Shinichiro Nishiya's Metasequoia LE Tutorials

Texture Mapping

I think it is the most difficult work to arrange texture mapping in the Metasequoia operating.
Many people who are going to start to modeling a plane feel difficulty on it.
I am trying to show you an easier way to map a texture on the model.

Contents:
1 What is TEXTURE MAPPING?
2 Prepare a texture file
3 Where to save the bmp-file?
4 The finished model with an accomplished texture mapping
5 Load a texture file
6 Arrange a material setting
7 Get a mapping frame
8 The view from the top with the mapping frame
9 Input setting data for the mapping frame on top view point
10 Mapping a texture on a main wing
11 Mapping a logo on the bottom side of the wing
12 Flip the texture
13 Mapping on the side of the fuselage
14 Summaries
15 How to rotate the mapping frame
16 Useful website on texture mapping


1 What is TEXTURE MAPPING?
When we paint a model with color library of Metasequoia, we do as below.
1 Add a new cell in the material panel
2 Arrange a color using color library on the Material property panel
3 Check the button [Move] is ON in the Command panel
4 Enclose the area that you want to paint using Rc (rectangle) or Rp (rope) they are in Edit Option panel.
5 Click [Selected] in the upper status bar and select [set material to the faces] in the pull-down menu.

This is a case of solid color painting.

You can also paint logos and stripes on the plane by using texture files.
You can also map a photo of a real plane.
That makes your models more beautiful and more realistic.
This is texture mapping.



2 Prepare a texture file
This is a sample file of [LitePT19] that I made before.
We use a bmp-file.


I use bmp-files at the size in 256 x 256 pixel.
Actuary, you can use 512 x 512 or 1024 x1024 but they are big data and this is not good for smooth action of the model in FMS simulator.
Smaller data is better for the simulator frame rate.


3 Where to save the bmp-file?
Save the bmp-file in the folder where the model's mqo-file had been saved before you do this texture mapping work.

You can use other file name but if you do so, you will pay much effort to find in lots of files.
You will forget if you name it other name. I recommend you to use the same name of the mqo-file.

Important:
Before you create a model data by Metasequoia, you should create a new folder for mqo-files and bmp-files.
And you have to register the folder into Metasequoia.
Click [Configuration] and go to [Folder of mapping bitmaps], then fill the 3 blanks [Tex] [Alpha] [Bump] with your own folder tree (path) by [Ref] button.
Mine is for FMS


4 The finished model with an accomplished texture mapping
We are going to map a texture file like this. (You can download this model. here)







Change the point of view
Pressing F2-key














Change the point of view
Pressing F1-key












Change the point of view
Pressing SHIFT + F2-key















Change the point of view
Pressing SHIFT + F1-key






5 Load a texture file
1) Create a new cell in the material panel.
2) Click the cell and the Material property panel will be appeared.
3) Name it [texture] for example.
4) Load a bmp-file from the blank [tex] in the Mapping window.
5) Click [Ref] and load the bmp-file where the mqo-file (litePT19.mqo) had been saved too.

Notice:
You should save the bmp-file in the folder that the mqo-file of the model had been saved.
Or, your own path (folder tree) will be recorded and it makes an error.
You can see the texture only in your PC.
If somebody downloads your model he can't see the texture, the model will be in white.
In this case you can see [litept19.bmp] in it.
Check it out that it is not a path.



6 Arrange a material setting
Basically, I input in the blanks as following data in the Material Property.
alpha / 1.00
diffuse / 1.00
emission / 0.00
specular / 1.00
power / 1.00
ambient / 0.00
After this setup I arrange only [power]
This sample plane is a foamy park flyer so I make [power] smaller because I feel it is a little bit shiny at power:1.00

7 Get a mapping frame
1)Blink the texture file in the Material panel.
2)Click [Map] button in the Command panel. The blue square frame will be appeared.Its default position is shown as below.
3)This is a Mapping frame and it indicates a texture.
4)We don't use the frame at this position except when we map pilots, meter panels and so on, because we use Metasequoia as a tool of modeling planes now, it is limited use for Metasequoia.


What positions of the mapping frame will be required?
One is the top view position and other one is side view poison.
We set the frame in these only two position and then slide, expand, redact the frame to adjust the texture.


8 The view from the top
Change the view from the top usingF2-key
We need an operation to make the mapping fame horizontal.



9 Input setting data for the mapping frame
1) Change the view point pressing F2-key
2)  [Map] button ON in the Command panel
3)  Click [Property] button in the Mapping panel
4)  Fill the blanks of Angle as below
Head : -180 (or 180)
Pitch : -90
Bank : 0

5) click [Apply] and [x ]

I am afraid that you will feel some difficulty on this operation, but you can get the correct position of the mapping frame.
I recommend you to do this way.

Notice:
When you input the data into the blanks,don't use Delete key.
This will make delete the part of the model. (Use [Undo] in the Edit panel. You can recover it easily.)
Blink it in blue by putting a cursor in the box, then input data directly.


