Decaling a Spiraling Plane

[Rodney]

This one is eluding me...

 

What I'm trying to do is place a rectangular decal (or patch image... although this would be problematic) onto a a plane that (from the top view) has the curvature of a spiral.

 

In thinking about this further I can see how I might warp (or unwarp) the mesh to get everything straight from top view and then drop the 'bottom' down to where it needs to be but I'm wondering if there is an easier or more elegant way.

 

A cylindrical stamp won't work because that would repeat the image (which isn't what I want).

 

Hmm.... while typing another approach suggests itself but I don't think it'll work. That would be to decal only one small part of the spiraled patches and then adjust the image to UV assignment in the Decal Editor.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Disclaimer: In the end the results might not turn out as I hope but applying an image to that spiral has now captured my attention.

 

 

Added: In thinking about how a robcat might perform this trick I wonder if setting up some system to roll the patches out so that they are straight might suffice.

[John Bigboote]

I think we need images... seems you would (in an action or pose) flatten the model on the Y axis and apply the decal from the top view...

[robcat2075]

Ca n you show us the final shape?

[Rodney]

Here's what I envision as a starting shape although the shape itself might change/animate over time.

 

Note that this doesn't have to be the shape but a general spiral is what I have in mind.

 

 

seems you would (in an action or pose) flatten the model on the Y axis and apply the decal from the top view...

 

 

The problem with that approach is that the spiraled patches (from top view) would have to be reoriented to align with the rectangular decal.

That's doable but a bit more work than I'd like.

[nemyax]

Either straighten it in an action or unwrap it in Blender.

[serg2]

Hi!

AM.prj

[Rodney]

That's awesome Serg.

I have no idea how you did it but... awesome.

Care to share your secret? (Something to do with the Pose slider/flattening?)

 

Thanks!

[robcat2075]

Does this work?

 

clip3851RodneysSpiral.mov

[Rodney]

Does this work?

 

It works up to a point and perhaps adequately for what I'm after.

An issue still at hand... is that via your method (as seen) we don't get the full image applied as if the entire image were fit to the corners of all of the patches in the spiral.

I will assume that if your video continued and we entered the Decal Editor we would then be able to align the UVs to the image properly.

 

Serg's project file shows the ideal result; that of being able to assign any rectangular image to all of the patches in the spiral.

While I don't know Serg's exact approach I presume that your approach is what he used to get the A:M logo to properly and fully align.

Perhaps not.

[robcat2075]

I presume he has unrolled that to apply the decal or... rolled it after applying the decal.

[Laoxiong]

I Do this way.

 

 

 

 

Spiraling decaling.mov

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[serg2]

I Do this way.

C.mp4

[Rodney]

Laoxiong said:

I Do this way.

Ha! I love it!
Very well done.

Now that is what I'd call a 'robcat' solution.



Serg also said:

I Do this way.

 

Checking out your video now Serg.

Back.

Nicely done Serg.


You guys have inspired me to try several variations on your themes.

[NancyGormezano]

I took Serg's project, and added bones as Laoxiang did to the model. But I "automatically assigned bones", and then I went into an action and dragged last bone in the chain all the way to the left, so that scroll laid flat (preparing it for decalling). I could have also have done it in a pose.

 

An unexpected consequence was that with the moving of only one bone, the other bones followed and created an automatic very pleasing animation for unrolling of the scroll. Neat.

 

(this was my first attempt at using Active Presenter screen capture software - free software suggested by Rodney, I believe awhile ago? was a little awkward because I'm a newbie to it, but works very well)

scroll.mp4

SCROLL.prj

[Rodney]

Oh yeah, now we've got Nancy screencasting.

 

I ran a similar approach to yours after seeing Serg and Liaxiong's methods.

Your presentation/results turned out much better and I forgot to make it animated..

I'm a big fan of auto assigning bones so thats just the ticket.

 

with the moving of only one bone, the other bones followed and created an automatic very pleasing animation for unrolling of the scroll

 

Most definitely!

 

I think it'll be worth mentioning here that at the point where your video drops off and the decal would be applied we have to select the model in the PWS as decals cannot be applied directly in an Action. By briefly selecting the original model this 'tricks' A:M into thinking it's in the Modeling window. A similar thing can/must be done when applying decals in a Choreography.

 

For a first attempt at screen casting that was great Nancy.

Keep it up.

[serg2]

 

I never figured out how to automatically roll up the tape into a spiral. So casually brilliant ideas are born ))