Images do not migrate to Illustrator or any other application

pascal · June 5, 2020, 5:18pm

Hello - the gores are what needs to be mapped - if you have an array of slices, arranged more or less as a sphere but straight sections so to speak, the things you are going to unroll - those are the objects that need to get this material and the spherical mapping - you do not need a sphere at all.

A bunch of these slices - the 3d one that is standing up - the flat thing is what you get later if you follow my steps, all assuming I’ve got the right problem solved…

-Pascal

sthode66 · June 5, 2020, 8:41pm

Thank you Pascal and Jim. You have gotten me to this point! Thanks so much. I use the Materials tab and “Assign to Object(s)”. No need to use “FlowAlongSrf”. That’s a wonderful thing!!!
I used “Squish” to unroll and it takes the images with it. Fantastic!
You have both been an enormous help and I do appreciate it!
One more question for you both - do you know how to properly export to (lets say PDF or Illustrator) so that the Image comes WITH the export. I haven’t been able to do that yet. Thoughts?

sthode66 · June 5, 2020, 8:50pm

I want to export the flattened 2D gore (circled). Not the 3D components!

pascal · June 5, 2020, 9:11pm

Hello - I do not see how to do this without more hoop-jumping - if you just want images you can get screen shots or ViewCaptureToFile f a Top view of the flattened gores. If you want it in AI, I guess you’ll need to combine that with an export of the outline curves to AI. Place the image in AI, bring the curve to the front and make a clipping mask… at least that is what works here, I am no expert in AI…

-Pascal

sthode66 · June 5, 2020, 9:48pm

The problem is getting the image to export with curves created in Rhino. It won’t. It will only export the curves. That is my issue. Vectors are no problem. Raster (image) data is. Rhino does everything I need except export with the image in place. I am desperate for a solution and I will keep trying work-arounds but is there anything you can suggest?
What I am trying to do is have a reliable solution for morphing images to fit a curved surface. Right now I have to do it by eye. Not ideal. Rhino gets me so close to what I need…but that final step…it’s eluding me.
Any idea or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Hoop-jumping included!

pascal · June 5, 2020, 9:57pm

Hello - that is what I meant - export the outline of the gore as curves, and the pixels of the texture on it as a screen shot- however you do that - ViewCaptureToFile is one way. Then in AI, Place the image, and make a clipping mask on the image using the curves.

-Pascal

sthode66 · June 5, 2020, 10:03pm

The resolution won’t be high enough. I am wrapping spheres with gores as large as 72 inches.

sthode66 · June 5, 2020, 10:07pm

I was able to boost the resolution in the “ViewCaptureToFile”. It’s a workaround i can use for the time being. Thanks for the suggestion.

ryan.odom · June 5, 2020, 10:17pm

I’ve been in this situation before needing a higher level of precision than just eyeballing it.

Here is the best way I’ve found:

Set up your viewport for how you want to export.
Make a new Named View (just in case you change the view somehow.
Run _ViewCaptureToFile (I like PNGs with transplant background). Make sure you are using the viewport’s aspect ratio.
Run _Make2D with the Viewport Rectangle option checked.
Export the the Make2D lines with viewport rectangle as an .ai file (or whatever works)
Overlay the PNG and linework in AI and use the viewport rectangle to scale the image to the same size. It should snap into place easy if you have smart guides turned on.

Though a bit cumbersome, you can get near perfect results this way.

sthode66 · June 5, 2020, 10:21pm

Thank you Ryan. I will try!

sthode66 · June 8, 2020, 6:11pm

The only gore that “Squish” 'd correctly was the top and bottom gore. The balance of gores to not flatten correctly (see attached). Anything anyone can recommend?squish fails on 4 of 6 gores.pdf (1.1 MB)

pascal · June 8, 2020, 6:33pm

Hm - that is pretty ugly - what happens if you re-oroent that one to be parallel to the ones that work, then squish? Any different?

(Btw, you can copy/paste screen shots straight into a message here, no need to attach pdfs, and much easier for us all to see.)

-Pascal

ryan.odom · June 8, 2020, 6:46pm

@pascal - Would it ever be conceivable to have texture mapped surfaces (such as these unrolled surfaces) import into AI directly from Rhino as a Path and Clipping Mask neat and pretty?

sthode66 · June 8, 2020, 6:46pm

I tried rotating (re-orienting?) and then squishing. Same result.

pascal · June 8, 2020, 8:03pm

Hi Ryan - I am sure it is possible… I don’t know how far we are from that though - AI export is pre-stone age in Rhino, most likely this would happen in saving pdf, is my guess. I’ll add it to the pile.

-Pascal

ryan.odom · June 8, 2020, 8:08pm

Could you share your 3dm file?

sthode66 · June 8, 2020, 8:18pm

PDF would be an equally desirable format! Thank you Pascal.

Yes Ryan…I will post my 3dm. Just need to swaap out with a LoRes image to keep the size down. Stand by…

And thanks to everyone again.

sthode66 · June 8, 2020, 8:26pm

6 gore model.3dm (1.4 MB)

ryan.odom · June 8, 2020, 8:59pm

I get real nice looking results when using _UnrollSrfUV.

There is still a slight deviation from gore to gore. I suspect this is because they all have the same underlying surface (sphere) with a different trim boundary/UV relationship. This can be seen by turning on control points of each gore.

I would try this:

Start with a new sphere and split it into 6 equal pieces.
delete all but one for the gore and run _ShrinkTrimmedSrf on the remaining gore.
do a polar array to redraw a complete sphere of gores. Now, all of your gores have the exact same underlying geometry.
apply the globe material again and follow the _Bake process that Pascal laid out.
try the _UnrollSrfUV command instead of _Squish or _Smash

sthode66 · June 8, 2020, 9:08pm

It does not morph the image in the file - only the surface. Does my .3dm NOT contain the image?