Use the alignment tool for perfectly straight fabric at the yarn level

If your material is not properly aligned, the effectiveness of other tiling tools will be compromised. Even if you utilize the tiling assistant or crop your selection, the outcomes may fall short of expectations. In such cases, the yarns may not appear continuous, and the pattern will not align correctly. It is crucial to ensure proper alignment of the material to achieve satisfactory results with tiling tools.

Video tip: Check this video with an example on how to align fabrics

To demonstrate the effect of misaligned texture, take a look at this example where the texture is repeated. This misalignment creates a visible discontinuity in the texture, causing an undesirable effect. Achieving proper alignment is crucial to ensure a seamless and visually appealing texture repetition.

Proper alignment is crucial when tiling a material, as misaligned textures can significantly impact the overall result. Before using the alignment tool, it's important to consider the following points:

• The alignment tool may cause slight image deformation, so it's advisable to attempt aligning the image through rotation first.
• In cases where the material is heavily skewed, alternative tools should be considered before resorting to the alignment tool.
• The alignment tool operates exclusively in the vertical and horizontal axes.
• Due to the minor deformation introduced by the alignment tool, there is a maximum allowed alignment angle.
• Keep in mind that the alignment tool only aligns the starting and ending points of the selected yarn. For more localized alignment, the warp tool can be employed.

Select the right area

To initiate the alignment process in Textura, it is necessary to determine the specific area of the image that requires alignment. This selected area will be the focus of the alignment adjustments.

Once the area is chosen, utilize the crop tool to eliminate any unnecessary parts of the image. It is essential to ensure that the selected area encompasses the repeat region along with some additional space around it. This allows the tiling assistant to function effectively.

After selecting and cropping the area, leverage the guides available in Textura to assess the alignment of the material. For instance, vertical and horizontal guides (represented by light green lines) can be employed to evaluate alignment.

In the provided example, the horizontal guide aligns with the yarn in the horizontal direction, indicating proper horizontal alignment. However, the vertical yarn intersected by the vertical guide exhibits slight misalignment at the top. Therefore, vertical alignment adjustment is necessary to maintain overall continuity.

Pick a yarn, and use it as a reference.

Once the area of focus, alignment direction, and specific yarn for alignment is determined, follow these steps:

1. Activate the alignment tool by selecting the Alignment tool icon.
2. With the tool active, choose the starting point of the reference yarn. Typically, the top of the material is selected as the starting point. Click on one of the highest sections of the yarn, which will create a control point on the image.
3. Trace the same yarn and click on the opposite end to establish the final control point.

By setting these control points, the alignment tool will determine the alignment adjustments required to achieve the desired alignment of the selected yarn.

As soon as each selection of the yarn has been selected, the image will be automatically aligned. Check on the preview to see the change. You can utilize the keyboard arrows to edit the yarn alignment in smaller increments. After every change, Textura will automatically align those points vertically or horizontally.

Continue to improve the alignment by repeating the process if necessary. After each relocation, the image will be realigned.

Align the image with multiple reference lines. Horizontally and vertically.

If your material requires alignment in both vertical and horizontal directions, you can utilize the "Auto", "Horizontal", or "Vertical" alignment button to initiate a new alignment ruler. By selecting any of these options, Textura will incorporate the current adjustments and enable you to realign the image as many times as necessary. This flexibility allows you to achieve the desired alignment for both vertical and horizontal aspects of the material.

1. Auto: This option will allow you to pick both sides of a yarn, and Textura will automatically detect the direction and apply a horizontal or vertical alignment.
2. Horizontal: This option will force a horizontal alignment between both sides of the yarn you pick.
3. Vertical: This option will force a vertical alignment between both sides of the yarn you pick.

Once you are satisfied with the alignment in all directions, implement the changes and switch to the next tool.