Extension Pack for MARI

• Where to find it:

• Add Procedural Layer / Procedural / Extension Pack / Generators

• NodeGraph / Right Mouse Click / Add Nodes / Procedurals / Extension Pack / Generators

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• Video
• How to position the Projection in Space
• Positioning Using Locators
• Manual Positioning
• Node Overview
• Node Outputs
• Node Ports
• Node Properties
• Main Tab

• Base Color

• Texture Map

• Cylinder Dimension
• UV Size
• Pie Clip
• Normal Map

• Extra Attributes Tab

• Pivot Translation
• Pivot Rotation
• Slider Multipliers

• Interactive Placement Tab

• Projection Pivot
• Projection Rotation

Cylindrical Projection will project your image using cylindrical texture coordinates to avoid seams and ugly blending

on objects such as wheels, trees, barrels etc.

A feature presentation for an older version of this node can be found here

An updated video, how to position the Projection in 3D Space can be found here

Step by Step:

For easiest positioning turn on the 'Debug Pattern' Checkbox under the Texture Map Group of the Cylindrical Projection Node

1. Go to 'Projection Pivot' Group in the Node's Properties 'Interactive Placement' Tab

2. On the Projection Pivot Option click the '+' button to add a new locator

or choose an existing one from the dropdown

3. A new locator will be added to your mari scene. You can also see this new locator in the Object Palette.

The position of this locator marks the pivot of the projection which is always located at the

'cap' center of the cylindrical projection

Cylinder Pivot is defining the center point of the 'cap' of your projection:

4. Next go to the 'Projection Rotation' Group in the Node's Properties 'Interactive Placement' Tab.

5. Add a new locator there as well or (recommended) choose the same locator as you have set for your Projection Pivot

6. In either Projection Pivot or Projection Rotation click on the Transform button next to the '+'.

7. Mari will switch from your current object over to the 'Locator' Object in the Object Palette and activate the 'Transform Selected Option' Tool.

A locator gizmo will become visible in the viewport (you might have to look at your world center to see it, if your object is positioned away from the grid)

The Locator Transformation Gizmo visible in your viewport

8. Move the Locator to where you want the pivot to be.

The Locator Transformation Gizmo position at the bottom center of the object

9. Rotate the Projection into place. If you feel like the cylinder projection is facing the wrong direction, tick/untick the Mirror option.

Once you are happy with the general orientation you can use the Extra Attributes (Pivot Rotation) to make very precise adjustments.

The aligned projection

10. Turn off the Debug Pattern Option and plug in the map you want to project via the Main Tab

Step by Step:

1. Position your model in your viewport so that you are looking along the length of your future cylindrical projection

2. Generate your Cylindrical Projection Node and open group 'Pivot Translation' under the 'Extra Attributes' Tab

Ensure that the Cylindrical Projection Node sits above any LUT applying Node such as sRGBtoLinar.

You can move the Cylindrical Projection Node back under it once you completed this basic orientation step-by-step.

Cylinder Pivot is defining the center point of the 'cap' of your projection:

3. Turn on the 'Display Object Position as Color Value' checkbox found in the 'Pivot Translation' under the 'Extra Attributes' Tab

This will show the object position X/Y/Z converted to an RGB Value.

Since these positional values are likely over 1.0, your object will go most likely completely white.

4. Open the Pixel Analyzer Palette via VIEW / PALETTES

5. In your lower right hand corner of your Mari Main Window ensure that 'HDR' is active.

If the icon displays 'LDR' click on it to switch to 'HDR'. This ensures that values above 1.0

can be sampled in the viewport.

• Alternatively go to your 'Painting' Palette and under group 'Paint Buffer' turn off 'Clamp' 

6. Switch to your 'Color Picker' Tool and on your object click at the point you want to represent the center pivot

of your projection

7. Transfer the RGB Values from your Pixel Analyzer Palette into X,Y and Z Offset of the Cylindrical Projection and turn off

 'Display Object Position as Color Value' checkbox. You are now free to move the Projection Node anywhere you want in the

Layerstack (including below a LUT Node such as sRGBtoLinear)

8. In the Main Tab of the Cylindrical Projection Nod,  activate 'Debug Pattern'.

This will show you a UV Check pattern made out of squares to help you adjust repeat and rotation.

9. Open theTab 'Extra Attributes' and the group 'Pivot Rotation'  and adjust the rotation

depending on your models necessities. By default the Cylindrical Projection is generated in a 90 degree angle

to the grid (standing cylinder).

10. Your Projection should now be oriented correctly and you can turn off the 'Debug Pattern' and plug in a texture map.

• Output

The Default Output

• UV

Outputs cylindrical UV Coordinates

• Mask

Outputs a black and white mask from your projection with Pie Mapping etc. applied

• Manifold 3D

IWhen mapped the world space position the node uses to calculate the projection is supplied by the port.

This can be used for example to apply warping to the projection using Manifold Nodes

• Bake Point Image

The Bake Point Image Port allows you to feed data into the Node from upstream nodes that have been baked via a bake point into the Node.

When the node is evaluated, the Bake Point attached to the Port will be sampled and the UDIM 1001 Image will be transferred into

the Image Attribute of the Node.

This allows you to create patterns and textures via a nodegraph and use them directly inside this node with an element of non-destructivness

Example of using a Nodegraph and a Bake Point to dynamically feed a Pattern Generator Node with Node Inputs

MAIN TAB

It is possible to define a background color for this node. Transparent areas of the node will be filled with the Background Value/Color 

if the Background Opacity is set to 1.0.