10 Mapping a texture on a main wing
1)  Unlock the cell in the main wing on the object panel
2)  Click [Select face] button in the mapping panel
3)  Enclose hole of the main wing, and confirm the wires are turn to green.
4) Click [Selected] that is in the status bar, drag to [set material to the faces]


1)Check the blank of [Realtime]
2) Click [Move] button, and drag the mouse slightly.


Now, we are starting a mapping work.
Try to arrange the mapping by using [Move] and [Scale] button.
The texture on the main wing will change by left button dragging.

After some dragging [Move] and [Scale], all of the main wing will turn to yellow. (that it basic color of the bmp-file)
Then click [OK] to fix the mapping.



Next we are going to attach a star circle on it.
Click [Select face] of the mapping panel, and then enclose the area that we are going to put the star.
The wires on the area that has been selected turn to green.


Click [Move] and drag a little bit, the texture will move.
We need to arrange the position and the size with [Scale] button.


It requires rotating the star a little bit, and we fix it.
We don't use [Rotate] button, enter from [Property] button.
Input 90 degrees into [Head] of the Mapping property panel.
And arrange with [Scale] and [Move]

Then fix it with [OK]
We finished it as above.



11 Mapping a logo on the bottom side of the wing
Turn the viewpoint by SHIFT+F2-key.
We are going to put the logo "U. S. Army"
The position of the mapping frame should be horizontal.
You need to turn [Fr](front) button ON not to change the texture on the topside of the wing.
[Fr] doesn't means front side, it means the face you are watching now.
If you attach deferent texture between top side and bottom side, you have to confirm this button turn ON or OFF, or you will be much disappointed to find the reverse side face had changed against your will.

Click [Select face]
Enclose the area where we are going to put the logo.





Change the point of view
Pressing SHIFT + F2-key














Click [Move] button and drag, the bmp-file texture will be appeared.


After arrange the size and the position of the logo, you will find that the logo is wrong side.




12 Flip the texture
In this case, we need to flip the bmp-file horizontally.
Click [InvU] button in the Mapping panel.



After flip it, arrange the size and the position of the texture.




13 Mapping on the side of the fuselage
1) Change it to the side view.
2) [Map] button ON in the Command panel.
3) Click [property] in the Mapping panel.
4)  Input data into Mapping property panel.
5)  Fill the blanks of Angle as below
Head : 90
Pitch : 0
Bank : 0

Change the point of view pressing F1-key

Notice:
Check [S] (Screen) button in the Edit panel is selected to move the frame upward and downward.

6) You can attach numbers and logos in the same way in main wing mapping as shown above. Enclose an area where you want to put them and attach.
7) Change the point of view by pressing SHIFT + F1-keyand put the flipped texture on.
8) The basic work and procedure on the fuselage is same in case of a wing mapping.

Information:
You can make stripes longer by enlarging a bmp-file. Select [Scale] and drag.
Also you can make stripes wider and narrower.


14 Summaries
1) You can do texture mapping with only two view point and two mapping frame position.
2) [Select face] > [Scale]>[Move]>[OK]>>> [Select face] > [Scale]>[Move]>[OK]>>> Repeat these steps carefully.
3) Check [Fr] button ON or OFF before attaching, or you will be disappointed when you take a look at the opposite side.
4) A bmp-file is not necessary to be a photograph. Arranging scale of the bmp-file and selecting parts of mapping areas will give you good paitwork.


15 How to rotate the mapping frame
I have explained you how to put a texture without rotating the mapping frame.
Sometimes you need to rotate a mapping frame.
You may want to get a little bit more slants on attaching a stripe to the fuselage.
Let's plactice to rotate a mapping frame.

Get the mapping frame without file loading.



Tips on rotating a mapping frame
I advice you to understand that there are two actions to rotate a mapping frame.
One is falling down the frame, and one is spinning a frame.
I recommend you to practice these two-operation separately.
Click [Rotate] in the Mapping panel and try left-button dragging.
You wil find that the center of the farame has been fixed after you rotate it.


Fall the mapping frame down toward horizontally.
Press F3-key
It becomes front view.
Put the cursor on the Y-axis (green line) and drag it upward
The mapping frame falls down horizontally. (It rotates around X-axis)


Try dragging just on the lines X, Y and Z-axis.
The center cross of the mapping frame will be a good indicator showing you how much is the frame slants.
If the mapping frame face has no slant, the center cross (figure [Y]) will be like a figure [L]


Like a disc spin rotating
If you drag a mouse in very, very small circle, the fame will spin slowly like a disc.
Do circle dragging in opposite direction that you think as a natural sense.
If you feel to spin the mapping fame in anti-clock wise, you have to drag the mouse in clock wise.
This will make you confused. (I was confused very much.)
Very small circle dragging will help you on this practice.

Notice:
You don't need to put the cursor on the center when you try this circle dragging.



16 Useful website on texture mapping

RC airplane Experimental Aterier (Author: Mr. Sekiai)
Modeling for FMS with Metasequoia
Q&A of Metasequoia and other moering techniques(including a pilot mapping technique)



back to tutorial index