Purchased a Rigged Book, cannot add materials

Not sure if this is okay to do here.

I learn a lot from rigged models, and I did purchase a rigged book animation:

Ihttps://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/simple-rigged-book-3d-3ds/899783). I am using Cheetah 7.4.2. I loaded the .fbx version. It animates beautifully, BUT there is no way for me to add any materials. I tried tried dragging onto to Book Animated, or Front.2, etc. Nothing. Am I out $6, or is there something I can do?

BTW, this is the best forum ever (almost as good at Tumult Hype!).


rigged book.png
 
There is a UV map... I selected automatic Seams, and got the following (see below). the problem is the UV is mapped to anything on the model that I can tell. The maps sort of just sit there like dead squirrels.
book UV.png
 
Just as an aside (I have a thing with semantics ...) "best forum ever" and "almost as good" don't pan out ;)

To your problem: First off, you seem to have the book loaded twice (anitmated and non animated). So with simple dragging you maybe hit the wrong book.

Second, there should be some materials already from the fbx. Maybe the images (which should come with the book) can't be found, then you should reload it.

If no material is there (which is possible but not very probably) you'd have to select each part of the book and recreate the material with those pictures.

There isn't a possibilty I could think of where you are not able to change / add a material to some geometry.

The uv map seems very clear to me: From top left to bottom: single page, double page, cover outside, book top and bottom, pages first half of the book and second half... Doesn't get much simpler. As I said, there should be at least one, probably more image files, that go along with this uv map.

Without the fbx (which you must not upload because of the rights) there isn't much else I could say about it. Maybe there is bad geo, whatever (from what problems i saw people have with bought models there seems to be some sellers which never test their files).
 
I think you are right.. I know about the two books, I moved one to the side and was focusing on the animated one. They were stacked on each other. It may be that I just don't have the hang of UV mapping, but this isn't like other maps. The only "object" I have is Book.animated (ignoring other book for now). That is the only object that has UV map and all of the surfaces (exterior and interior). I have all of my maps ready, But It does not seem the UV maps are linked to any surfaces. That is, I know what the outside of the book is, but I can't tie the UV map to that particular surface or polygon. It just isn't selectable.

I can make it selectable if I make the book "editable" BUT then I lose all of my rigs! It is a shame, the animation works beautifully!

I can add materials to Book Animated, and they do map to the interior (not cleanly). However, there is no object or polygon selected. I can select each of the sections below (front 2 etc), and I see the transform tool, but I cannot add material nor is UV mapping available.

In this situation, what is the next step I would do? Do I give up?
 
Okay, I am looking at texture painting as my next step. I am assuming everything is mapped correctly (why not?). The person who created it must know what they're doing!
BUT UV paint is not available.

I did remember I have a copy of Learn 3D with Cheetah 3D 6 on my iPad, and it seemed to suggest I save as a PDF and modify in a paint program (and I saw a post to this effect). I did that, but How to I bring it BACK in and associate it with the object (or update the current UV).

The book and the site just say "you can bring it back into Cheetah 3D and use the editor to mark it up..." but HOW do I bring it back in?

1599195391737.png
 
Making Progress. BY the way, none if this is well explained in the manual that I can see (so I don't know if I am doing it right).

1) I exported the UV map as a PDF and brought it into affinity. I "filled" in the areas as best as I could and saved as a .png
2) Create a NEW Material and added my new .png as a texture by clicking Load.
3) Clicking edit shows the UV MAP and everything filled in properly. Yay me. (do I leave it like this?) Do I click Leave Edit? New Texture?
4) Next guess, I dragged my new material to my object and got a mess. It is not adhering to the UV maps.

1599197608529.png
 
GOT IT. I shouldn't be working late at night. Woke up and figured it out. I am so doing a texture mapping tutorial this weekend.
 
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