Function available in CINEMA 4D Prime, Visualize, Broadcast, Studio & BodyPaint 3D
Projection Preview Basic Inputs Outputs ContextInputs
Projection
This setting defines the direction of the shape from which the coordinates will be calculated. The system’s position and rotation will orient themselves according to the Coordinate System defined. The following Projection options are available:
- None (use 3D coordinates): The UV coordinates lie parallel to the XY axis of the selected Coordinate System. The origin, however, lies at the object axis system’s position by default. Individual settings for selection the number and orientation of the texture tiles are not available.
- Spherical: The coordinates wrap themselves spherically around the object. The wrapping will always start the object’s X axis. The center point of the spherical wrap lies at the object system’s position by default. The polygon locations of the texture sphere lie along the Y axis of the defined Coordinate System.
- Cylindrical: Works similarly to Spherical only that the texture coordinates are not deformed spherically in the direction of the cylinder’s caps surfaces but run parallel to the Y axis of the defined Coordinate System.
- Flat: The UV coordinates run parallel to the XYY axes of the defined Coordinate System. Different from the None option, the origin of the UV coordinates will be offset so that the center of the first texture tile lies over the origin of the defined Coordinate System.
- Cubic: Reflects the function of the Flat option only that the projection will take place along all six axis directions of the defined Coordinate System (+/- X, +/- Y, +/- Z).
- Frontal: Projects the texture coordinates parallel to the active camera view in the scene. The Coordinate System reflects that of the active camera. The aspect ratio of the projection is based on the ratio between the width and the height of the render resolution.
- Spatial: Very similar to Flat projection but simultaneously offsets the coordinates in the projection direction and diagonally to mitigate the smudging that typically takes place at the object edges.
- Shrink Wrap: Projects the texture tile’s center point onto the origin and along the Z axis of the defined Coordinate System. The surrounding areas of the texture coordinates will then be placed over the object spherically like a rubber skin all the way to the opposite side. This option bears the advantage over Spherical mapping in that the center of projected textures remains relatively undistorted and no visible seam is created between the projection’s poles. However, the disadvantage is that, due to the distortion, larger regions at the edges of the projected texture can no longer be used.
- Camera Mapping: This reflects the Frontal mapping function only that any Camera can be used for the projection. The desired aspect ratio must, however, be defined using the Film Aspect setting since this is not necessarily identical to the aspect ratio defined in the Render Settings. Pixel Aspect defines the aspect ratio of the image pixels. As a rule, this value can be left at 1.
Camera
Film Aspect [0.1..10]
Pixel Aspect [0.1..10]
Camera Mapping.
Coordinate System
Defines the origin and the orientation of the axis system with which the Context is projected. The following options are available:
- World: The global world axis system will be used. The projection will be uncoupled completely from the position of the textured object.
- Object: The object axis system will be used. This is normally also the Material tag’s axis system.
- Texture: The Material tag’s projection will be used as a basis.
- Camera: The active render camera will be used as a reference. The projection will be uncoupled from the object here as well.
Reference Size [-∞..+∞m]
This is the actual measure of the edge length of a cubic texture projection. This value is also the basis for the Additional Transform(s) such as Scale.
Additional Transform
If this option is enabled, the position, scale and rotation of the Projection can be further affected. This can be used to deviate from the defined Coordinate System and, for example, create irregularly scaled texture tiles. These settings can be modified directly at the Node or linked using existing inputs.
Position [XYZ m]
Offsets the projection along the axes of the defined Coordinate System.
Scale [XYZ ]
Scales the texture tile. The values are multipliers of the Reference Size value.
Rotation [HPB °]
Rotates the texture tile.
Rotation Order
Defines the axis system and the order for the rotation of the texture tile. The Local options refer to the axes of the defined Coordinate System. The Global options use the world coordinate system.
Local Offset [%]
Offsets the texture tile along the U and V directions relative to the projection origin. The percentage values refer to the Reference Size, which may have also been adjusted via the Scale values.
Local Length [%]
This setting defines the percentage scaling of the projection within the texture tile.
Local Rotation [-5729577951308232523776..5729577951308232523776°]
This is the projection’s rotation within the texture tile. For irregularly scaled texture tiles, this can lead to distortions of the projection.
Local Pivot [%]
Offsets the point of reference for the modifications in length via the Local Length values, and modifies the rotation via the Local Rotation setting. Has no relevance for the Local Offset setting.
Local Repetitions [XYZ ]
This is the number of repetitions of the projection within a texture tile. The projection’s aspect ratio may also be affected. Local Repetitions set to 1 will halve two repetitions, e.g., in the U direction since two repetitions must then take place in the U direction within the texture tile.
Local Decal U
Local Decal V
If enabled, the repetitions will be restricted to the respective direction. All parts of the surface that lie outside of the texture tile will no longer be taken into consideration.
Local Mode U
Local Mode V
If the Local Decal option is enabled in the respective direction, these settings can be used to define how the repetition of the texture tiles in the U and V direction should be calculated:
- Clamp: The UV coordinates will be clamped between 0 and 1, which results in the colors at the texture tile’s edges being repeated.
- Extend: When enlarged, the components of the texture tile that extend beyond the tile will be added to the opposite side. If scaled down, a repetition will take place on the tile, comparable with the Material tag’s Tile mode. Differences between the Extend and Repeat options are primarily visible on 3D structures such as Noise, which will then behave like an image and therefore also show hard edges between the repeated tiles. If a bitmap is used, the Extend option will work like the Repeat option.
- Repeat: Repeats the texture tile. This reflects the typical Tile mode in the Material tag.
- Mirror: Repeats the texture tiles whereby every other tile will be displayed mirrored.
- Extend: When enlarged, the components of the texture tile that extend beyond the tile will be added to the opposite side. If scaled down, a repetition will take place on the tile, comparable with the Material tag’s Tile mode. Differences between the Extend and Repeat options are primarily visible on 3D structures such as Noise, which will then behave like an image and therefore also show hard edges between the repeated tiles. If a bitmap is used, the Extend option will work like the Repeat option.
- Repeat: Repeats the texture tile. The reflects the typical Tile mode in the Material tag.
- Mirror: Repeats the texture tiles whereby every other tile will be displayed mirrored.