JigSpace supports importing images and video textures to your 3D presentations, for a broad range of visual effects. Simple applications include adding a logo to a 3D model, photos, or screenshots from a PDF document. Advanced applications include adding video, or custom normal and RMA map textures to make 3D models look more realistic and convincing.

By default, we import packed or embedded textures in FBX files, USDZ files, and GLTF/GLB files. This means if you are exporting a 3D model or render from a design tool like Blender or 3DS Max you can simply pack or embed your UV mapped textures in your file and they will be translated into your Jig when they are imported.

Regardless of your application, textures follow the same rules when making a 3D presentation. You can customize texture properties, like metalness and roughness, using the advanced material settings in the desktop app for Windows and Mac.

Texture types

Most textures can be roughly categorized into two main types of usage:

1. A flat image or video uploaded directly as a standalone image or video object where the image is content in its own right, like a photo, information card, video asset, user-interface, or slide from a presentation.
2. UV mapped custom textures mapped to a 3D model to make the model appear more realistic, or to add specific 2D assets like printed packaging, decals, logos, stickers, barcodes, and other 2D-specific imagery of the model.

Why use custom textures?

Applying textures to an Object is a great way to build detailed and realistic materials. A custom texture set can be used to add in materials that may not yet exist in the material library. The custom textures can also include things like edge bevel information to improve the overall realism of your model. 

In order to apply textures to a model, the model needs to have a UV Map. This 2D representation of an unwrapped 3D model can be used to project flat texture images onto your 3D model. 

By default, 3D models with packed or embedded textures are imported into Jigs, and assigned to one of our three texture channels: diffuse, normal, RMA. You can delete or update these textures after uploading your model as well using the advanced materials and textures section of the object property panel. 

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Editing custom textures manually

The best way to add or edit textures is using the JigSpace desktop app for Windows or Mac. 

1. Select a part or whole object in the viewport or object list
2. Open the object properties panel on the right hand side
3. Scroll to the Material and Advanced settings sections
4. Click the upload icon on one of the Diffuse, Normal, or RMA sections to upload an image
5. Optionally adjust settings of each texture as desired

To replace an existing texture, simply click on the trash icon, and then click to upload a new texture.

Using textures on iPad app

You can add textures using our iPad or iPhone apps, though these have limited customization settings and is not recommended for first time users.

To add a texture to your Object tap on the Color button {icon-colour.svg} on the Toolbar. Then select the Textures tab to open the Texture Menu. You can select to apply a texture image by selecting the Apply an image button {icon-add-object.svg}. This will default to the diffuse or base color texture.

Toggle to advanced textures to see all three texture slots for diffuse, normal, and RMA.

Or you can select to Switch to advanced texturing.

Here you can add 3 Different texture sets to your Object.

• Diffuse map - mainly used for color information
• Normal map - used for bumps and details.
• RMA map includes three maps: Roughness, Metalness, Ambient Occlusion

Texture maps

JigSpace supports 3 main textures channels: Color/diffuse map, normal map, and RMA map. You can add or update these manually in the app, or import them automatically with your 3D models when they are imported to Jig. When you import a 3D model with embedded textures, e.g. FBX, USDZ, or GLB/GLTF files - their textures will be merged into one of these channels automatically.

1. Diffuse

The Diffuse map mainly contains color information, which we refer to as BaseColor. It can also have lighting information backed in to brighten where light hits the object and darken where shadows form. If your models have alpha maps, they will be merged into the BaseColor map in JigSpace. Currently we ignore emission maps, though you can edit emission color in JigSpace after you have uploaded your models.

2. Normal

Normal maps contain height information. They are used to inform how light hits your object and can create the illusion of a bumpy surface or details like scratches. You can customize the normal intensity setting for a normal map, which is imported into JigSpace if it exists in your 3D model.

3. RMA

RMA maps contain the combined information of the Roughness, Metalness and Ambient Occlusion. These create the same visual realism as the properties of a real world material, like the soft shine of certain plastics or the roughness of rubber tires. When you upload a model with embedded textures, we combine the metallic, roughness and occlusion maps into this one channel, if they are present. 

Editing texture and material settings

The following material and texture settings can be customized on your 3D models in JigSpace, with different settings on objects from one step to another.

• Base color
• Alpha transparency
• Emission color
• Normal intensity
• Roughness
• Metalness
• Ambient Occlusion