map a texture to a door

[barkest]

Hi,

I have an image that I have sized and I have created a door panel of the same size. I find in very tricky to map the texture to the door (int and ext panel).

I created a class, added the texture and applied it but the first thing was that it was rotated by 90. I edited the texture and although it looks wrong I rotated it which fixed the rotation. The sizing has been very poor. I keep having to go back to edit the texture to change the size to get it right. This trial and error approach does not seem right (its painful).

The attribute mapping tool does not work on the door (as far as I can see) so is there a better way to do this?

thanks

[Benson Shaw]

Maybe some of this might help:

In the OIP render tab there are fields for rotate and scale the texture.

In the OIP render tab, try a different mode: switch from planar to perimeter mode or visa versa.

The attribute mapping tool assumes a particular plane for the texture. Sometimes this is off of your intended plane, eg one of the edges. While in the Attribute Mapping tool, use the flyover tool to skew your view and see if the texture is on an unintended plane. If the texture is tilted from the door plane, it will not fit the door object as expected. The Attribute Mapping tool includes an automatic feature to "click on a surface to align mapping". Hover over a face of your door - the cursor acquires a rectangular indicator - click to align. Or, click on one of the mapping axes and hover over one of the colored dots to display a circular plane indicator. Drag one of the dots - it may help to hold the tilde key to temporarily disable snapping.

-B

[barkest]

Thanks Benson but for doors this option is not available. Whilst it remains a door the only access is via settings and then a class for the panel. You are not able to target the panel/leaf separately so therefore cannot use the OIP.

You can ungroup the door and then texture the extrudes easily. But then you have to either create a symbol and place it directly into the wall so it is no longer a door or create a symbol and use it as symbol geometry when you add a door.

The later option is a total mess (from what I can see so far but could be wrong). If I add a door then use symbol geometry and place my new symbol door in place then nothing seems to work in the door settings even though it recognises it as a door.

Surely something so simple should not be so complex?

There has to be a way to texture a door panel/leaf

thanks

[Tom G.]

Short of having a door which can have rails and stiles and panels each individually textured, with grain running in the correct direction, try this:

Place a standard door into the wall. Use this for 2D Top Plan view only. Place this door in a new class (called Hide 2D Door).

Create a second door out in space near the standard door and edit (add 3D elements, add textures) as far as you can. Ungroup and edit textures of the various parts to suite. Nudge these parts into the opening of the standard door so you know they are aligned correctly. Gather up these pieces and place them in a new class (called Hide 3D Door), then send them to a layer holding other misc. 3D parts that don't fit well with 2D Top Plan visualization. Everyone should have a layer to hold odds and ends.

Create your viewports and set the door view on the OIP depending on whether you have your viewport set to show a 3D view or 2D Top Plan.

Then ask the engineers at NA to do this same task 50 times.

Note: Under Door Settings>3D Visualization, in v2013, you have to set the 3D Detail Level to Medium and above. In Low, which I believe is the default setting, a multi-panel door will not show any panel parts, just a blank slab.

Tom

[barkest]

Thanks Tom.

I just extract the leaf/panel, extrude and then place the texture onto the extrusion. After making sure the door is in the correct place and has the correct opening (3D open angle).

massive pain but works

Steve

[Tom G.]

I like your technique! Use the Extract tool!

Does the extracted plane, however, really need to be extruded before it accepts a texture? Mine accept textures without needing to be extruded, as I'm currently playing with one of the Library doors and this seems to be the case.

I was locked into my cumbersome process since I more often wanted a door design that wasn't in the library and so was extruding door parts rather than modifying what was already there.

Glad for the tip.

Tom

Vwks 2013 Designer, Mac

[barkest]

The extraction (create planar objects in the preferences) will create a polygon.

Are you sure it accepts a texture and not just an image?

extruding the polygon will create an extrusion where you can texture the sides, top and bottom. I just extrude by 1mm.

[Tamsin Slatter]

The Extract tool can create either a Planar (2D) objects which will accept only an image, or it can create a NURBS Surface. You just need to click Extract Tool Preferences to choose which you want it to create.

Another good reason for extruding though, is that if not extruded, the new surface will be in exactly the same plane as the door surface and then you can get some stripey results, as Vectorworks is not sure which surface to display.

[Tom G.]

Just to be clear, to add a TEXTURE to an extracted surface, select the Extraction tool, then go to the settings toolbox and check Select Faces. Don't check Create Planar Surfaces. Use the right-most option--the one showing the filled, red, top surface of the box icon. When you have extracted your surface, give it a fill. You can then drag textures to this new surface. You can also do this with OpenGL rendering selected for instant texture-viewing feedback.

You don't need to extrude. You can simply nudge the newly created surface away from the original object to avoid the stripey effect Tamsin mentioned. That has worked for me in the past. Nudged amounts are relative to your zoom so get in close to nudge or else it will be moved off too far resulting in a shadow.

Tom

[Benson Shaw]

I just extract the leaf/panel, extrude and then place the texture onto the extrusion. After making sure the door is in the correct place and has the correct opening (3D open angle).

massive pain but works

Does the texture "fit" in this extracted surface? (it should)

Your original post stated that your texture is properly sized, but somehow does not fit the door leaf.

Or, maybe you already figured the workaround and were wishing for expected texture fit via the Door Object class texture? (reasonable!)

-B

[barkest]

The texture fits the extracted surface fine and as you say its a workaround so by definition the door class needs looking at.

It would be useful if the class contained h, v, rotate and scale vales for the texture and/or the attribute mapping tool worked on the panel

Edited May 11, 2013 by barkest

[Tom G.]

The door PIO and libraries also need looking at as they were constructed without regard to rotating textures across parts. In experimenting with a library door, it became clear to me that the door was constructed for the ease of the creator--polygons were stretched and shaped to fit as much surface as possible. They are not made from individual pieces the way a real-world door is.

Optimum texture rotation requires doors to be constructed of stiles, rails and panels. Now it starts to get complicated.

Tom

[Chris Lee]

I'm bumping into this exact problem, some 8 years later!  Is there a simple fix now?  Thanks, Chris