ADI802A Produce photo-realistic images from an Architectural 3D model

Topic 8 Mapping Tutorial

Exercise - bbq_mapping

This exercise will go over the fundamentals of using mapping coordinates to scale and orientate bitmap materials correctly.

For this exercise open the file bbq_mapping.

1. Select the patio floor.

2. As shown in the image below choose the modify down arrow to select a modifier, from the list select UVW Map

3. When working with mapping coordinates you must expand the UVW Mapping modifier to turn on Gizmo, while this is yellow any adjustment you make such as move or scale relates to the bitmap of the material. This allows you to control the way the material is rendered. After you click on Gizmo to highlight in yellow you need to Uncheck the Real Word Mapping and modify the Length, Width and Height. I normally start with 1000.

4. Assign the "Pavers" material to the patio floor. You can now use the scale command to adjust the brick size. Make sure the "Show bitmap in viewport" button is on in the Materials Editor (Checked Iso Box under the paver material in the image below).

5. Repeat the process of adding UVW Mapping to the bbq base. Then assign the material "mybrick" to it. You should now turn on "Gizmo" and move the bitmap to get the bricks accurately located.

6. You can see from the image below the adjusted bricks.

7. Once we have mapped a bitmap material in our scene, we can use that orientation and scale for another object in the scene that is having the same material applied. Lets look at the rear left wall. Select it in your scene, assign the same material. Then go and add the UVW Map modifier and select "Gizmo" at the bottom of the menu you will notice the button "Acquire" Use this and pick on the bbq base to acquire the mapping parameters.

8. When the dialogue box pops up choose "Acquire Relative"

9. The image below shows the rear wall mapped using the "acquire" mapping option from the bbq base.

10. Use the "Acquire" to map the right rear wall as shown below.

11. You can map a series of objects at once if you wish. The example below illustrates a chair that has a number of members that will all have a timber bitmap in the material. By selecting all the members you can map them together, this is show to the user as UVW Mapping in italics (a selection set of objects that have been mapped).

12. The material on the chair legs have a timber grain on them that is mapped as a group.

13. The final scene rendered.