Texture Mapping & Presentations - Lesson Plan 4

AVA Texture Mapping is a three-dimensional mapping program which uses virtual grids to place designs into digital photographic scenes. You can download pre- mapped scenes from AVA Assist or create your own; and even continue to colour your design in the room scene! In the Layout Window you can display your work and create presentations or print templates.

To download a copy of this lesson plan click EDU handouts - Texture mapping & layout (1).pdf

Masking your scene

To map your own scenes you can use photographs, line drawings and other images. In order to get the best results, use bright scenes with white objects in them. The first stage is to create masks of all the objects that you would like to map.

Open your scene in AVA.
Add a 1 bit layer and choose the tool that you would like to use for masking your object. A particularly useful tool for this is the Spline Tool.
The Spline Tool uses the line settings of your Brushes Library so make sure to select a thin standard brush in your Brushes Library before starting to draw.
With your new 1 bit layer active, click with the Spline Tool around your object to redraw its outline and double click to finish the shape.
Select the Bucket Tool in your Tools Palette and fill the outline.
Add a new 1 bit layer and start masking your next shape. Continue with these steps until you have masked all your objects on separate layers.
A lot of objects can consist of several panels, such as furniture, clothing or the turnover of a duvet. In this case, you will have to create separate layers and masks for each panel. Make sure that there is no gap between each of the panels.
When you have completed your masking, go to your Window Menu and open the Selections Palette. In the Selections Palette you can save your masks as selections.
Add each layer by dragging it from the Layers Palette to the Selections Palette. Double click on its name to rename it appropriately.
You can now delete the mask layers in your Layer Palette. If you wanted to recreate a mask, you can simply drag the corresponding selection back into your Layers Palette.

Gridding your scene

There are four different types of grids available to help you map your object:

The Rectangular Grid: Particularly useful for flat or simple objects with little perspective such as walls and cushions.

The Perspective Grid: Particularly useful for gridding scenes with objects on an angle, such as flooring, table counters or long walls.

The Contour Grid: Particularly useful for simulating the drape of fabrics or gridding circular objects.

Freedrawn Grid: Best used when gridding irregular shaped objects, such as curtains or clothing. It is particularly useful when the object has a lot of pleats and/or movement.

For our cushion we will use the Rectangular Grid:

Double click on the Rectangular Grid in your Tools Palette. This will bring up your Grid Options.
Make sure that the Width and Height of each cell is equal. As our cushion is rectangular, the number typed in Grids Across and Down needs to reflect that.
The Total Width and Height must correspond to the real life size of your object. If it doesn't the scale of your design won't display accurately. Once you are happy with the size, click on OK.
Add a Grid Layer to your Layer palette.
With your Rectangular Grid Tool active, drag a box over the area to be covered. Your grid should fit the object snugly.
You want to make sure that each cell is as square as possible to avoid distortion. If you are not happy, you can always delete your grid by using (command key) + a and ⌫ (backspace key) and start over.
You can adjust the position of your grid with the Grid Selection Tool.
To adjust the perspective of your grid, hover with your Grid Selection Tool over the corner of your grid while holding down ⌥ (option key). Notice how your cursor changes to two arrows. You can now adjust the perspective.
By adjusting individual points of your grid, you can make your mapping scene even more realistic.
Notice how one point of your grid is red. This indicates the orientation of your grid. If you would like to change the orientation, i.e. direction of your design on the object, go to Grid > Change Grid Orientation.
If you are mapping a textile object, you might want to convert your grid to a Spline Grid. Spline Grids can help you understand the movement of your fabric better and tweak the drape of your grid.
Hold down ^ (control key) and click on your grid. In the opening window, select Convert to Spline Grid.
Continue adjusting your grid until you are happy.
From your Selections Palette, drag the selection of your mask into the design.
Go to your Grid Menu and choose Set Trimming Area. This will only work if your layer and grid are active (the grid points appear blue).
You should now be able to see a small text next to your grid indicating Trimming is set.

