Problem when applying materials to cut surfaces

[Stewart Reid]

Hi there,

 

Problem when applying materials to cut surfaces

 

Can anyone please help me? :confused:I am in the process of modelling a house in 3ds max 9. I have encountered the above problem and can't seem to find a solutuion.

 

In image A everything is fine. My roof has a tile texture added and it looks ok.

 

In image B I have formed my roof into an editable poly and under the Modify panel have selected the relevant edges of my roof, used the 'Connect' tool under 'Edit Edges' to form a hole for my roof lights and deleted the hole. No problem.

 

However as can be seen in image C when I turn Smooth + Highlights back on in my view the material becomes stretched and shrunk because of my alterations. I think I may need to join up my broken parts again but don't know how to do this.

 

Thank you in advance

 

Stewart Reid

 

ps - Would like to sing the praises of Brian and Joel at MentalboutMax. Their tutorials are unbelievable. Great value for money. I thouroughly enjoyed the 'Elevated Life' series.

[Peter M. Gruhn]

You need to learn about UVW mapping. It's how to say "this part of the model goes to this part of the texture". For your roof, you could apply one "UVW Mapping" modifier, planar, align X or Y. You'd have to adjust the period of your stripes.

 

You should learn how to apply two, one for each slope with Normal Align. I know how I did that on my last job (8 different mappings) but I don't know if that's a good way, so I'll let somebody else how the real people do it.

 

Yes, I'm being a little terse because UVW mapping is a critical skill and a rather large topic that you really do need to sit down and open the book on before we start the in depth tutorials.

[Peter M. Gruhn]

If you're in a hurry and that's all gobbledygook, you may be able to get away with turning on the "Preserve UVs" check under Edit Geometry. For me (max 9) using pinch and slide in Connect does not preserve. So create the loops you need w/ pinch and slide at zero. Then select edge loops (select one edge on each and hit ctrl-l) then move them with the move gizmo AND under Edit Geometry: Constraints: (I used) Edge. For only two windows like you had there, it seemed to do a fine job.

 

(yay, I learned something today)

[Stewart Reid]

Hi Peter,

 

Thanks for taking the time to help. I know I'm not quite up there yet with the terminology but am learning. Your second post sounded the most appropriate for me because I would prefer not to have a lot of UV maps on just one plane of roof.

 

However, I think I must be doing something wrong because I can't seem to get it to work. I check the Preserve UV's, select the appropriate edges and have constraints set to edge but when I use the move Gizmo the whole roof gets distorted. I must be missing something. Please see my attachment.

 

Any ideas ?

 

Regards

 

Stewart

Edited January 21, 2009 by Stewart Reid

[Peter M. Gruhn]

I hear you re: the jargon. Everything has tons of it and you have to lug a dictionary to every new venture.

 

Hard for me to say without watching just what you think you are doing.

 

The constraints only work if the thing can move in the direction you want along the right kind of thing. If you move right and there are no edges to the right the end vertices will try climbing up the sides.

 

If you moved the end of the roof "in" it should slide along those lines fine. If you move it "out" it should freak out.

 

For my brief bit utilizing the edge constraints and preserve uv:

 

Make your roof per usual.

Use edge connect to add the extra lines you need w/o pinch or slide*.

Turn on preserve uv.

Turn on edge constraints.

Then you can move the new lines inside the roof plane without their escaping.

 

 

Another possibility is that you have snaps on. Snaps and moving by pulling on the move gizmo usually make a mess for me.

 

* or maybe you could place those lines when you make the roof. Are you extruding? Just increase path and shape steps.

[Stewart Reid]

Thanks Peter,

 

Will give this a go tonight ?

 

Regards

 

Stewart:)

[Stewart Reid]

Hi Peter,

 

I tried it again as per your last post and got success. Yaaahhhhoooo.

 

Thanks so much for your help.

 

Please see attachment.

 

Regards

 

Stewart

[Peter M. Gruhn]

That's beautiful man.

 

You know, you can make two holes so it's filled in between the windows.

 

Another point of interest: I can't tell if there is geometry on the roof at the holes going from front to back. You've got windows in there, so "who cares" but as an aside

 

- boundary (not edge)(I mean, edge will work but it's more effort) select

- select top and bottom boundaries of hole

- Bridge button