texture mapping preview in viewport display

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Permalink Reply by Ulrich Maasmeier on May 22, 2012 at 2:00am

in Flamingo v2 there is a command as follows…

FlamingoCreateRenderTexture

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• Bildschirmfoto 2012-05-22 um 10.59.01.png, 11 KB

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Permalink Reply by Scott Davidson on May 22, 2012 at 9:47am

Yes, there was.  The new way will be much better, but it will take a bit of time to implement.

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Permalink Reply by Juan Carreras on June 14, 2012 at 10:22am

WOW !

I've been using Flamingo since its inceptions years ago and I never knew about this feature ...
It even maps the decals ! .

I rarely use textured materials because of the type of models I build (shipbuilding). (see attached, some details have been blurred out)
The textures I use are usually big decals to show say, all the paint scheme on the hull, symbols, paint stripes, ship name etc. and applied to the hull in profile port and stbd (2 mirrored decals)  or for the wooden deck details, hatches etc with some color and bump effect.  It always has worked fine.  The only issue was always the inability to preview the decals/maps in Flamingo rendered viewport.  Also, I never knew or bother to learn how to create unwrapped maps which it looks like this is what this command generates ! 

Interestingly enough, even if I delete the generated maps from disk, the rendered viewport still shows them ... I guess they end up embedded with the model file?

The question now is, can I use now this unwrapped texture to apply it back onto the object and get rid of the decal?  What mapping coordinates should I use it with? Obviously not planar (x-z),  ... should I leave the default (surface mapping)?  I tried today but I haven't been able to do it.  Do I chose the mapping with the object properties menu item "texture mapping" (used with the native Rhino render engine) or the "Flamingo" menu item?  I find it very confusing ...

Your help would be very much appreciated

Juan

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Permalink Reply by Scott Davidson on June 14, 2012 at 10:38am

If you tell Flamingo to use "Surface" mapping, then NXT will look at the mapping of Rhino 5 puts on the object.

With NXT is pointed at Rhino 5's mapping, you will be able to use Rhino 5's texture unwrapping code. This part of Rhino 5 is very new so it is not completely refined. So, you are on the bleeding edge here.  Things such as decal preview are still under construction in Rhino 5, so we have been avoiding it.  It is part of the goal in the future.

Here is a general overview of Unwrapping:  http://worldorigin.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/uv-mapping-explained-36/

Using unwrapping brings its own complications.  It is not clear that it is any better then using decals in NXT for some situations.

Does this make it a bit clearer?

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Permalink Reply by Juan Carreras on June 14, 2012 at 11:02am

Thanks Scott,

But I am using Rhino 4 and the old Flamingo 2 !  But the preview still seems to work ... I'm not even talking about Rh 5 or Fl nxt ...  which I'm sure it will be great.  However I'm working only with the tools my company provides me with.

Still not sure whether I can wrap the generated map back onto the hull.  I tried to make a material in Flamingo with the map and set the 'Flamingo' mapping to surface but the map doesn't render or preview.  Nevermind, at least I can use the feature to preview my decals in render viewport mode.

Juan

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