How to map a cable type structure

[Vitus]

Hi there,

I created several cables for my aircraft with the line tool and the "display mesh" option and was wondering if there is a convenient method of mapping a cable or tube or pipe,... in GMax.
Until now I use the silly method of adding a UVWMapping modifier in Planar mode. That sucks because the cable uses a lot of space in the texture.
One idea is to create a straight cable, map it, attach some bones to it and rotate the bones around until getting a smooth cable-like shape. But thats way too difficult imho. There must be an easier way!

In the end i want to have a simple rectangular texture for these parts!

I am curious about your ideas!
Regards
Vitus

 

[FelixFFDS]

Why map it at all? Can you not just assign an FS-X material in the colour of the cable, etc, and let it go at that? After all, it's not like you're going to be writing the cable specifics?

UNLESS, you want to add detail to the cable so on close up you see the indents....


Alternatively, you could apply a small map and tile it ....


(Now, considering that mapping in max/gmax is not my forte, you may really want to wait for someone else's more experienced respons)

 

[YohanNaz]

Hi there,

I created several cables for my aircraft with the line tool and the "display mesh" option and was wondering if there is a convenient method of mapping a cable or tube or pipe,... in GMax.
Until now I use the silly method of adding a UVWMapping modifier in Planar mode. That sucks because the cable uses a lot of space in the texture.
One idea is to create a straight cable, map it, attach some bones to it and rotate the bones around until getting a smooth cable-like shape. But thats way too difficult imho. There must be an easier way!

In the end i want to have a simple rectangular texture for these parts!

I am curious about your ideas!
Regards
Vitus

In the Line Tool Mesh Settings roll out, check the box labeled "Generate Mapping Coordinates" and you will have nice UV's as long as you don't convert to poly and edit the mesh.. this typically destroys UV's and requires more work.

 

[lionheart]

I found an ingenious way of mapping cables, seatbelts, and tubing.

What you have is a a long object, or at times something that looks like a snake (as with spark plug cables). What you want is a cool texture, easily done, like say 'rope' for a rope object for tiedowns on a wing, etc.

* What I do is create a texture on a bitmap sheet.
* Then assign the material (Attach) to the object
* Now I figure the angle at which to shoot the UVW with and attach the UVW Plannar (straight on, regular UVW, basic version).
* Next, and this is the important part and where it all happens. I add the UVW Unwrap, click Edit, and in the Edit window, I begin carefully lining up all the vertices so they are all in a neat row. I place these over the texture on the texture sheet.
* Next. If they need to be 'longer' area's on the short area of the texture, and you have break points (sections) in the object, you can 'fold' the 'UVW Mesh' back and fourth, spreading them out over the length of the texture. This is where you can get lots of area with a small texture zone.
* One last trick, is that you can do 'cascade mapping' or tiling 'longitudinally' (off the edge of the texture sheet) by having the texture run from one edge to the other. Then you can run the texture mesh way out over the edges of the texture sheet and you can expand/contract all you want until its just right.

Touchup: Final sections that are squashed in texture a bit more then the rest can be easily redone. Go to Polygon Mode, click on the polygons that need to be remapped slightly, attach a UVW Unwrap, click Edit, and rescale the part until the texture matches the other poly zones. Remember, if they are already UVW Mapped, you do not need to remap them again, just Edit them. Thus you do not attach a new UVW to edit, just the UVW Unwrap, then 'adjust'. Then collapse stack and done. (I always collapse stacks so I can keep editing new poly zones. I think it saves memory too on the model, etc).

Bill

 

[n4gix]

I use the same technique that Bill (Lionheart) describes. It works very, very well, and is not limited to just things like ropes and cables...

...I've used it for all sorts of objects where the same texture may be used, such as rubber gaskets around window and door openings, et cetera.

 

[Vitus]

Hi,

thanks for all your answers. That was very enlightening. I payed special attention to VAEjonp remark. Sometimes it can be so simple! The Electra will come with heaps of cables, robes, tubes, pipes and lines now. And YES: the cables will have proper labels on them with specifications and so on. I love these little details

To Bill & Bill: thanks for your explanation - you described more or less the way I used before for most of my parts. "Folding" of the map is basically a good thing - but quite often I have issues retaining the scale of the texture. I can add that it IS possible to modify your mesh after applying the UVW map! Simply add a Mesh modifier to your stack and you can reposition, rotate and even DELETE parts of the mesh! I use the mesh modifier in that way from time to time and didn't had any downsides with it.

Thanks again! You guys are awesome!
Vitus