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Mapping a 3D texture


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I built a 3D texture on a flat plane (see image Crackle-2) and would like to map it onto a curved surface (see white form in image Crackle-3). Image Crackle-4 shows desired result as rendered in Illustrator. Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you -Everett

Crackle-2.jpg

Crackle-3.png

Crackle-4.png

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Were you unable to apply your texture to your 3d object? That black texture rectangle, or the one with the hole should work no problem. Or is there some other goal than displaying the object with a texture on the surface?

Or maybe you need help creating the image texture in vectorworks?
 

 

-B

Edited by Benson Shaw
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Hi Benson, Thank you for your reply. I've uploaded 2 exploded views and a rendering which I hope will explain the process I am trying to follow.

 

1. I've extruded a texture from a poly line drawing (see top black square in drawing)

2. I would like to have the extruded (mid section in drawing which are the same poly lines extruded to 1.2mm) texture follow the curve of the extrude along path object at the bottom of the stack. 

 

I do not want to extrude the pattern and then subtract it from a solid as the "cracks" would then be perpendicular to the ground plane. Rather, I would like to deform the texture so the "cracks" are 90 degrees to the curved surface.The idea is to simulate cracked paint on a curved surface. 

 

Does this make sense? -Thanks so much for your help. -Everett

 

Ceramic cracks exploded view.jpg

Ceramic cracks exploded view-2.jpg

Ceramic cracks rendered.jpg

Screen Shot 2021-05-19 at 1.30.47 PM.png

Edited by ebramhall
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Ahh.  OK, texture is just the basis for 3d geometry.  I can't work on it right now, but here is process that should work:

 

Use Extract tool to create a new NURBS surface in shape of the curved frame surface.  Work with this new NURBS in a new layer or group or move it over or some other way to isolate it.

 

Cut it up with the polys that formed your black pattern. Extrude the polys, then Solid Intersect works.  Result is a single object consisting of a bunch of unconnected surfaces approximating the crackled pattern.  It's distorted a bit, especially where curvature is greatest, sorry about that.  Correct (guestimate) the initial polys if it really matters.

 

Use the Shell tool. It adds thickness normal to the source surface.  Set the thickness. Hover/click to highlight any one of the bits, then click the green checkmark.  Wait while it processes. Result is a single object with disconnected components all having consistent thickness, and curvature concentric to the source surfaces.

 

Probably some other ways, too.

Post back to show us.

 

-B

  • Like 1
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Hi Benson, Thank you very much, I understand the gist of your suggestion and will give it a go. Basically it sounds like I will be building the texture one piece at a time. It's not really a mapping or a distorting procedure from what you are suggesting. I'll try it out and send you back a few pics.  Thank so much -Everett

 

 

 

Hi Benson, Thank you for your reply. I've uploaded 2 exploded views and a rendering which I hope will explain the process I am trying to follow.

 

1. I've extruded a texture from a poly line drawing (see top black square in drawing)

2. I would like to have the extruded (mid section in drawing which are the same poly lines extruded to 1.2mm) texture follow the curve of the extrude along path object at the bottom of the stack. 

 

I do not want to extrude the pattern and then subtract it from a solid as the "cracks" would then be perpendicular to the ground plane. Rather, I would like to deform the texture so the "cracks" are 90 degrees to the curved surface.The idea is to simulate cracked paint on a curved surface. 

 

Does this make sense? -Thanks so much for your help. -Everett

  • Like 1
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Hi Benson, Thank you very much, I understand the gist of your suggestion and will give it a go. Basically it sounds like I will be building the texture one piece at a time. It's not really a mapping or a distorting procedure from what you are suggesting. I'll try it out and send you back a few pics.  Thank so much -Everett

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  • 1 month later...

Hi Benson, I put this product on the back burner for a few weeks but just got back to it and was successful per your help and suggestion. Below you will see a a series of pics showing the "flakes" that have been extruded, then subtracted from a curved solid, then extracted and shelled to make a 1.5mm texture square in section to the curve of the initial form.

 

It looks almost perfect (thank you for your help) with one last exception. When I try to put a .2mm fillet on the top surface of the shelled flakes (about the same as the tiny radius on the top surface of computer keys) I discover a lot of inconsistencies and "failed fillet" pop up warnings.

 

You will see in a few of the pics that the corners of the shells are not connected and when I go deep into the history of each flake I only find relatively clean poly lines and closed polygons.

 

When I try using the surface fillet tool I usually get a "fail" and when I use the edge fillet tool (Incredibly cumbersome) It's hit or mis on each edge and corner of each flake. Needless to say the amount of time spent doing this is super inefficient.

 

Would you have any suggestions that might allow me to "clean up" each or all of the flakes and "soften" the top edges? 

 

Your help has been extremely appreciated as I am achieving some pretty complex things (for me).

 

Thank you for having a look and I hope to hear back. -Everett

 

PS, Is this type of solid modeling in VW a bit much? Should I be using a different program? Or could I export these models to a different program and get quicker results or more appropriate tools?

