Animate object, keep UVW map static?

[Tommy L]

I have a bunch of gears that are animated, like the clockwork mechanism in a watch. They all rotate at various speeds. Some controlled by regular keyframes, some with waveform float controller.

 

They all have gradient ramp map controlling the anisotopic reflections, set to spiral map mode.

 

My problem is that the animation needs to loop. The gradient ramps are pulling the reflections with them, so I want to keep the map static as the object turns.

 

How can I tell the mapping not to move? Should I be doing this in the material or in the UVW? (cylindrical, capping option checked)

 

Can I make the object inherit its mapping from an un-animated object?

 

Any help much appreciated,

Tom.

[Francisco Penaloza]

what rendering engine are you using??

what you mean with "The gradient ramps are pulling the reflections with them"

 

if your object just rotate and your environment does not move, your reflection should not move, unless the shape of your object is not uniform, if your camera or object is rotating and the gears are spinning, yes your reflection will change"move" depending the camera angle, can you post a image as sample to see exactly what you are looking for??

did you try to set up your map as screen mode?? this way it will stay flat parallel to the screen, that's what you are looking for?

[Tommy L]

Thanks, Im using VRay 2.0

camera does not move, neither does the environment. I have just replaced a normal map in the bump channel with a regular bump (concentric circles so its will not affect the loop) and that may fix it.

Sorry, pharma advertising, they'll have my nuts if I post any images.

The only value I can think of thats changing is the gradient ramp in the anisotropic channel. As that rotates it will return a different value to the render engine that doesnt loop correctly. Im not sure exactly what the value is adjusting under the hood.

edit: BTW, I cant map anything to screen mode as the camera animates into position and then we have a 50 frame phase that needs to loop seamlessly.

Edited November 22, 2011 by Tommy L

[Tommy L]

Only think I can think to do is either remove the gradient ramp, which results in weak anisotropics, extend the frame sequence and try and blend the loop over itself to mask the beginning and ends. So I kind of wait until the material loops as well as the geometry. Map has to do full 360, a gear can do 360/spokes....

[Tommy L]

aaah balls, only true fix is to go back and animate everything at sub-object level. Such is life.

 

Edit: found a cheat. I entered the inverse of the z rotation into gradient map in copy of the metal material, per gear.

Edited November 22, 2011 by Tommy L