Creating Decal Textures

Decals allow multiple textures to be applied to a single object or part of an object, over a base texture that is already applied to the object. The decal can originate from an imported image file or a texture resource present in the file. Decals can be used to simulate signs on a textured wall, or layered textures for portraying wainscoting on a wall or patterns on fabric.

Decals must be rendered in a Renderworks mode. The Cartoon Artistic Renderworks mode cannot display decals.

To create a decal texture:

1. Select a textured, 3D object. A decal can only be applied to an object with an underlying texture; the map type of the texture determines the decal map type.

The underlying texture must have planar, spherical, or cylindrical mapping for the decal to be edited with the Attribute Mapping tool. Textures with any type of mapping can be edited with the Object Info palette.

2. If the object has textureable parts, select the part where the decal will be placed from the Part list on the Render tab of the Object Info palette.

3. Click Add Decal.

The Add Decal dialog box opens.

Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter	Description
Import an Image File	Imports a new image; select the desired image file in the Import Image Document dialog box. Click Open.
Reuse an Existing Image	Reuses a previously imported image; select the resource that contains the image
Select a Texture	Applies the texture over the object’s base texture; no further settings are required

4. If the decal consists of an imported or reused image, the Decal Options dialog box opens.

Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter	Description
Name	Provide a name for the decal texture
Size	Sets the real-world size for each repetition of the texture; by default, decal textures show only one repetition horizontally and vertically
Mask Options	Indicates the type of masking for the image decal
Rectangular Mask	Creates a rectangular mask around the decal; no further settings are required
Image Mask	Masks the decal image per pixel using an image mask to determine which areas of the image are transparent or opaque
Choose Image	Opens the Choose Decal Mask Image dialog box, for selecting the image mask

5. If creating a rectangular mask decal, proceed to step 9. Otherwise, if creating an image mask, click Choose Image.

The Choose Decal Mask Image dialog box opens; select the image mask to use. A new image can be imported for masking, or an existing image resource from the current file can be selected (including the current image).

6. Click OK.

The Create Mask dialog box opens.

Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter	Description
Grayscale Pixels	Creates a mask from the image’s pixel brightness values; brighter pixels are more opaque
Transparent Color	Creates a mask with a selected transparent color and mask parameters
Alpha Channel	Uses the alpha channel of a source image as the mask (image must contain valid alpha channel information)

For Grayscale Pixel and Alpha Channel masks, click OK. Proceed to Step 9.

7. If Transparent Color is selected, the Create Transparent Color Mask dialog box opens. Select the mask properties and click OK.

The source image must be more than eight-bit color to create a transparent color mask. Images with a monochrome background are easiest to use when creating a mask transparency.

 

Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter	Description
Source Image	Displays the imported image. Select the transparent color by clicking a color in the image; the resulting mask is displayed in the Transparent Color Mask preview. If necessary, use the mouse scroll wheel to zoom into and out of the image, or click and hold the mouse wheel button to pan.
Transparent Color	Displays the current transparent color. An alternative way to designate the transparent color is to click this color box and select the color.
Transparent Color Mask	Displays a preview of the mask based on the current transparent color selection and settings
Color Matching Tolerance	Adjusts the transparency tolerance; drag the slider to the right to increase the tolerance level. This allows a wider range of pixels similar to the transparent color to be considered transparent.
Mask Contrast	Adjusts the mask edge contrast; increase the contrast sharpness by dragging the slider to the right. Soften the contrast by dragging the slider to the left.

8. Click OK to return to the Decal Options dialog box.

9. Click OK to create the decal texture and apply it to the selected object.

The decal is placed on the object; adjust its position, scale, and rotation with the Attribute Mapping tool or Object Info palette as described in Editing Decal Textures. By default, decal textures only repeat once horizontally and vertically, with matte reflectivity and no bump or other material options. This can be modified by editing the texture from the Resource Manager.

Click here for a video tip about this topic (internet access required).

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Editing Decal Textures

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