In the Coordinates rollout, by adjusting coordinate parameters, you can move a map relative to the surface of the object to which it is applied and achieve other effects.
Often when you apply a bitmap, especially as a texture pattern, you want the pattern to repeat. This effect is known as tiling, as in a tiled floor or fountain. You control tiling directly from the Coordinates rollout for any 2D map.
Tiling a map
In default mapping, tiling is active, but because the map is scaled to fit the object, you don't see the effect of tiling unless you offset the UV coordinates or rotate the map. In this case, the portions of the surface from which the bitmap has moved away are filled by other portions of the map. Tiling wraps the object with the map image.
Mirroring a map is related to tiling. It repeats the map and flips the repeated copy.
As with tiling, you can mirror in the U dimension, the V dimension, or both. The Tiling parameter for each dimension specifies how many copies of the map are shown. Each copy is flipped relative to its neighbors.
Mirroring a map
Because by default mirroring produces two reflected images of the map, the meaning of the Tiling value differs when Mirror is set.
In a single mapping dimension (U or V), a value of 1.0, the default, shows two copies of the bitmap; a value of 2.0 shows four copies; a value of 1.5 shows three copies; and so on. Mirroring in both dimensions multiplies the effect.
Mirroring and tiling a map
Decals are useful for mapping single designs, small elements such as stickers, or light switches.
A 2D map used as a decal appears only once and is not repeated as with tiling. Wherever the decal doesn't appear on the surface, the surface is rendered as a basic material, with the component colors specified at the material level. With map trees, a decal might appear on top of a different bitmap or other map type.
Decal map
In the Material Editor, the material preview changes to show the tiling value you chose.
To preview the effect of tiling. do one of the following:
Tiling flyout to choose a 1x, 2x, 3x, or 4x tiling preview.
1x, 2x, 3x, or 4x.
The value you choose changes tiling in the active sample slot to 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, or 4.0 in both U and V.
The flyout setting has no effect on the material or its mapping. It does not change the Tiling value or the check box setting. It only helps you preview the effect of changing these settings.
Mirror and Tile are exclusive settings: If one is set when you choose the other, the original setting turns off.
The material preview changes to show the Mirror value you chose.
Changing the Tiling value changes the size of the mapped bitmap as it does when you tile the map, but with Mirror and Tile turned off, the bitmap appears only once.
To offset the position of a map:
On the surface of the object, the map shifts in the directions you chose.
UV offsets are especially useful when you have turned tiling off and want the bitmap to appear in a single location.
Positive angles rotate the map in the clockwise direction; negative angles rotate it counterclockwise.
The angle can be up to 360 degrees, which rotates the map completely and has no visible effect unless you are animating the map's rotation.
You can also click Rotate to use the Rotate Mapping Coordinates dialog, which lets you change the rotation by dragging the mouse.
To increase or decrease antialiasing:
For diffuse maps and other maps besides bump maps, the Blur value is most effective in the 0.5 to 20.0 range. Lower values decrease antialiasing; higher values increase it.
The Blur Offset parameter adjusts the image before antialiasing Blur is applied. If all you need is antialiasing, leave Blur Offset at its default of 0.0.
Blur Offset is a very strong parameter. The Blur Offset spinner has increments of 0.001 Values greater than 0.1 are likely to be too high.
These controls appear on the Coordinates rollout for many 2D maps:
Base your choice on how you’re using the map: applied to an object surface, or to the environment:
List entries vary depending on choice of Texture or Environ mapping:
See also Vertex Color Map and Assign Vertex Colors Utility.
When on, planar mapping (Planar from Object XYZ, or with the UVW Map modifier) projects through to render on the back of the object. When off, planar mapping doesn't render on the object's back. Default=on.
This toggle is available only when Tiling is off in both dimensions. Its effect is visible only when you render the scene.
When turned on, applies the map to objects using the real-world Width and Height values instead of UV values. Default = off for 3ds Max, on for 3ds Max Design.
When Real-World Scale is on, the texture placement is relative to the corner of the texture map so alignment with architectural objects likes walls is more efficient. When off, the texture placement is relative to the center of the texture map.
Changes the position of the map in UV coordinates. The map moves in relation to its size. For example, if you want to shift the map its full width to the left, and half its width downward from its original position, you enter -1 in the U Offset field and 0.5 in the V offset field.
Changes the mapping coordinate system used for the map. The default UV coordinates project the map onto the surface like a slide projector. The VW and WU coordinates rotate the map so that it is perpendicular to the surface.
Determines the number of times the map is tiled (repeated) along each axis.
Mirrors the map left-to-right (U axis) and/or top-to-bottom (V axis).
When Use Real-World Scale Is Off
Changes the position of the map in UV coordinates. The map moves in relation to its size. For example, if you want to shift the map its full width to the left, and half its width downward from its original position, you enter -1 in the U Offset field and 0.5 in the V offset field.
Changes the mapping coordinate system used for the map. The default UV coordinates project the map onto the surface like a slide projector. The VW and WU coordinates rotate the map so that it is perpendicular to the surface.
Determines the number of times the map is tiled (repeated) along each axis.
Mirrors the map left-to-right (U axis) and/or top-to-bottom (V axis).
When Use Real-World Scale Is On
Changes the mapping coordinate system used for the map. The default UV coordinates project the map onto the surface like a slide projector. The VW and WU coordinates rotate the map so that it is perpendicular to the surface.
Determines the real world width and height of the map.
For example, if you scan a piece of marble that is 12” x 8” and then assign this image as the Diffuse Map, you can type 12” (or 1') and 8” as the Width and Height. This ensures that the scale of the marble is correct in the rendered scene.
Mirrors the map horizontally and/or vertically.
Turns horizontal and/or vertical tiling on or off.
Displays a schematic Rotate Mapping Coordinates dialog that lets you rotate the map by dragging on an arcball diagram (similar to the arcball used to rotate viewports, although dragging inside the circle rotates along all three axes, and dragging outside it rotates about the W axis only). The Angle UVW values change as you drag in the dialog.
Affects the sharpness or blurriness of the map based on its distance from the view. The farther away the map is, the greater the blurring. The Blur value blurs maps in world space. Blur is primarily used to avoid aliasing.
Affects the sharpness or blurriness of the map without regard to its distance from the view. Blur Offset blurs the image itself in object space. Use this option when you want to soften or defocus the details in a map to achieve the effect of a blurred image.
See Blur/Blur Offset.
Material Editor