Why does KeyShot Scale down my textures?

[blessid]

I am currently using photoshop to make a couple of my own textures which i aim to use to make some flooring textures in KeyShot. Once I have completed my diffuse, bump and specular maps (and saved them as PNG) I create my materials in KeyShot and load them in as my maps as per usual. However, for some strange reason it seems that KeyShot is scaling my texture maps down, even though under my material settings the scale has been left at the default of 1? So i did a test...

I created my maps in photoshop with the dimensions of 2000mm squared, and created a plane in Keyshot with the same dimensions. I then loaded my maps into my custom material in keyshot. Despite both my maps and my model sharing exactly the same dimensions, Keyshot continues to scale my textures down, tiling them across my model at a smaller size. And of course increasing the scale of the texture with the aim of making it the originally specified dimensions in KeyShot reduces the resolution, which just wont do.

Please see the attached screenshots for reference. The first shows the diffuse map i made in photoshop and what i am aiming to achieve, and the second shows the results i am getting in keyshot. Agian, all dimensions are the same, yet keyshot scales down and tiles my texture. Any ideas?

Thanks
Luke

[thomasteger]

"create a plane in KeyShot" - are you importing an OBJ file? Check your scene units.

[blessid]

Hey Thomas, thanks for your reply. I am using a solidworks part file and my scene units are set to millimeters. Where ever possible i try to use solidworks part files or assembly files in my scnes (on which note, what would you recommend to be the best format?). Also, creating a plane will be no good as [far as i know] the dimensions of the plane cannot be specified.

[blessid]

Hey Thomas, I would also like to that that i recently purchased a bunch of arroway wood textures, and i am experiencing the same issue with those ones too. (I hope i can resume this issue as they aren't cheap! Plus id love to make the most of utilisng them). would it be possible to upload my textures and my scene for you to run your experienced eyes over?

Thanks
Luke

[thomasteger]

Sure - please do. Use keyshot.wetransfer.com.

Thanks,
Thomas

[blessid]

Perfect

heres the link: http://we.tl/BjVvWMPWZq

[thomasteger]

Thanks. We will take a look.

[Bruno F]

Hello Luke,

I noticed that your images are 6000x6000 pixels at 144 DPI.  If you wish KeyShot to map your textures at real-world scale when the mapping scale value = 1, then you can modify the material (.mtl) file with a text editor.  First, you would need to save the created material to your KeyShot library.  Once saved, you can open it with a text editor, find the word "dpi", enter the correct dpi value, save your changes and reapply your material in KeyShot (you may have to relaunch the application). There will be one dpi-line in the the .mtl file for every texture applied.  Make sure you correct all of the dpi values.

I corrected your material using the steps mentioned above.  Attached you will find the corrected material.  You can import it into your library, and then drag and drop it onto your model.  If you run into any issues you may contact us at support@luxion.com

-Bruno F

[blessid]

Hey Bruno,

Thanks thats great! On the scaling note though, as a fairly amatuer KeyShoter, am i approaching this in the easiest and most efficient way? I know scale retention won't be 100% necessary for all of the maps i create, but obvisouly in some cases it will, particularly with flooring i feel. Obviously as i said previously i have some Arroway textures which seem to follow a similar pattern, and those materials are created by experts. Any tips on this front going forward? Also, Why doesnt KeyShot recognise the original scale of the material?

Thanks
Luke

[blessid]

Okay this is getting beyond frustrating now. I have just been following a Keyshot tutorial on how to make the text for tyre walls. I followed each of the steps to the letter, created the same pixel dimensions in photoshop as the tutor did, saved as PNG - EVERYTHING. Yet, even though when he imports his PNG as a diffuse map on the tuorial and it retains its scale, mine shrinks, as per usual, DRASTICALLY. This surely cannot be the norm. Why does keyshot not keep the dpi values? I am trying my best to learn about making realistic textures in KeyShot, and this little issue is contiunally creating an obsticle. Surely i cannot be the only one experiencing this issue? ANd what about the CGI guys who make lots of one off textures, surely they arent creating the material, then modifying the dpi values with a text editor? One thing is for sure, the guy in the tutorial certainly never did any of this.

Thanks
Luke

[Robb63]

I've been using a lot of brushed metals over the last few days and have noticed I have to scale the textures up to 25 (including the bump) or so to get them to map correctly. Then I have to tweak the bump height to find something that works with the overly scaled texture. It's been way tougher than normal to get a good metallic result.

The units are set to millimeters which is what my model is in.

[blessid]

Its very odd isn't it? especially when you consider that I have purchased arroway textures and have the same result with these, which is an irritation as A. they cost money, and B. they loose resolution when they have to be scaled up (so im not really getting what i pay for).

Scaling up in some cases is okay i guess, but certainly not in others. I'm also having to scale up to about 25 too. What i find odd is that when i open the material text doc. in text edit, everything is retained except for the dpi??? (which displays as 0) I don't understand why this is when keyshot can read PNG. files?

[Robb63]

I have a lot of clients that spec MoldTech textures, which I was so excited when Keyshot added them. Unfortunately the scale on those is typically very far off.

I don't have a MoldTech book at my house as they cost about $300, but certain textures I have used for so long that I have a feel for them, and the ones in the KS library are not coming in at the correct scale in my models even though I have the scale set correctly in preferences.

[blessid]

Agree with you about the MoldTech textures. Infact, in the thumbnails, its not even possible to tear the difference between any of them! This is is surely some form of bug within keyshot?

[Rex]

Agree with you about the MoldTech textures. Infact, in the thumbnails, its not even possible to tear the difference between any of them! This is is surely some form of bug within keyshot?

Have you upgraded to KeyShot 5? The thumbnails have been adjusted to improve visibility of Mold-Tech textures. See image below.