Masonry Arch -- How ?

[domer1322]

I've never been able to figure out how to easily render a typical masonry arch. Can someone give me a clue ?

I attached a photo of what I'm trying to achieve. I also attached a sample of my VW render. When using the render "map type = cylinder" I can rotate the texture to the right plane, but it comes out looking funky. In the past, I've actually drawn the individual bricks and copied/rotated them, but that seems too complex (and it isn't easy to get the right number to rotate around the arch). I figure this should be easy. The Ancient Romans figured this out, didn't they ?

Any help is appreciated. If it isn't possible within VW, please tell me so I don't waste more time trying this.

[AlanW]

This should show you how it's done it's a curved wall with a capping that you control the texture mapping of all sides of the arch, well in this case the brick capping, the principle is the same.

Looking at you arch I think you are using texture by object and not by components, I am not at computer but you choose by component not by object and this will give you the option to change all sides of the object.

To adjust the bricks you may need to rotate as well as scale the texture.

There a few other videos on my site that may assist also, look at the table one.

HTH

Edited June 2, 2015 by Alan Woodwell

[domer1322]

Thanks, but .... hybrid objects like a wall can not be rotated about any axis other than the 'Z' axis. Therefore, I can not rotate the curved wall into the vertical plane that the arch must occupy.

Your video is very helpful for other problems, but I don't think it can work for this one. Please let me know if I'm missing something .... or if there is a different solution.

Someone out there must have a method to render an arch .... ?????

[AlanW]

Not near a computer but I would draw half the arc in elevation then extrude the thickness of the wall, this should allow you to put textures on the same way. Then duplicate and mirror, don't use any fillet commands etc as this will stop you from using the components idea. Look at the table video.

[Matt Panzer]

Here's one solution:

[mike m oz]

Nice movie Matt.

[rDesign]

Thanks Matt - very helpful video. I had no idea that RW textures would follow a sweep like that.

[Markvl]

Excellent video Matt. Learned something new. Thanks to domer1322 for the original post.

[Matt Panzer]

Thanks guys and you're welcome!

[domer1322]

Bravo ! ... Matt: you're video was exactly what I was looking for. The sweep is the key. Thank you very much. I'm puzzled by one thing .... your texture image was 3 bricks wide. After you made the arch I can't detect a repetitive pattern every third brick. Did you do something special to avoid the repetition ?

[Matt Panzer]

Actually, the texture map is more then 3 bricks wide. The preview object in the Edit Texture dialog was only set to a 16" cube. The preview shows 6 unique bricks across. The dialog also shows the image map to be about 7 feet long. I think there's only one darker brick so that accents the repetition along the arch. The video is quite old so I'm not sure where the file is to check for sure.

[domer1322]

I hit another glitch.....

I used Matt's excellent video, made the arch into a symbol, and inserted into a wall. Look at the attached images to see what happens. The wall doesn't follow the arch, even though I added 3D locus points on both the inside and outside of the arch, at it's bottom. I know I can make it such that the outside edge of the arch goes straight down to the floor, but if done, then the top/plan view doesn't correctly show the wall extending to the actual edge of the arch.

Any suggestions ?

(I'm not using a stud wall for this arch ... that was just a test wall)

Also: I can't make an opening that is bigger than the arch, then put the arch in place, because I will still end up with the walls not showing the wall lines to the proper width in top/plan view.

[Matt Panzer]

Have you tried editing the symbol's Hole Component instead of using 3D loci? If you place an extrude (wider then the wall) with the profile of the opening, it should work.

More info here: Adding a 3D Wall Hole Component to a Symbol Definition

[Tom W.]

On 6/3/2015 at 12:53 AM, Matt Panzer said:

Here's one solution:

 

 

Hi @Matt Panzer is this technique still possible or does it rely on Perimeter mapping...? Many thanks

[Tom W.]

Weird. I can create the object in VW2021 where there's Perimeter mapping then import it into VW2023 + it brings the Perimeter mapping with it.

 

Original effort in VW2023:

 

Object exported to VW2021, mapping edited + imported back into VW2023:

 

I thought Perimeter mapping had been replaced with Surface UV but it seems I can 'import' it into VW2023?

