I had to leave AM alone for a couple years but now I'm back with a vengance. Have there been any new ideas in the past few years about how to do seamless mapping on cylinders?

Cylindrical mapping has always worked just fine for me, that's hardly "new" though!

I like Cylindrical mapping to make a base for AM Painter even for irregular objects. It eliminates most of the manual unwrapping you would to apply a planar decal to a round object.

See post# 70:

http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?s=&am...st&p=317888

I will assume you only want it seamless in horizontal direction. Easiest is to start with a seamless image and apply that as a cylindrical map. If you apply the decal with the image centered on x axis, cylindrical mapping will automatically create a seamless map.

I will assume you know how to create a seamless image, in one or both directions.

It is not necessary however to start with seamless image, as you can always change the repeat count for the cylindrical mapping from 3 x 1 (the default) to 6 x 1 and set seamless property to ON (have to render to see it work, it will not appear correct in model window).

If you start with a "unseamless image" - It may not have the right proportions, and the "front/back" may not be where you'd like. You can manipulate in A:M uv editor somewhat to move image - but easiest is to start with seamless image.

EDIT: I will assume your cylinder is vertical in the y axis. If it is not, then you should apply the decal in an action, where you have first rotated the cylinder to be vertical. If you have a mass of odd, non-vertical, non-straight pipes, cylinders - then might be best to apply a blank image and paint the sucker in 3D painter.

I also have one small problem - how do you choose which axis the mapping is done? I have had it doing it the opposite of the direction I want.

You can't really choose the axis (see my edited section above) around which the decal will wrap. If the cylinder isn't oriented vertically - then do the decal in an action and rotate your cylinder so that it is mostly vertical (in y direction), before applying the decal.

I am assuming you know how to apply decal in an action? maybe not?

Yup, in actions - that I can do.....any cylinder unwrappimg suggestions for making the custom map?

Open a new action with the area you want to cylindrically map.
Click to view attachment

Center it along the Y axis.
Click to view attachment

Make sure you've centered both X and Z axes.
Click to view attachment

Right click the model in the PWS and select new decal (or double click an existing decal), then right click the decal while applying it and choose "application method -> cylindrical." Make the decal seamless in Photoshop (or whatever you use). I usually start by applying a blank texture to a model, outline the details in AM 3DPainter, then open the file in Photoshop and go to town.

If you're looking for the program to generate a grid decal for you, check Rob's link about AM 3DPainter.

Unwrapping? Not sure I understand what you are really trying to do 1) Are we talking about decaling a true cylinder? and you already know the imagery that you want to wrap around the cylinder? and the image isn't symmetric? or 2) Something else ? Best if you post the image, post the cylinder, rather than to keep having a guessing game - then we can be more specific to your problem.

There are different ways to making an image seamless - and quite possibly, depending on your image, and cylinder we might even be able to do an all A:M solution

I am going to be making decals for this:

Looks like pretty standard cylindrical mapping stuff; line it all up on the Y axis, modify it as needed and decal away.

Unfortunately, there's still no unwrapping - I assume you're talking about UV mapping - in A:M.

show us the image that you are using to decal one of the cylinders, and show us the result after you decal the cylinder