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Darksaber's X-Wing Station

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I know your going to ask, what is rotational texturing? Right!

Well I try to explain, I think I'm the only one who uses this method (not sure), so here goes. Rotational texturing is when you can't texture something that you would normally using the stitching buttons.

So if you used the normal method your textures could turn out like the picture on the left:-

When it could look like this -->

Your probably thinking well there isn't much difference, but take a closer look! You will see the textures a more symmetrical on the picture on the right.

Now you might be thinking how does he do that, and what does he mean by Rotational Texturing?

Well I do not mean that you rotate the model with the arrow keys as this would achieve nothing, except the same effects as the picture on the left.

Oh no no no, rotational texturing is when you actually rotate your model using the Rotate Editor found in the Scale Editor.

Normal texturing or stitching in Ace Dxf, only allows you to texture on a horizontal or vertical plane, i.e. Sides, Front/Back, and Top/Bottom, so the texture applied stretches around the faces. So if you can't move the textures to fit the model (without distortion) you move the model itself.

First I'll try to explain the X, Y, Z Axis, it's very simple really, first all Z Axis's rotate from the centre-point of your model.

Side View	Front View	Top View
X = Forwards/backwards	Y= Up/Down	Z = Left/Right

For for this example, I'll use the Artoo head to texture,

First you will need the best all round view of your model, so for the head, it's the top view

As the Artoo textures are custom made to fit the head exactly, (refer to Decoy's Basic Textures Tutorial) so with the first few they are straight forward stitching, Sides, Rear/Front, and Up/Down we'll skip those.

Now we come to the main body, you will notice the head is divided into 18 (eighteen) sections and I will use a section of 3 (three) for texturing:-

Again the first few are straight forward Rear/Front applied, so select the faces you wish to texture, i.e. the front faces, remembering your working on a horizontal or vertical plane, then apply the texture by selecting your texture and click on the Set Multi button, next go to the Stitcher box and click on Rear/Front repeat the same for the back faces:-

So now it looks like this :-

Now here where the fun starts, before you go any further Save Your Project, now make sure you have a writing pad and pen handy.

Now we have to texture the side of the head, so on the Rotate Editor, which is by default set to 90 Degree Angle, replace that with 1(One) and click on the Z Axis box. You will see the model rotate slightly, now if you wish to rotate it back to it's original position, enter -1 (minus One) in the box and click on Z Axis, the model will have moved back to it's original position.

OK! now you can start to rotate the model so that part of the side faces are horizontal, There are a few way you can rotate it, if your not sure of the angle just enter 1 (one in the box) and click on the Z Axis box counting in your head for each time you click on the Z Axis box until you reach your horizontal position, (Remembering to write down the number of times you have clicked on the Z Axis box) but as I know it's a 60 Degree angle, I'll just enter 60 in the box and press Z Axis.

You might have to use your arrow keys to manoeuvre the model so you can see it!

So now your model should look like this, with faces you wished to be textured in a horizontal position: -

Oh yes, you have to Z Axis rotate your model before you select the faces you wish to stitch, selecting the faces then rotating will have the same effect as if you hadn't of rotated making the texture stretch around the model.

So remember rotate then select.

So one the faces are textured it should look like this: -

Now to get the model back to it's original position for example 60 degree's or what ever you have written on your paper, enter in to the box -60 (minus 60) and click on the Z Axis box, your model should be back to it's original position.

At this point if you have do it right save the project, if not you will have to reload the project and start again.

So now you have it back to it's original position, you will have to rotate it the other way to textures the other side of the head, so if you have done this correctly, just click on the Z Axis box to rotate the model -60 degree's (minus 60).

Again select the faces you wish to texture and apply them.

To rotate back enter 60 in the box and press the Z Axis button, now it's back to it's original position, texture the top of the model.

Well that was easy wasn't it, pretty straight forward, well you right that was easy, you will notice from the pictures that one of the eyes is at a weird angle, as it leans back and to one side.

This is where it can get very confusing, so again Save Your Project and rotate you model to a position which you think is best:-

Because of the angle of the eye, you will have to rotate it at two angles, first we will rotate it forward so the bottom of the faces on the eye are horizontal.

So again in the Rotate Editor, type 1 or -1 (one or minus one) in the box, and as we want to rotate the model forward we will click on the X Axis button, in your head again count how many time you have to click on the button, so that the eye is horizontal, write this down on your paper, remembering which Axis your using (X Axis) for this example the figure is 24 degree's so I'll write that figure down (X 24).

So now you have that angle, with the arrow keys rotate the model so it faces the front: -

Now you can see the eye isn't vertical so we have to rotate it again, this time with the Y Axis button, now this Z Axis works slightly different from the other two.

OK! for example I'll enter 60 Degree's in the box and press the Y Axis box

Now to rotate it back, with the other Axis's you would type in -60 (minus 60), NO not for this Axis, I'll show you, I'll enter -60 (minus 60) and press the Y Axis box:-

You will see the model stay's at the same angle but it has flipped up, so to rotate this back to its original position leave the box set at 60 Degree's and press Y Axis:-

Ok! now I have tried to explain that I'll rotate it to the correct angle, this is a bit hit and miss so you know it's not going to be 1 (one) so type in the box 10 (ten), if that's not the correct angle click on the Y Axis box again (with out changing the value) and type in 11 (eleven), same again if that's no right click on the Y Axis and type in 12 (twelve), continue this until you have the correct value, which happens to be 14 (fourteen) degree's:-

So now select the faces on the side of the eye, or which ever part your texturing and apply the texture, as this used the same texture as the other eye, you might have to rotate the texture so its at the same angle as the other eye.

So again select the same faces and select the Manual Texture Editor and click on the 90 (ninety) degree box:-

Well I've nearly finished so, deselect the faces that are highlighted by pressing backspace, and start selecting the bottom (top) faces of the eye and again apply the texture. Ok leave it at that for the moment, and rotate the model back to its original position, so click on the Y Axis button, (which still should have the 14 (fourteen) Degree's entered into it, take note of what you have written on your piece of paper (X 24) and in the box type in -24 (minus 24) and click on the X Axis button.

Hopefully you haven't done anything wrong and the model is to its original position as when you first started.

Now to finish the head off, you will notice the eye texture is rotated around the wrong way. So I'll select the faces for the top of the eye again and rotate the texture.

It's easy, I use it all the time, just along as you write things down and or remember at which Axis and Angle you rotated the model you should be fine.

You can also rotate the model in three directions but, I would advise you to practice just rotating at one angle and then two, just to familiarise yourselves with the technique.

Oh last but not least, you can enter a decimal in the box, so if you fine that your have rotated your model but it's not quite horizontal or vertical you can enter in **.56 or something like that.

Anyhow, have fun.