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Extra black texture for default material

S

sfrenchie

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Just sharing the solution to a problem I encountered and finally solved.

While importing a Sketchup model and following the steps to create an MDL I sometimes encountered the following problem.

MCX created an extra texture completely black with the exception of a small white square at the bottom. This it is to cover the default color, the un-textured parts of a model. However there was no such thing in my model (so I thought), all surfaces were textured.

Solution:
In MCX, in Material Editor, select the extra texture and check Highlight in preview, see if something is showing in red. Usually it is the bottom of a model or the bottom of an object you places on a roof, like an AC unit.
I now select all in my models, right click and select Intersect with model then I remove all bottoms. Problem fixed in most cases.

Also to be noted: surface colors have an importance in Sketchup as follows.
- White is the 'outside'. If not textured it will be painted with the default color (thus generating that extra texture).
- Gray blueish is the 'inside' and will not be shown in FS (as in...it will be transparent).
If for some reason you see white surfaces inside an object, make sure you invert the faces.

Hope that helps.

P.S.: Not removing that extra texture really is not a big deal except it's wasting 1 drawcall for nothing.
 
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You are welcome.

But it's not Sketchup's fault, neither is it MCX's fault. The designer must be careful to not leave any surface un-textured.

Reminds me I forgot to mention something that I will now add to my original post.
 
I have the same problem but I believe it stems from something else. I created a flag post composed of:

a) A photo-texture flag with hidden edges, the photo is transparent.
b) A round flagpost textured with Metal Corrugated Shiny (GSU)
c) A square base textured all over with Concrete Form 4x8

I left no surface untextured, not even the bottom or top. I also did the "Intersect with Model" as suggested but when I went to MCX the MyModelName_0.dss texture was there just as yours, a 512x512 black square with a small white square on the lower left. Haven't been able to get rid of it.
 
First let me say it's no big deal if you can't get rid of the extra texture. I personally delete it. FS calls a texture it can't find and...nothing happens.

If you want to debug this simple one you could proceed as I do. Hide element in SU and export the model. Hidden elements are not exported. Then run your MCX process and see the result. That way you can eliminate possible origins of the problem.

Looks like the flag is a simple plane, hide it.
Seems you are removed the bottom of the base, hide it.

I suspect the pole is the guilty one. Either you didn't remove the little circle base at the bottom of the pole or the texture didn't apply fully to the mast. No need to remove the top cap.
What method did you use to apply the texture to the mast, projected texture?

Also double check that surfaces not getting textured are gray bluish in color. If they are white you have to reverse the surfaces.
Something that might help you is to look at your model in different styles, without the texture on it.
Go to View | Toolbars and check Styles.

Yesterday I spent at least an hour debugging a building. I know what element is causing the problem, yet I can pinpoint exactly what vertex is to be modified. In the end I just had to admit it was not worth spending more time on it. I'll just waste a drawcall :)
 
Hum, I am not familiar with "projected" in SU will have to investigate. However, reading your post I think the problem might be that the bottom of the pole still has its cap and it isn't textured because it is not seen. Will need to optimize that, thanks.
 
Hi,

Sounds like you found that the drawcall minimizer produced a texture with only one colour on it. In that case it is probably better to not use the minimizer at all :).

What you can do in the material editor to remove such polygons is select the material and then press the backspace key. This will remove the material and all polygons that use it.
 
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