Adding the design

You are ready to transfer your design! Open the design that you would like to add to your scene and make sure that the resolution is the same as in the gridded scene. If it isn't, simply go to your Edit Menu and change the Quality. Activate all the layers that you would like to transfer. If you would like to transfer an image instead, have a look on AVA Assist for tips and tricks.

Go back to your scene and select Transfer Draft in the Grid Menu.
A small window will open in which you can choose the file that you would like to transfer.

Using Transfer Draft you can quickly check if the perspective and scale of your grid is correct. If it isn't, delete your design, activate your grid and go to the Grid Menu > Scale to adjust the size of your grid.
Once you have adjusted the scale and perspective of your grid (if necessary), you will have to drag the selection of your mask back into the design and Set Trimming Area again.
Go to your Grid Menu and Transfer High. Notice how all your colourways have been transferred as well. You can even continue to adjust the colours now that the design has been added to your scene.

Shadows & Highlights

To make your mapping scene even more realistic, we can add shadows and highlight layers.

In your Layers Palette make only the original image layer visible.
If you want to just create a shadow or highlight layer of your object, drag the selection of your object from the Selections Palette into your design. If you would like to create a shadow or highlight layer of the whole scene, this step is not necessary.
Go to your Grid Menu and click on Add Shading. This will add a new 8bit layer with a greyscale of your selection.
Go to your Edit Menu and open up your Gamma Window. Adjust the tonal information of your shadow layer until you are happy and click Do Gamma. You might also want to adjust the colour of your shadow layer to reflect the mood or time of day of your scene.
To create your highlight layer, repeat the same steps as above until you have opened your Gamma Window.
As your light will be coming from the opposite direction of your shadow, we want to invert our Gamma Curve. Hold down ^ (control key) and click on your Gamma Pane and select Invert.
Continue to adjust your Gamma Curve until you are happy with the effect and click on Do Gamma.
Adjust the colour of your highlight layer accordingly.
Per default, all layers in AVA have a transparency of 100%. To strengthen the effect of our highlight layer, we want to edit the transparency of it. Click on the T in your Layers Palette. This will open a small window in which you can adjust the transparency of your layer.

We have successfully mapped our first object. Following the same steps, you can now map the rest of your scene.

Contour Grid

Select the Contour Grid in your Tools Palette.

Add a new Grid Layer by clicking on the Grid Layer button in your Layers Palette. Click to set the first point of your grid. Keep clicking to add grid points, following the pleats of your curtain. Be careful to keep your cells as square as possible if the fabric isn't showing any pleats or drape.
At the end of your first line, double click. This will end this row. Click below the first grid point you have set and keep adding cells this way.
If you have made a mistake, press b on your keyboard to delete the last point.
Select your Grid Selection Tool and move individual points or whole rows by clicking on the lines between the points.
Keep adjusting your grid until you are happy.
An alternative way of gridding curtains would be to use the Rectangular Grid and to move entire rows with the Grid Selection Tool to mimic the drape of the pleats.

Freehand Grid

Select the Freehand Grid in your Tools Palette.

Add a new Grid Layer by clicking on the Grid Layer button in your Layers Palette. Set your Grid Cell Count using the across and down options as shown below, you can add more grids later to improve the smoothness of your grid if needed.
Using the tool draw your first line across the top of the object you want to grid, paying attention to the contours, bends and folds of the object. Or click individual points using your mouse
Click new line
Then repeat for the bottom of the object Click Make Grid to create your grid

Presenting your design on the Layout Page

The Layout Page is a window in which one or more designs can be recoloured and laid out ready for printing. Additionally it can be a great way to showcase your work to potential clients and employers as presentations can be created and saved.

