Patch projected onto animated geo in Action

Flame Tips and Tricks
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Hey there, so I do a lot of projecting patches onto set objects with a tracked moving camera, I never do the reverse.

So I have an imported alembic with a GEO of a complicated thing that I need to paint out a sticker on. If I bring the patch in as a diffuse map and set Mapping to projection I can see it in the right spot for the first frame… and that’s it. As soon as the geo moves the patch stays still and is projected onto nothing. Anyone got some sort of a tutorial you could point me at that might help me get this working?

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maybe this can help

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I watched that earlier, I can’t see any sign of the patch on the model, no matter where I move the projector. Not sure what’s wrong there. It’s targeted to it but the geo is just a big grey blob.

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did you try projecting a grid or some other very visible pattern. might help with orientation

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Ok that really helped in that it showed me I have no idea how to project this small patch in the right place on the complicated geo. But it is showing up! Going to try with a bright circle and see if I can get it in the right spot.

Thanks!

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This is great, I can move it into the right place, hit Add Reference… and the patch disappears. Amazing.

Is there anyway to stick a diffuse? I can get that into exactly the right spot immediately. Seems more promising then wiggling it around until it’s sort of in the right spot.

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Screenshot 2025-08-18 at 8.28.42 PM
Screenshot 2025-08-18 at 8.28.42 PM2014×1534 99.1 KB

If you are able to have your object animation on an axis you can do something like that.

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I just did a quick test in 2026.1… seems like it’s totally working. Posting the setup here.

Perhaps the alembic doesn’t have a consistent topology or isnt uv’d?

If you can correctly position a diffuse map with the uv mode set to project, then you can stick a projector. It’s a similar process just not as quick and simple.

Basically parent a new projector with a layer source set to your patch under/with/by your tracked camera. That allows it to inherit the transforms of your tracked camera and project from the same position as your camera once you tweak a couple settings.

Select the tracked camera and its controls will be visible on the left side while exposing the projector’s controls on the right. Adjust the projector’s fov to match the tracked camera. Make sure the z position of the project is zero’d out. It defaults to 500.

Go to the tracking tab of the projector and add a reference for the first frame (if that’s the frame you painted) and that should be it.

It’s fiddly but works.

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Dammit, I get the concept and it lines up perfectly, which makes sense. EXCEPT again as soon as I hit Add on tracking it vanishes.

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Can you share the geo and cam? It’s got to be something with it specifically.

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Sadly I connect share the geo due to the papers I signed and the camera isn’t even animated.

Also fun thing I discovered, you can connect the projector to the camera with a mimic link and it locks right on.

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Good tip.