[Hervé]

hello... maybe some of you need it... it is just a little trick..

Special Thanks to Mike for the original Idea !!

ok, here we go..

Load an object in LW modeler



Make a new UV map, using Atlas projection (or with any software that has per face mapping option)



The UV's



Export the UV window as an encapsulated Postscript image



I used "fit in page" mode, but you can also use "scale factor" for thicker lines, you can experiment other settings, it just takes one second to export. (you can also open the resulting file in Illustrator and set a line weight)



after export, you can fire PS, and open the EPS file... here is the dialog..



here I created a background layer that I have filled with a light blue color, with the UV lines on top (you can color them too..)



I then save the UV lines as aPNG map (but other formats work as well, but try not using jpg.), then I apply this map to my object using the UV's I have created earlier.



.. as a result..



I then export the object as an MXS...



Then open MXST.. and load the MXS you have just saved... and RENDER !!



and here the resulting render...




you can have all kinds of options using clip maps and weighted bsdf's..

[-Adrian]

Very cool, thanks Hervé.

[Hervé]

no problem.. thanks to you Adrian.

[JCAddy]

Great one Herve.

[codygo]

If you use rhino simply export 2d lines from your camera as illustrator .ai and overlay them onto your render.

[Polyxo]

This looks nice indeed Hervé! However: It's a rather strange workflow, having to create a UV-Layout for information which is already there...
We finally really should get options to render meshes and Nurbs wireframes with Maxwell (internally treated as curves). Further on rendering of text dimensions and curves should be supported. This would greatly enhance the use of this software for technical illustrations! I attach some examples found in the web. Just imagine this to be in Maxwell quality!

Holger

[Hervé]

This looks nice indeed Hervé! However: It's a rather strange workflow, having to create a UV-Layout for information which is already there...
We finally really should get options to render meshes and Nurbs wireframes with Maxwell (internally treated as curves). Further on rendering of text dimensions and curves should be supported. This would greatly enhance the use of this software for technical illustrations! I attach some examples found in the web. Just imagine this to be in Maxwell quality!

Holger

well maybe but this is just a little workaround...

as for recreating "per face" or "atlas" uv's, this is just to make sure you won't get any un-wanted streching... unless of course if your uv's are already without any streching... in this case, then off course you can use the ones you already have... no problemos..

terrific illustrations btw..

thanks to you Jason and Adrian...

thanks for the Rhino way codygo..

[Polyxo]

unless of course if your uv's are already without any streching... in this case, then off course you can use the ones you already have... no problemos..

Hi Hervé, just to be clear: I was not talking about UV-mapping at all. Mesh and Nurbs data are already there (in Nurbs-packages even both of them). If Maxwell was able to extract and render them we would not need the time consuming approach you describe.
I'd imagine this not only very useful for product-illustration but also for purely artistic work.
Imagine if curves were renderable and even displacement could be applied to them. Then graphics like those those amazing works by Tim Borgmann (afaik done in Realsoft and XSI) were possible with Maxwell...

Holger

[Hervé]

well of course I can only agree... but I am not NL, and just to be clear, I don't think this is a prime goal... I am just giving a small turnaround for now... nothing less nothing more..

[def4d]

Hervé, Hervé... just do an effort