Aligning an image texture to a 3D surface?

[bludmer]

I am having trouble aligning an image texture I created to the 3D surface it is applied to. I have succesfully created the material, applied it to the surface, and scaled it to the correct size, but can not seem to align it correctly to the object. The 3D object itself is very irregular and the image was designed to fit that shape exactly. The applied image remains offset from the parameters of the shape and I am unable to adjust it. I'm very confused. Thanks

[MikeScott]

Try using the "fit to object" option, in the modify material options for that specific material, and set the U and V values to 1. It will then scale itself to match the object, based on a "bounding box". The graphic merely has to be cropped so that the lowest, leftmost point of the image is also the leftmost point of the object.(same with the rightmost lowest point and the corresponding Highest points)

 

That's the easy fix.

 

If that's not working due to the irregularity of the shape.. then take it off the "fit to object." Then use the SETUV command, select the object, and adjust how the image is mapped to the object.

 

Normally, if you're not using "fit to object", Autocad is taking a position in the drawing that's not on the object and then calculating how that image will look if it tiles from that point and then hit's the object. With SETUV, you can add offsets and suchlike to manuevar the image tiling until it aligns properly.

 

One thing to keep in-mind though when using tiling, and not "Fit to object".. if you move the object, the material's alignment won't travel with it, so you'd need to readjust it if it's moved or rotated.

 

I'm hoping there's just one of these objects, and not mulitple.. because if Fit to object isn't working, you'd need to use SETUV on each object individually.

[bludmer]

Thanks for your help. I can't seem to find a "Fit to object", is that the same as "fit to gizmo"? However, I did have some success with the planar mapping. (SETUV) I've attached a rendering of the object. The "Library" header is the object, and there is a painted rendering of that object which I need to attach to the surface. This is as close as I could get it...Thanks again.

[MikeScott]

the perspective is stretching the 3d model differently than the map itself.

 

I suspect that the map width is off. The map isn't reaching the furthest point of the "Y" or even properly covering the width of the stem of the "L"

 

Are the letters on different planes?

 

If this were my rendering, I'd make the pink gradient as one map that I apply to the whole thing.

Then I'd make a blue cloud map (a repeating tile) and make the clouds a seperate solid item.

Then I'd offset the edges of the letters (or recreate them) so that there's a seperate solid that makes up the black outline.

 

It'd be slightly more rendering time, but you wouldn't have any of the placement issues you're having now.

 

Are you able to see the texture while it's being moved/resized? If not, check your options --> System --> Display settings --> Properties --> render options --> show materials.

[Cad64]

I would just create a flat plane, slap the "Library" texture on it and then add an Opacity map.

[MikeScott]

Yeah, that's the best method. I'm on 2004 and didn't realize AutoCAD was doing that now.

 

Works well enough on other editors though.