[Help] Diagonal wood grain

[SeaGeoff]

Howdy,
I need some help. The following example is from timber frame construction but I'm sure similar situations will be quite common.

I'm using the slab tool to create diagonal braces, rafters or parts of a truss. I save these as objects. So far so good. But I've been unable to get either wood texture or wood grain 3D hatching to follow the diagonal. Before I save as objects, the slab tool orients the texture correctly. But once saved the texture ends up horizontal or vertical even when I try using a material with the texture set at an angle. And the Align Texture command doesn't seem to work on objects.

I'm sure this bridge has been crossed many times and I thank you all in advance for helping me across.

[Dwight]

Solutions:

1: Use GDL to map textures as you think they should go. This is arcane and non-intuitive. See GDL Cookbook.

2: Make up materials using the same texture map imported at different angles. By experimenting, you'll be able to mach the tit of your object to the tilt of your object.

This does not mean, however that all surfaces will map as you expect. Look inside the GDL of your object to see how the three surfaces call their textures and re-assign them accordingly - so all is not lost. For maximum control, do not "Use Object's Materials" but work internally by rotating texture directions.

In future, when making GDL objects from slabs, you might initially create fictional materials to assign to each surface of the slab that can later be adjusted to match to object tilt. What happens when one directional material gets mapped is that it can get wierd when it turns a corner.

[SeaGeoff]

Thanks Dwight,
I was afraid you'd say something like that. I'm relatively new to AC and haven't dabbled in GDL much, but I have no hesitation to do so if that's what it takes. Nonetheless I'd call it a drawback, especially in the realm of attracting new users, to be forced into the code to do something as basic as aligning the texture on an object.

Thanks again though.

[david nicholson-cole]

Its not as difficult as you think. almost all GS objects have incorrect wood textures, eg doors and windows, horizontal woodgrain on architraves, but actually, you can fix existing objects and make them work correctly with little effort. its only arcane because the GDL manual contains no idea of how to do this.
the GDL cookbook was 3 years ago and i know a lot more now then i do then, and one is to have simplified the matter of texture direction to a few standard lines you can copy and paste into any existing script.

If you can ask me the question in GDL Talk, (see the GDL alliance website http://www.gdlalliance.com for how to join this) I can explain it in full there, I know that some raw GDL script on a rendering topic will be unwelcome.

Geoff wrote:
Thanks Dwight,
I was afraid you'd say something like that. I'm relatively new to AC and haven't dabbled in GDL much, but I have no hesitation to do so if that's what it takes. Nonetheless I'd call it a drawback, especially in the realm of attracting new users, to be forced into the code to do something as basic as aligning the texture on an object.

Thanks again though.

[Djordje]

Geoff wrote:
I'm using the slab tool to create diagonal braces, rafters or parts of a truss.

On an aside note, why don't you use the TrussMaker? Did it not fulfill the expectations?

[Karl Ottenstein]

Djordje wrote:
On an aside note, why don't you use the TrussMaker? Did it not fulfill the expectations?

I'll also be interested in Geoff's comments ... but personally I haven't used TrussMaker as much as I might (for trusses - I do use it for other things) because of issues I brought up on the list when it first came out. I can't see that I sent this in to the wishlist, being a newbie at the time.

From: "Karl Ottenstein"
To: <archicad-talk@
Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2001 11:54 AM
Subject: Trussmaker 7.0 R1


Trussmaker is a great addition to the toolset, but unless I'm using it incorrectly, has a couple of issues that I thought I'd share:

1. Dimensions/truss size (observation/wish)

The Lib/Env manual suggests fitting the truss outline in section view to the roof, wall and floor outlines of the attic area. But, the lines that you draw become the centerlines of the truss members, so if the truss is to fit exactly within the attic space, all of the lines need to be offset from the roof/wall/floor edges by an amount equal to half of the desired width of the framing member. This cancels some (just some! it's still nice!) of the convenience of having each pen/member being dimensionally parametric. Even though conventional truss structure lines are drawn centered in the member in this way, it would be nice to have the option to have the truss top and bottom chords fit within the outline - with centering just for the web members.

2. Joints of frame trusses (bug?)

Scissor, or otherwise uniquely shaped frame trusses (for trussed shed dormers, for example) with bottom chords that are not parallel to the floor can cause weirdnesses. With a scissor/dormer truss and web members that met it at certain angles other than 90 degrees, the web members did not terminate at the bottom chord for me as they should, but joined one another below it at an odd-looking protruding butt-joint. Not consistent - works at some angles.

Re-reading the post of over 2 years ago, I feel pretty much the same now. To get a truss to "fit", we have to offset the lines that trussmaker will use from the bottom of roof sheathing - and above the top of plate by an amount equal to 1/2 of the intended member size. What, then is the point of being able to parametrically set the size of a truss member when only the height value of 2*offset will actually work? This isn't parametric and the computer isn't doing the work for us! We should be able to trace the outline of the truss and trussmaker should be smart enough to make that outline be the outside edge of those chords - regardless of their size - and to center any internal elements on the internal lines.

Karl

[SeaGeoff]

Djordje wrote:
On an aside note, why don't you use the TrussMaker? Did it not fulfill the expectations?

In this case no. All the parts I was referring to are timber frame members. The truss is a custom job as shown. The notches on the top chord are for purlins, which would in reality be housed in mortises on the faces, but I subtracted for easy-sleazy. The image illustrates well my failed attempt at diagonal wood grain. Believe me I tried Dwight #2, so David, you'll be hearing form me over at GDL Talk.