. I must be missing something if that doesn't work for you. My spline was glued to the roads using Itoosofts Glue tool.
mh

[glorybound]

Railclone (from Itoosoft) was my first thought. I use a sweep (not loft) when I do my curbs.

[Neilg]

If unwrapping is taking too long, you could model it in very low poly with a meshsmooth on it. This is what I tend to do now, and it makes such a difference in speed when your bends only have 2 segments.

[stevesideas]

I always thought UV Unwrap was the exact tool for this, using spline mapping and then adjusting the verts in the UV Unwrap editor to widen where the road widens and shrink where it shrinks. i just got through mapping a number curving roads that curve in vert direction and horizontal direction using the spline mapping tool. i created a spline that was in the center of the road and then adjusted the map in the material editor and the UV Unwrap editor at the same time. I must be missing something if that doesn't work for you. My spline was glued to the roads using Itoosofts Glue tool.
mh

I find that using the spline method works to an extent but the textures are stretching too much when I expand them to fit the wider areas.

I'll check out railclone...it looks pretty powerful.

[voltron7]

Railclone if you want to buy something, is awesome.

But this is also a great tutorial from xoio that may be an excellent free solution for you...