Mapping Channels

[Krylon64]

Okay,

So here is the deal, I have assigned seperate channels for each material. Make new mapping channels for each map on the object, but can't find how to cross assign the channel to the map in the mapping drop down menu in Rhino...is there a secret mappng menu specifically for vfr? Any thoughts? I followed the manual to the "t", but can't seem to get this function to work properly. I wind up just exploding my polysurfaces, mapping them individually, and then grouping them...but it just feels so cheap and skanky.

Any thoughts would be really appreciated!

~Gabe

[dalomar_cg]

Re: Mapping Channels

I'm going to clarify what your asking about...I'm getting it as one of two possibilities.

1.Q: I have a box and I have one material with 2-3 maps associated with it. You want to map each image on separate faces (kind of like decals).

A: You should technically be able to do that by making sure each of the maps are associated to the correct mapping channel (and if they are decals, disable tiling). Then within the mapping settings you need to add the appropriate # of channels and map each one according to the correct texture. There are two issues with this...First off, sometimes the mapping tool doesn't like this, the channels get messed up, and having the multiple maps doesn't work . The second thing is that if the textures do not have tile disabled then they will keep on repeating, which will never allow the maps from lower layers to appear. So if you are trying to do it this way, then make sure the maps are big enough not to be tiled.

2.Q: I have a box with 2-3 separate materials and want to map them to individual faces of that box (I think this is more what your asking about).

A: That really can't be done right now because rhino doesn't have a per face material assignment that 3rd party renders can use (there is a test command(test commands are essentially "beta" commands that are in development) that is called testperfacematerial, but it doesn't work with other renders for several reasons) So that basically means that you have to do what your doing which is explode the object, apply the individual mappings and group them back together. Joining will not work in this case because it will force the surfaces to just one material again.

Hope that answers you question

[Krylon64]

Re: Mapping Channels

Dalomar is my hero...

Yes, option 2 is what I was talking about. Cheap and skanky it is! ;D

[dalomar_cg]

Re: Mapping Channels

Well if you read my little gray small text, it is something that McNeel is working on, and for the most part it does work. I've had a polysurface with one V-Ray material and a face of the polysurface with another v-ray material. However, as far as I understand it, when the scene is processed and sent to the renderer (V-Ray in this case) it does not look for any subobject materials, its the main material or nothing. This is the situation with all renderers (except the rhino render) at the moment. Hopefully in a coming service release (SR2 at best b/c sr1 is for all intents and purposes released) we can get that changed so that we can support it.

[Krylon64]

Re: Mapping Channels

Yeah, I will be totally stoked when that is out of the beta phase.

The more I asses this issue, the more I realize that it is nothing more that a function of my desire to keep the file tidy. But as usual the ASGVIS dudes clear the air and make things better...woo!

I tried creating multiple diffuse layers to my 'box' material with independent channels per diffuse and then map planar map channels to each face as a fleeting last hope of fooling rhino...but alas. No bueno.

Thanks again!

~Gabe

[Krylon64]

Re: Mapping Channels

*erhm...I mean assess.

[dalomar_cg]

Re: Mapping Channels

Well you could do it by having the multiple diffuse layers/mapping channels as I suggest in option 1. The thing is that you have to make sure your maps are big enough to cover what you need and that its set not to tile. You will also need to make the main transparency color white, but in the transparency mapping put a black map that is set not to tile. As long as you don't want different reflections for each texture you should be good.

[Krylon64]

Re: Mapping Channels

yargh....haha...I'll try it!

[Krylon64]

Re: Mapping Channels

Oh boy...So now I am completely exploiting my ignorance of texture mapping here but...


Egads...I think that is right.

[dalomar_cg]

Re: Mapping Channels

I ran through a test real quick, and there are a few tricks that need to happen...I'll post it later when I can put it in a way that everyone can understand.

[Krylon64]

Re: Mapping Channels

*bows to master*

[dalomar_cg]

Re: Mapping Channels

Sorry for the little delay, but here's the rundown... As far as the material goes, its pretty close to setting up a decal material. So for each layer/map that you have map it to the diffuse under a specific mapping channel (1,2,etc) with tile disabled. You will also need to make a plain black map (doesn't matter how big) and map that to the transparency using the same mapping channel as the diffuse with the base transparency color being white. It is important that a map is used as opposed to trying to just set the color or something like Acolor because it will just continue on and not let the lower layers show.

With the actual mapping there is something that your going to need to take notice of. For my example of the box, each of the 3 visible faces has its own planar map associated with it (for each of the different channels). The thing is that each of those maps cannot go all the way to the edge of the material. If they do, then the edge of the top most map will get pulled along the other face. In the bottom left of the screenshot you can see how the maps themselves don't go all the way to the edge. Also there's a decent chance that in creating/moving the new channels that an older one might get messed up, so just go back and re do that mapping and it usually takes care of it...Hope this helps abit...also, the rendered viewport (what the screenshot shows) is not going to help much so don't let it tell you whether its working or not.

[Krylon64]

Re: Mapping Channels

Thanks very much for taking the time to help me with this. I think this a very good start to solve my wish. I will go play.

;D