Material Duplicate Whine

[DMclean]

When you pick a material in the Materials palette, Right Click on it and chose Duplicate, a copy of the material is created, but the original material remains selected. Wouldn't it make more sense that the duplicate is selected? Every time I do this I get caught by it. I duplicate the material then start editing the Image Map or properties and then realize that the materials in the scene are changing, when what I really want to do is change the new materials and apply it to some different objects.

 

Maybe I just work backwards from everyone else but it seems to me that duplicating a material is done because you want essentially the same material but want to make some changes and then use it, not make a copy that will remain intact while you change the original. When you Save As a model, you find yourself working in the new model, not working on the old one.

 

In that sense I guess Duplicate behaves like Save a Copy, but it just feels counterintuitive to me. Curious whether I'm the only one who feels that?

 

Doug

 

[Andrew West]

I feel the same way on this issue.

On a different note I can't understand why geometry is always created with a default texture mapping of FLAT!  Create a cube and try to use the Edit Texture tool.  One can only map one face at a time.  If you change the mapping type to Cubic with this tool you can still only map one face at a time!  To finally get it to map globally as Cubic one has to use the MAP TEXTURE TOOL,  then go back to the Edit Texture Tool and it shows as Cubic.  Unfortunately, using Map Texture Tool unselects the Lock Size option for some reason.  So that needs to be checked and then you can finally go to Proportions and select your texture map size.  It was so much easier in 6.7.  There, I said it again.    Anyone have a better way to do this using one tool instead of three?

 

A possible solution to this would be for the programmers to add the following to the Material Parameter palette:  next to the two boxes for Default Texture size have  boxes that allow for cubic (or other) mapping and also mirroring so that each time you assign a material it gives it the correct mapping type. 

 

 

[Gary]

+1 on the original post.

[Tech]

Hi Doug,

 

Thanks for the suggestion!  But why not just post it as a suggestion in our suggestions section (as opposed to "whining" about it)?

 

Andrew,

 

Other than seconding the initial suggestion, it appears you have a completely different topic.  Perhaps that would be better in a different thread, but we will answer that here shortly...

[Tech]

Dear Andrew,

 

First of all, your comment that all geometry is automatically created with a default mapping type of flat is incorrect.  Instead, the mapping type that is used is determined by the type of geometry that you are creating.  So, for  example, if you extrude a surface object, it will automatically receive flat mapping for each of its faces, but if you use the Cube tool to generate a Cube, then you will automatically get Cubic texture mapping.

 

(Or, if you are creating a sphere, it will automatically receive spherical mapping, or if you create a cylinder, the curved side will automatically receive cylindrical texture mapping, while the top and bottom faces will receive flat texture mapping.  Or if you generate a NURBS object, it will automatically receive Parametric Texture Mapping.)

 

We can consider your other suggestions, though. 

[Andrew West]

I guess I have been using the wrong tool to create my plain geometry for the last year.   I always used the rectangle or line tool with either 3D extrusion or 3D wall selected and then input the height.  Just like I did in every other version of Form.z until V.7.  I never use the cube tool and never really saw the reason for it on the palette.  Now I do.  Unfortunately old habits die hard. It would be great to have that functionality back again.

[DMclean]

Hi Doug,

 

Thanks for the suggestion!  But why not just post it as a suggestion in our suggestions section (as opposed to "whining" about it)?

 

I tried to think of a "cheesey" reply to go with my whine but decided to just post the suggestion in the suggestions section as you suggested. Boy that's a suggestive sentence...

 

Doug