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[rael.delcon]

I've tried to get my head around projectors so far I've not made much progress!

Is there any simple explanation on how they work?

RD

[craouette]

there is a very simple tutorial there (in the sticky of this forum):
http://www.ppmodeler.com/ppmodeler/tutorial/texture_proj/texture_projector.html

basicaly, it is very simple.
You select some face or a mesh (in the mesh tools toolbox), and you select the txt. proj. tool.
The name of the projector is asked and the texture projector toolbox allows to define the mapping and the textures.
Texture projector on faces are always evaluated last (overwriting the one of the mesh).
There is 5 texture projectors:
- plane: the texture is attached to a plane and projected on the mesh
- cylindrical: the texture is rolled on a cylinder and projected on the mesh
- spherical: the texture is stretch on a sphere and projected on the mesh
- uv: the user defines the projection of each vertices of each faces
- faces: a plane texture projector is created for each face of the mesh, but this one is special, i will explain latter.

The best way to see what is going on is to first used 2 3d views (menu views). then press 'd' in one of the views until you reach the uv projected display mode.
In the other view, press 'd' until you reach the textured view.
Then, set a texture map (texture map tool). This opens the texture list windows. Load or create a texture. In your 2 views, you should see the mesh with the texture on it and the texture with the edges of the mesh drawn over it.
There is a little gizmo for the first three projectors. Move it to see the effect of the scale and position of projector on the mesh.
In uv mode, there is a new bunch of tools available. These tools allow to move the uv of the mesh. They are quite simple, yet effective. I am planning on adding more latter.
The last projector mode create a texture automatically. But each faces got its own part of the texture space. It is hard to edit, but really useful if you want to use 3d painting (one tool of the toolbox). If you want to test 3d painting, just activate the face projector mode. Then activate the 3d painting tool.
In the parameter area, you can define the color, shape, size and so on of your brush. Then, just paint on the mesh in the textured view. You can see the result on your texture at the same even if it is not currently possible to paint on the texture directly.

Ok, hope this help,

craouette