Applying Materials
Apply photoreal surface materials to any filled shape and fine-tune texture scale and direction in the Inspector.
Materials give filled shapes a realistic surface finish — wood decking, flagstone pavers, brick, grass, gravel, and more — that updates live in both the 2D canvas and the 3D view. You can apply a material by selecting an entity and double-clicking a thumbnail in the Materials panel, or by choosing a material from the Inspector's Style section. Once applied, the Scale and Direction controls let you adjust how the pattern tiles across the surface so planks run in the right direction and pavers look proportional to the space.
Materials can be applied to any filled entity — paths, areas, parametric objects, and hardscape shapes. Once a material is applied, the texture settings in the Inspector let you control how the pattern tiles across the surface. Changes update in real time in both the 2D canvas view and the 3D scene.
Method 1 — Select entity then click material
Click an entity on the canvas to select it. Then click a material thumbnail in the Material Library panel. The material is applied to the selected entity immediately. This is the most direct method when you already know which material you want.
Method 2 — Drag and drop
In the Material Library panel, click and hold a material thumbnail, then drag it onto an entity on the canvas. Release the mouse button to drop the material onto that entity. The entity does not need to be selected first — the drop target is determined by where you release.
This method is useful when you want to quickly try different materials on different entities without changing the selection.
Method 3 — Inspector material slot
Select an entity and open the Inspector panel (right side of the editor). Click the material slot thumbnail in the Inspector — it shows either the current material or a blank placeholder if none is applied. The Material Library opens in a picker mode. Click a material to apply it and close the picker.
Use the Inspector material slot when you want to apply a material and then immediately adjust texture settings without switching panels.
Adjust texture scale
With an entity selected, the Inspector shows a Texture Scale slider and number field. The value is in meters per repeat — smaller values create a tighter, smaller tile pattern; larger values create a larger, bolder pattern.
For example, a brick material at 0.3 m/repeat shows individual bricks at approximately real-world scale. At 1.0 m/repeat the bricks appear larger and more stylized.
Adjust rotation and offset
Rotation (0–360°) rotates the tile pattern. Use this to align decking planks diagonally, or to match a brick bond direction to the site orientation.
Offset X and Offset Y shift the tile origin along the X and Y axes. Use offset to align grout lines, plank joints, or stone seams to specific points on the entity boundary.
All settings update in real time as you drag the sliders.
Hold Shift while dragging a rotation slider to snap to 15° increments.
Adjust the texture direction
Use the Direction slider (0–360°, in 15° steps) to rotate the texture pattern on the surface. This is helpful for aligning decking planks with a specific axis, running a herringbone brick pattern at 45°, or matching a walkway's direction. The pattern rotates live as you drag, and the current angle is shown in degrees.
Remove or reset a material
To remove a custom material, select the entity, open the Inspector's Style section, and switch the photoreal material mode from Custom to None (returns the entity to its plain fill color) or Inherit (restores the material the entity's semantic class defines). Switching away from Custom clears your custom scale and direction along with the material.
Select multiple shapes with Shift-click or a marquee selection, then apply a material once to surface them all. Each entity keeps its own scale and direction settings, which you can then tweak individually.
Switching the photoreal material mode away from Custom discards the custom material along with its Scale and Direction values. If you want to keep those settings, note them before switching modes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the material I apply affect both the 2D plan and the 3D view?
Yes. The material is shared between the 2D canvas fill and the 3D photoreal surface. Changing the material, scale, or rotation in the Inspector updates both views immediately — there is no separate 3D material setting.
Can I apply a material to multiple entities at once?
Yes. Shift-click or drag a marquee to select multiple entities, then double-click a material swatch in the Materials panel. All selected entities receive the same material. Each entity's scale and direction can still be adjusted independently afterwards.
I changed the Scale value but the texture barely looks different — why?
Scale is a relative multiplier (10%–500%), not an absolute measurement in meters or feet. Small adjustments close to 100% produce subtle changes. Try a larger jump to see a clear difference. Also confirm the entity is still selected, otherwise the change has no target.
Why do some materials look good in 2D but appear very different in 3D?
In 3D, photoreal materials add simulated surface depth — roughness, relief, and reflections — that is not shown in the flat 2D plan fill. A flat brick in 2D may show pronounced mortar joints and surface relief in 3D. Adjust Scale with the 3D view open when you need the proportions to look right in the final photoreal render.
How do I align decking planks with the direction of the deck shape?
Apply a wood decking material, then use the Direction control to rotate the texture until the planks run the way you want. For a typical deck, 0° runs planks left-to-right and 90° runs them top-to-bottom in the 2D view. Diagonal decking uses a 45° direction.
What is the difference between a Custom material and an Inherited material?
On Inherit, the photoreal material comes from the entity's semantic class — lawn gets grass, a patio gets stone or concrete, and so on. Choosing Custom lets you override that and pick any material from the panel. Switching back to Inherit restores the class material and removes your custom overrides.