Topic: How would I model this?!?

[jnieman]

Uh, how do you normally do your material UVW mapping there J-dawwg? 
I do not recall having said challenge.

I never messed with material mapping until 2007 and later.  Before that I did machine/fab drafting and the 3d was sufficient with a non-image texture.. just needed to be shiny or painted...

But now, MATERIALMAP uses that 3-axis spinny thing, but it doesn't SEEM to allow me to just rotate about x, 90 degrees... for instance.  Am I missing something?

[mjfarrell]

You could start at the Material level itself.

Then you can also use the other object mapping defaults, planer,box,cylinder, etc.

command: _MaterialMap
Select an option [Box/Planar/Spherical/Cylindrical/copY mapping to/Reset
And that all of them can be rotated with the Gizmo
mapping]<Box>: _S

And then get to the  GIZMO

Notice that while using the Gizmo I can Snap an angle using end points?  You have more control that you think.

[jnieman]

You could start at the Material level itself.

Then you can also use the other object mapping defaults, planer,box,cylinder, etc.

command: _MaterialMap
Select an option [Box/Planar/Spherical/Cylindrical/copY mapping to/Reset
And that all of them can be rotated with the Gizmo
mapping]<Box>: _S

And then get to the  GIZMO

Notice that while using the Gizmo I can Snap an angle using end points?  You have more control that you think.

The problem with rotating within the material, is that I may need it one way for one piece, and another for a second piece... which then would lead to having more than one material per rotation... which sucks, imo.  So I didn't go that route.

I'll try messing around a bit more using your drawings, but don't have time atm.  tbh, I always felt this was one thing I just didn't know the "proper" way yet, but hadn't gotten around to looking into.  It's hard to find good detailed resources for rendering/material-mapping in Autocad... probably because most people who rely on it have better programs for it