Open your design in AVA.
Go to Window to open your Layout Page.
A blank page will open. Notice how the page name is the same as the name of your design except for the addition of Layout. This is because your Layout Page is linked to your design: If you save your design, all the changes made to the Layout Page will be saved as well.
On your page the date and name of your document is displayed as default. If you would like to turn this off, click on your View Settings in your Toolbar. If you don't have this icon, ^ (control key) click on your Toolbar to customise it.
Click on the first Page tab and adjust your page set-up as you wish.
The background colour of your Layout Page should be set to Substrate unless you would like to print with a particular colour, in this case choose Custom.
Your preferences can be Set as default so that any new Layout Page will be opened with these settings.
To add your design to the Layout Page click on New in your Toolbar.
This will bring your linked design in at 100% scale.

Navigating the Layout Page

If you would like to move your design, use the Arrow Tool to click on your Layout Object (you will notice small nodes around the design indicating that it is active) and move it into position.
With the Arrow Tool you can also resize your Palette next to the design: First click on your blank page to deselect everything and then activate the Palette (otherwise your design will be active as well and resize along with the colour palette).

Tiling your design

If we want to display all the colourways of our design, we can use the Tile Function in our Layout Page which will do this automatically for us. Click on Tile in your Toolbar.
In the opening window, select All Colourways under the Tile Options.
Specify how many colourways you would like to set across your page and define how much space you would like to have in between the individual objects.
Notice how each Layout Object has a small number next to it. This number indicates the colourway.
To fit your page perfectly around your objects, click on Set Page in your Toolbar.

Colouring your design in the Layout Page

We can continue to adjust the colours of our design in the Layout Page. Simply activate your Layout Object with the Arrow Tool and use the ⌥ (option key) on your colour chip in the Layer Palette.
As unique feature in the Layout Page, we can even adjust multiple colours together: Activate multiple layers in your Layer Palette, ⌥ (option key) click on your colour chip in the Palette next to your design and change the colour. Notice how all active layers change accordingly, whether that is in hue, saturation or luminosity.

Adding additional information

To add additional information to our Layout Page, we can use the Text Tool.
Click and drag a text box to start typing.
Highlight your text and click on the Font shortcut button in your Toolbar to adjust the font, size and style of your text.
To move the text into place, use the Arrow Tool.

Adding additional designs to your Layout Page

You are not limited to only adding your linked design to your Layout Page, you can also embed photographs, logos, other designs or even Texture Mapping Scenes to visualise your work.

Open your Texture Mapping Scene in AVA.
Transfer your design by following the steps as described in the first part of the handout.
Go back to your Layout Page (all your open files are listed at the bottom of your Window menu).
To embed your Texture Mapping Scene, click on your Layout Menu and select Embed from open document. If you would like to embed another file which isn't open, you can use the Embed option instead.
Use the Arrow Tool to re-position your embedded Texture Mapping Scene.
Once you are happy, click on Set Page in your Toolbar again to readjust the Page Size.

Creating personalised Palettes

To further enhance your Layout Page, you can create individually shaped Palettes:

Use the Oval- or Square Tool in your Tools Palette to draw a shape.
If you would like to rotate it, open the Inspector by clicking on the icon in your Toolbar or go to the Layout Menu and click on Inspector.
In the Layout Inspector Window, select the 2nd tab and adjust the angle of your object as you wish.
We now need to duplicate our customised shape to match the amount of layers we have in our design. Click on Tile in your Toolbar and select as Tile Option Duplicate Objects. As we have 6 layers in our design, we want to have a total of 6 objects. Click on OK.
Hold down the (command key) and drag a colour chip from your Layer Palette onto your customised shape. The use of (command key) links your Layer Chip to your shape which means
that if you change the colourway, the shape will change its colour accordingly.

Saving a template

If you would like to use your finished Layout Page as template for other designs as well you can do so by going to the Layout Menu and choosing Save Template.
You can also load previous templates by going to the Layout Menu and clicking on Restore Template.
If you would like your templates to be directly accessible through AVA, save your templates in the folder Library > Application Support > AVA > QC Template. Any templates saved in here can be found in the dropdown menu under Restore Template.

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