Help! I'm a long-time Ray Dream user, new to this forum. Only recently has my frustration level risen to the point where I'm looking for some advice, specifically: texture map placement. For example, I have a spaceship model, wedge shaped (wide base, taper to a point). I want to apply one overall shader containing ship's markings, panel bump lines, glow areas for windows, etc. But I find that RDS doesn't allow me to make my texture maps conform to the wedge shpae of the model. In other words, if my original t-map is rectangular out of Photoshop, RD distorts the map as it wraps it around the wedge. If i make my t-maps with a triangular area (but of course the file is still rectangular) i still get the distortion, plus the white pixels outside my triangular map shapes. Is there a way to solve my problem? thanks!!

Yep, you're using planar mapping for the object - so only one side will have the image and pass through to the other. anything in the middle will look warped. You can make a map that will be on every side if you set the mapping mode as a full box and make a map that way. You can use Steve Cox's UV mapper to help you make a template for the full box, load it into Photoshop and apply textures to every side of the box so it will show that way on the object. It's a little tricky, but after a few tries you can figure it out. There is a tutorial around here for full box mapping, ie mapping a cube. Anyone know the specifics about this? One thing though, depending on how the object is orientated in say, the vertex modeller will determine how the full box texture will look.

hmmm... i'll give it a look-see. One thing I failed to mention. This object was created in the free form modeling space. Would that make a diff? thanks for the quick response!! Now, off to waste more company time ;)

graylensman, Sounds like NAZGUL has you covered on the problem. I would like to welcome you to the forum. I would love to see some of your work down the road. Best Regards, Clint

Hmm, I it could effect how the map looks - I believe that the "full box" mapping mode involve explicit UV coordinates. So depending on how the mesh was made in the modeller will determine which end is up. I hope you understand what I mean. Just because the orientation of the object is front to back in the layout, doesn't mean that it's UV will be that way. I usually end up converting everything to the vertex modeller so I can rotate the object so the right end is where is should be according to the UV. Someone else out there knows ALL the answers to these questions! I really don't know how to set the UV coordinates specifically. I think there needs to be a RDS specific tutorail on UV mapping, everyone always says, use Steve Cox's UV mapper, but I'm no expert at it and it doesn't always line up correctly in RDS. Anyone have any ideas, I'd love to hear them too.

I have broken models apart -- top and bottom or left and right -- and mapped them in Photoshop, using single face mapping mode and had very satisfactory results. I render a view of the top part of the object from the top. Move that into Photoshop. Paint the textures using the top view as a placement reference. (Any part of the texture that goes beyond the edge of the model as viewed from the top is ignored by RDS.) Then I render a view of the bottom part of the object as viewed from the bottom -- do the same thing. The trick is using single face mapping under box / face. The map will still stretch and warp a bit as the objects contours veer away from the plane you're mapping to, but it's the best solution I've come up with so far. BTW: I've been a fan of EE "Doc" Smith since I was a kid; I love your handle here, lensman....

Okay, i've downloaded Cox's UV mapper, followed his directions, played with it a bit, AND I STILL DON"T GET IT! I may not be the sharpest tool, but I get the feeling I'm missing something somewhere. The Ray Dream user's Guide is none too helpful. The only real mention of UV mapping that I found talks about how boolean perations will change UV coordinates; there is brief discussion of mappping modes (parametric/box/cylinder). But nothing more detailed. It's kind of like those how-to-draw books my son has; the first three steps shows five connected ovals, the last step shows a fully detailed F-16. AzChip wrote >I've been a fan of EE "Doc" Smith since I was a kid< Glad someone has picked up the reference! Ten points to you if you can name the field in which the good Doctor received his PhD.

No can do.... I thought EE "Doc" Smith was a pen-name for a woman who couldn't get published in that period.... Don't remember where I heard that, though, so it might be completely off the wall....

Nope. E.E> Smith was indeed male (you may be thining of James Tiptree, Jr. who was a woman [whose name escapes me] who published in the '70s). According to the History of Science Fiction, written by James Gunn, "Doc" Smith received his doctorate in Food Chemistry, and held professional positions as a doughnut mix specialist. You think maybe doughnut holes wre the inspiration for the negasphere?