If no Image is set in the Image attribute the computation of the Node will default to a lightweight, performance friendly method that only

evaluates the background.

• Background Value

Defines the grayscale Background value of the Projection.

• Background Color

Defines a Background Color for the Projection. This can help to eliminate semi-transparent areas of your projection, caused by the mesh normals

not being aligned with the projection

• Background Opacity

Defines if the Projection is filled by default with the Background Color / Background Value

• Debug Pattern

Overrides the Texture Map and shows a Debug Pattern with squares.

This is useful to orient your projection and adjust tiling values (repeat u/v)

• Texture Map

The image to be projected. Transparency is supported.

• Mipmap Blur

Allows you to blur the input image. This feature requires Mari 4.6v2.

• Image Type

If an image is specified as a Normal Map, rotating images recalculates normal vectors for correct lighting results.

Below you can see an example of this. The Material and its normal map was rotated 90 degrees from its original output.

• With the Normal Map specified in the Image Type, Mari correctly recalculate the normal map vectors for rotation changes resulting in consistent lighting in viewport & render.
• If the Normal Map is treated as a 'Standard Texture', no normal orientation is recalcuated, resulting in incorrect lighting in viewport & render

• Image Rotation

A rotation on the 'Texture Map'  in local space of the map itself

• Slide

A translation/offset on the 'Texture Map'  in local space of the map itself. This is useful to slide the texture along the cylindrical projection.

• Lock UV Scale

When adjusting the 'Length' parameter of the projection the texture repeat changes by default.

With Lock UV Scale turned on adjusting texture repeat will compensate for changes in  'Length'

• Length

The Length/Height of your cylindrical projection

• Radius

The radius of your cylindrical projection determines where the projection will be clipped.

• Please note due to performance reasons the clipping is done square, not round.

Different Radius on a projection:

• Squash

Squashes the profile of the cylinder that is projecting. This is useful to redistribute features on objects that are not

100 % cylindrical to avoid texture stretching or deliberately introduce it.

• RepeatU

Texture Repeat around the circumference of the cylinder

• RepeatV

Texture Repeat along the length of the cylinder

• UV Scale

Uniform Texture Repeat multiplier for RepeatU and RepeatV

• Plane Slice Start / End

Plane Slice will cut the texture projection from either start or end of the cylinder.

The base of the cylinder (pivot) determines which side Plane Slice Start is on.

• Offset

A secondary offset on the main slider with a finer granularity on the slider for fine adjustments

• Pie Slice Start / End

Pie Slice will slice the Projection around the circumference of the cylinder

• Offset

A secondary offset on the main slider with a finer granularity on the slider for fine adjustments

• Invert Red

Will invert the Red Channel of the attached Normal Map

• Invert Green

Will invert the Green Channel of the attached Normal Map

• Switch Red/Green

Allows you to swap the Red/Green Component of a Tangent Space Normal Map attached to the Node in the

Nodegraph

• Mirror X / Mirror Y 

Will mirror the vectors of the normal map. This is useful to align the Normal Map correctly in space for your projection

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EXTRA ATTRIBUTES TAB

• Display Object Position as Color Value

Shows your objects position values (X,Y,Z) as RGB Values so they can be sampled with the Pixel Analyzer Tool.

Refer to How to position your Projection in 3D Space for more details.

• X / Y / Z Offset

The X, Y and Z Position of your Cylinder Pivot relative to its original position (world 0 or locator position). These values can be obtained by sampling the position with the Pixel Analyzer Tool

• Offset

A secondary offset on each main slider with a finer granularity on the slider for precision positioning

• Rotate X / Y / Z

Rotates the cylinder around the pivot of the projection.

• Offset

A secondary rotation offset on each main slider with a finer granularity on the slider

Depending on your scene size some of the default slider ranges might be too large. 

The following multipliers will help you compensate for very large or very small object sizes.

• Global Multiplier

A multiplier on Length+Radius, the fine Offset Controls of Cylinder Pivot & Rotate Cylinder (not the main sliders !)

as well as the the fine Offset Controls on the Clipping Options (not the main sliders).

If any of the sliders below are used, the result will be multiplied.

• Length/Radius Multiplier

A multiplier on Length & Radius Controls.

• Transform Offset Multiplier

A multiplier on the fine offset controls of Cylinder Pivot & Rotate Cylinder (not the main Offset sliders ! )

• Clip Offset Multiplier

A multiplier on the fine offset controls of Projection Clipping Options (not the main Clip sliders ! )

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INTERACTIVE PLACEMENT TAB

• Projection Pivot

Allows you to specify a locator to use for interactive translation of the projection in the viewport.

Please refer to How to Position the Projection in 3D Space for more detailed information.

In addition to the translation options here you can fine tune the position using the attributes under the

 'Extra Attributes (Pivot Translation)' Group

• Mirror

Sometimes after positioning your cylinder pivot, the cylinder might be 'standing on the pivot' facing the wrong direction.

Instead of rotating the cylinder again, simply tick or untick Mirror to tip the cylinder on its head.

• Projection Rotation

Allows you to specify a locator to use for interactive rotation of the projection in the viewport

Please refer to How to Position the Projection in 3D Space for more detailed information

In addition to the rotation options here you can fine tune the position using the attributes under the

 'Extra Attributes (Pivot Rotation)' Group