Real World Mapping in 2009 Design

[acjwalker]

Having been using Max 2009 Design for a while now I have a simple query.

 

When ever making new materials and applying UVW maps by default Real World mapping is always ticked, in the UVW map and in the material. I always switch it off.

 

What is the point in it, does anyone actually use it?

[Stephen Thomas]

I was under the impression that real world texture coordinates were off by default rather than on. Anyway I think you can set this by choosing a different option under the Custom UI and Defaults Switcher.

 

You really should give real world coordinates a go, I use them most of the time as it means you only need to set the dimensions once in the material editor rather than per object and it avoids the need for using UVW maps at all if you create your geometry properly.

 

Also it allows you to do things like this which would be hard if not impossible to do using UVW mapping:

[acjwalker]

I'm working on something in my free time so will try it in that. Can definetly see it working with the curved walls, though the headers I do like the way i do it at the moment, with uvw mapping it then applying a bend mod

[Dave Buckley]

the idea behind real world mapping is to simplify the correct scaling of texture mapped materials applied to geometry in the scene. It lets you create a material and specify the actual width and height of a 2d texture map as it is measured in the real world. When you assign that material to an object in the scene, the texture map appears in the scene with the correct scaling.

 

The feature is off by default in 3ds max but is on by default in max design. if you want to turn it off globally in max design there is a checkbox under Customize>Preferences

 

As you say its useful with maps you can measure such as bricks or stone but is harder to use with organic materials or particle based maps like grass or sand. If you don't have the width and height then try and extract it from existing data such as the size of a brick.

 

Once you have the width and height values, you can enter that information in the size (width/height) fields in the co-ordinates rollout of the map in the material editor

[Stephen Thomas]

I guess that's why they have more than one way of doing things. One is sometimes more suited to a particular situation than another. The best thing is to try out different approaches for yourself and see what benefits each has and when you might use it.

[acjwalker]

Ok had a go, works really well on a lofted object will probably use it for that though will probably not use it for much else. May slowly move over but there is the fact that not everything can be measured.

 

Cheers for the heads up guys.

[Nic H]

wouldnt bother with it unless you are doing millions of brick homes for a mental architect type that counts bricks.

i normally use lofts / sweeps for curved mapping.