Adding textures

[MarkJamesDesign]

Does anyone know of a way to import my own texture files into the textures library within the designer software?

[Jon Jantz]

That is something Jeff Birt and I have been wanting to do for a long time... we both have quite a few tileable textures we would like to be able to put out there for other users to use.

I have emailed Carvewright a couple times about it, hoping they will incorporate that feature into a new release down the road. As of right now, users are not able to save their own textures...

That'll be a great feature when they get it in the software.

[cajunpen]

Mark, I have imported some "wood" textures into Designer. You simply create a .gif or .jpg file of your texture - open Designer - got to the Gallery and Right Click on "your favorites" - select import and bring your file in. It's as simple as that.

[mtylerfl]

That is something Jeff Birt and I have been wanting to do for a long time... we both have quite a few tileable textures we would like to be able to put out there for other users to use.

I have emailed Carvewright a couple times about it, hoping they will incorporate that feature into a new release down the road. As of right now, users are not able to save their own textures...

That'll be a great feature when they get it in the software.

Ditto. Kind of suprising the capability to import our own textures isn't there already. (Not as suprising as the lack of the Centerline Font feature though!) ;)

[Sarge]

I kinda know what you're saying about putting them into the software. However, there is a work around using the textures posted as ptn. Yeah I know they don't blend great but it's all we got for now.

[SpiffyDog]

It would be nice to know what features will be available in the upcoming professional release. Maybe this is already addressed along with other "wishlist" items.

[Mike]

Does any one know the release date yet?

[ramlin]

Copied the texture from the internet. Imported image into designer,
and saved it in favorites. The brought into design and added text.
Hope this helps

[MarkJamesDesign]

Ramlin,
That is not the same as effect as this thread concerns. The desired effect is to import that texture into the textures data in the library (not your favorites) so that it can be used to fill a vector region and take on the shape and other variables associated with that region. Although it is nice to be able to do what you have done, your texture will remain a rectangle shape within your design. Someone please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Jim

[liquidguitars]

Ramlin,
That is not the same as effect as this thread concerns. The desired effect is to import that texture into the textures data in the library (not your favorites) so that it can be used to fill a vector region and take on the shape and other variables associated with that region. Although it is nice to be able to do what you have done, your texture will remain a rectangle shape within your design. Someone please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Jim

Your right but...
In order to add more surface textures "not image maps" we would need hooks in Designers programming. basically an open SDK. The textures are procedural
and controlled by the software engine so unless you know C++ its up to CW.

To me, image map adjustment input like repeateing, and origin is not as high of a priority as let say router bit offsets or copy offsets on nurbs paths.

Lig

[ramlin]

Jim
My first suggestion was a bummer. After playing with I
found out how it would not be useful for adding textures
to a design. Could maybe be used a background for signs
or something.


Lig
You are right. It appears the textures are stored in a .mpn file.
C:\Program Files\Carvewright\Data\Surfaces.mpn
An .mpn file is described as a type Mophun Game File and is
created in the C, and C++ programming language. It requires
the Mophun SDK. I did find a tutorial out there, and from the
looks of it, this a special field of programming all it's own.
Maybe in our user community, there is someone who could
shed more light on this, or maybe come up with a solution to
editing and adding textures. The tutorial is mophuntuts.rby.se/

[RBeau1954]

Ok, so if I use my nurbs to get the C++ to cross over on my particular criss cross machine will the nurbs get lost or can I catch them with a mouse trap. I have no Idea what guitar man is talking about.

[MarkJamesDesign]

No, reread his post. I think you catch nurbs with the hooks, but the whole thing sounds fishy to me.

[Jeff_Birt]

The CW .mpn file is just a sqlite 2.x database file, as is your favorites file that your patterns are stored in. I've poked around both files a bit and it seems that the biggest problem is figuring out how they have encoded the image. Keep in mind that patterns (.ptn) are bitmaps, where the shade of grey denotes height. I suspect that the textures and surfaces are also bitmaps (the tables structure is the same as patterns). Textures are set up to be easily tiled, thus you are able to set the paramters of the tiling.

You can create your own textures, save them as patterns and manually tile them, move them around in a carved region to get the aligment as you wish, and by setting the grouping and merge right have other objects follow the texture or be independent of it. See the attached project file for an example.

I've started trying to decode the .mpn files a few months ago but have not had much time to do so (I'd rather be carving :p ). I have created a bunch of tile-able textures and am in the process of doing some test carvings, I think Jon Jantz has done a bunch too. If the encoding the images in .mpn were better understood then it would be a realitivly simple manner to write a utility to add our own textures to Designer. For a clue of what type of data might be in an .mpn try exporting a pattern file and then opening the resulting file in a text editor. You programing guys should see a familiar header (yes I know I'm teasing a bit, but you know that you have to try it now ;) ).

If someone else with programming experiance wants to work on this please PM me.

[liquidguitars]

Textures are set up to be easily tiled, thus you are able to set the paramters of the tiling.

Yes that’s right, just as long as people understand that we have two ways of
setting up a background, as one will use bitmaps and one mathematical only.:)

Respectfully,
Lig

[badger]

Curious if anyone has had any luck in this since the last year on adding textures to your library?