Basics of texture mapping concepts	Polygon Mapping	Using the UV Texture Editor	Mapping Harvey’s hand
Working with both procedural textures and external textures	Creating texture maps in Photoshop	Main

Basics of texture mapping concepts	Placing Texture maps	What is 2D Texture Placement node?
What is 3D Texture Placement node?	Interactive Placement	Texture Reference Object

Basics of texture mapping concepts

Surfaces must have a coordinate system to determine where the image maps attach. This coordinate system is called UVs. NURBS surfaces have their UVs automatically mapped when they are created. Polygonal surfaces do not.

Placing Texture maps

Mapping Coordinates

Just like any other 3D application, Maya has a mapping system (known as UV coordinates) to tell the renderer how to apply a two-dimensional texture on a three-dimensional surface.

How the UV coordinates are laid out depends on the type of surfaces the texture is being placed upon.

• NURBS surfaces have their UVs maps built into the surface when they are created. The main for this is because a NURBS surface is created parametrically and since UV maps work like a parametric layout, Maya automatically maps the UVs out with any type of a NURBS surface.
• Confused about parametric layouts and how NURBS surfaces work? Think of a NURBS surface a folded piece of paper to form whatever shape you’re going after. A NURBS surface has a defined beginning and ending edge. It may appear to be seemless, but it really isn’t. The beginning and ending edges (isoparms) sit directional on top of one another. Knowing this, you can select the CVs of an edge and pull the shape apart until you have nothing left but a flat surface.
• Polygonal surfaces (both polygon and subdivided) aren’t so lucky. Because a polygonal surface is closed, they have to have their UV coordinates assigned to them. There are several ways to assign UV coordinates to a polygonal surface but we’ll get into that a little later.

What is 2D Texture Placement node?

1. Coverage
2. Translate Frame
3. Rotate Frame
4. Mirror
5. Stagger
6. Wrap U
7. Wrap V
8. Repeat UV
9. Offset
10. Rotate UV
11. Noise UV
12. Fast

What is 3D Texture Placement node?

1. Translate
2. Rotate
3. Scale
4. Shear
5. Rotate Order
6. Rotate Axis
7. Inherits Transforms

Interactive Placement

Once the Interactive Placement Tools has been activated, use the MMB to move the texture placement node anywhere you like. Click-drag on the U, V, or larger square dots (usually found at the top and bottom axis of the object) on the red outline to change the total coverage values. To rate and translate the frame of the texture map, click-drag the smaller squares (usually found in any corner of the texture placement node) on the red outline.

Use this tool to place the textures on a NURBS object.

Texture Reference Object

Sometimes, a surface may not like the UV maps you applied to it. One visual clue is when you animate your object through space and the texture map(s) seem to “swim” over your surface. This is a simple fix and works with all types of geometry.

• Select the surface that seems to be swimming.
• In the Rendering menu set, go to Texturing > Create Texture Reference Object.

This will create a duplicate of the selected geometry and set the geometry to a templated mode. Maya will draw upon this templated surface(s) to the placement the texture map(s) regardless of where the geometry is in space or how it is bending.