 1233130166_FlakesShelledandFilleted.thumb.png.171bea0e33d2357f4727f3d0e739e876.png834880443_FlakesShelledandFilleted2.thumb.png.5dd927071597fa62869d8444bc9b0679.png

1102628817_FlakesFormed.thumb.png.d685b6de4622c5f058a540cdd9a94e28.png1995919429_FlakesFilleted1.thumb.png.828e2ab79dd9675fe8cadd07a44430af.png2096896543_FlakesFilleted2.thumb.png.2775a104e758889746aaa56ce74186eb.png411212796_FlakesFilleted3.thumb.png.e5bfa549ec1ca25c9f002df4b97651a6.png1844006428_FlakesFilleted4.thumb.png.3956001628eda7cc2178495ffc828b88.png

  • Like 3
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@ebramhall Good work.  I'm getting the sense that your final product is a manufactured version of this drawing. The fillets are quite inefficient, and obviously not working well.  So, perhaps another software would work better, but I have no experience.  Maybe one of the Rhino folks, or other will comment here.

 

If this is representing a mosaic, eg broken pottery or glass, then it might be worth modeling individual bits (with or without fillets) and placing them on, or sinking them into, the surface.  Maybe start with several symbols - extrusions of different source shapes - which can be placed/rotated onto the surface, then scaled in OIP.  These might benefit from subsequent conversion to generic solid.  

 

If you are willing to abandon your current mosaic arrangement, the Create Surface Array may present a fussy way to place multiple filleted shapes en masse. 1st, make symbols of several "tile" pieces with filleted edges. Array one of them onto the surface with lots of repetitions, basically cover the surface.  Overlaps are OK. Duplicate and work on the dupe: Ungroup the array. Now you have the individual symbols. Select any one instance. Rotate tool as desired (automatic plane), rescale via OIP as desired, replace with any other symbol tile (orientation/scale is preserved).  Maybe create another superimposed array with a different tile symbol. Ungroup.  Edit orientation, and replace or delete individual tiles as desired.

 

Good luck!

 

-B

 

image.thumb.png.bfc8d46e4e75e45f2ee58823899f34af.png

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Hi Benson, thanks for your reply. With regards to a new texture, the designer I am working with would truly like me to make this pattern work, so I have to find a way to convert to solid.

 

Do you know anyone with solid works or ZBrush or Mesh Mixer that I could hire/work with to try converting my files with? VW Tech said they've seen it done and I just need to find someone to send the files to who can run them through a conversion process. Do you know of anyone that you could recommend? -Everett

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HI, Everett - Sorry.  I have no contacts to recommend.  Maybe others here will suggest a process or a vendor.

 

But . . .

Seems you have this solved except for the fillets. But that should work, too, and without manually clicking every edge.  So, some things to verify:

1.  Select all the planar mosaic footprint bits and extrude them in one go.  Result is a single extrude object. (It can be ungrouped, but don't do that)

2. Pierce the big dish surface shape with the extrude of the mosaic and make the solid intersection. Result should be a single object with lots of un connected curved surfaces - your flakes. OIP shows just the single object.

3. Engage the shell tool, set the thickness, click any one surface of the Solid Intersection. That surface highlights.  Click the checkmark.  Result - every component is thickened in one go.  OIP identifies a single object.  Type is Shell.

4.  This shell object has many components, your 3d flakes, not touching each other.

5.  Engage the Fillet Edge tool.  In the prefs, choose Select All Edges option.  Click any edge. ALL the edges of all the components in the shell highlight.  Click the checkmark (or press Return).  May take a while, but all the edges should fillet - tops, bottoms, sides. All in one go.  No need to click every edge.

6.  Those bottom fillets might be a problem, but make the shell thick enough, and cut off with the dish surface via Solid Section. or just sink the filleted shell into the dish.  Add Solids if desired.

 

If this fillet fails, it might be choking the CPU.  Try splitting copies of the shell - slightly more than half each side (or quarters), then fillet.  Then recombine them via Add Solids.   The unwanted fillets at the joints will fill in because the larger-than-half components overlap past the joint.

 

At least this works with my little test.

 

Post more updates. 

 

-B

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Oh, one reason the fillet might fail is that some of the mosaic "tiles" are smaller than the fillet radius.  Try to clip out anything that small at the extrude stage.

 

Another thing to try (on a duplicate) is to convert the Shell into a Generic Solid (Modify menu>Convert).  It's still a single object with non adjacent components.  Fillet>All Edges option.  Might also need the Tangent Entities option.  Anyway I'm making the fillet work this way.

 

-B

Edited by Benson Shaw
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No guarantees, but the fillets work on my test with generic solid. Not as confident about the plain shell. Sticking point seems to be when the shell creates a knife edge or some kind of pooch in or out at the corners. The fillets fail even on single objects. I didn't test, but maybe it would help to fillet the corners way back at the source objects for the extrude. 
 

Sorry this is all so unknown. Vwx doesnt have a play book, so making it up as we go. 
 

A totally different approach. I will try it if I get a minute:

Create a little site model terrain representing the dish surface. Select all the 2d source objects then Send to Surface. They will become 3d polys with MANY vertices,

i think they will shell or convert to NURBS surface, then Shell. Hopefully this shell will fillet. Apply the fillet pref for select Tangent, as well as the All edges

 

blah blah

 

-B

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