 

Interestingly, if I then change the mapping on the object to something else I lose Perimeter mapping as an option + presumably have to go back to VW2021 to get it back again...? Or is there a way to 'invoke' Perimeter mapping in VW2023 somehow?

 

Any thoughts @Dave Donley? Thanks!

 

 

 

[Matt Panzer]

6 hours ago, Tom W. said:

Hi @Matt Panzer is this technique still possible or does it rely on Perimeter mapping...? Many thanks

 

As you discovered, it looks like this technique is no longer possible without jumping through hoops.

[Tom W.]

Just now, Matt Panzer said:

 

As you discovered, it looks like this technique is no longer possible without jumping through hoops.

 

Aw c'mon Matt are you telling me there's no secret trick for resurrecting Perimeter mapping within VW2023??? 🙂 Once I upgrade to Ventura I won't be able to use VW2021 anymore so then I won't have a hoop to jump through! 

 

(I tried duplicating + editing the Sweep to convert it to different radii arches but made a mess of it so was committed to using VW2021 to make new Sweeps each time for the different symbols I needed)

[Andy Broomell]

It's a shame that Perimeter mapping was removed, because it was literally the ONLY way to do backdrops for film sets. Now it's an absolute pain in the butt to accomplish anything remotely similar, while it used to be a breeze. I'm talking 15 minutes vs 15 seconds.

 

I should probably make a post or VE about it, because Perimeter should be restored as an option.

[Matt Panzer]

1 hour ago, Tom W. said:

 

Aw c'mon Matt are you telling me there's no secret trick for resurrecting Perimeter mapping within VW2023??? 🙂 Once I upgrade to Ventura I won't be able to use VW2021 anymore so then I won't have a hoop to jump through! 

 

(I tried duplicating + editing the Sweep to convert it to different radii arches but made a mess of it so was committed to using VW2021 to make new Sweeps each time for the different symbols I needed)

 

Maybe there is a secret trick but it wouldn't be secret if I told you, would it? 😉 

 

1 hour ago, Andy Broomell said:

It's a shame that Perimeter mapping was removed, because it was literally the ONLY way to do backdrops for film sets. Now it's an absolute pain in the butt to accomplish anything remotely similar, while it used to be a breeze. I'm talking 15 minutes vs 15 seconds.

 

I should probably make a post or VE about it, because Perimeter should be restored as an option.

 

Do feel free to submit a VE and please detail the issues you have without it so we can think about the best way to solve them.  It could be that brining perimeter mapping back is the answer but it might result in us coming up with an even better solution.

[Kevin Allen]

1 hour ago, Matt Panzer said:

Do feel free to submit a VE and please detail the issues you have without it so we can think about the best way to solve them.  It could be that brining perimeter mapping back is the answer but it might result in us coming up with an even better solution.

Pf course, I remembered a video that described how to make this very thing. A quick search and I find that @Matt Panzer made the tutorial and used Perimeter mapping.

 

Is there a VE to bring that back? I'd like to up vote.

 

FYI:

 

 

[Tom W.]

This is the video I was posting about 🙂

I had to go back to VW2021 to make it work

[Andy Broomell]

On 3/30/2023 at 12:54 PM, Matt Panzer said:

Do feel free to submit a VE and please detail the issues you have without it so we can think about the best way to solve them.  It could be that brining perimeter mapping back is the answer but it might result in us coming up with an even better solution.

 

Hi Matt,

 

I've made a JIRA entry (VE-104236) and tagged you. It includes a 5 minute video demonstrating how Perimeter mapping used to work like magic when you needed a texture to "wrap" across surfaces, and how there's no current equivalent.

[Matt Panzer]

17 hours ago, Andy Broomell said:

 

Hi Matt,

 

I've made a JIRA entry (VE-104236) and tagged you. It includes a 5 minute video demonstrating how Perimeter mapping used to work like magic when you needed a texture to "wrap" across surfaces, and how there's no current equivalent.

 

Thanks Andy!  I aded a comment to the VE as well.