Changing the Direction of a Material's Pattern and Texture

Reference Number: KB-00194
Last Modified: February 17, 2026

QUESTION

How do I rotate the pattern or texture associated with a material? 

You can easily rotate a material's orientation for further customization.


ANSWER

In Chief Architect, materials display a pattern in Vector Views and a texture in most other rendering techniques, including Standard and Physically Based. Both the pattern and texture associated with a material can be rotated to your liking by accessing the Define Material dialog. Alternatively, in X17 and newer versions you can use the Interactive Material Editor to edit a material's texture in real time.


To rotate a material using the material definition

  1. Select 3D> Materials> Plan Materials .


  2. In the Plan Materials dialog, select the material that you wish to rotate, then click the Copy button.

    Note: If the material you're wanting to rotate is not located in the plan that's currently open, you will instead want to access the Library Browser and search for the material you want to rotate. With the correct material selected, right-click on it, select Copy, then Paste it into your User Catalog. With the copied material in the User Catalog, right-click on it one last time and select Open Object.

    On a Mac, hold down the Control key while clicking to initiate a right-click command. More information about right-click commands on Apple input devices can be found in the following Apple resource: Right-click on Mac.


  3. On the Pattern panel of the Define Material dialog that opens next:

    In the Define Material dialog, on the Pattern panel, you can adjust your pattern's rotation.

    • Provide a descriptive Material Name.

      In this example, the word "Rotated" is added to the end of the original name.

    • Specify the desired Angle for the pattern.

      In this example, a vinyl tile material that is applied to the floor is rotated 45°.

    • Check the Keep Pattern/Texture in Sync box (if applicable) if you want to maintain consistent Scale and Offset and Angle settings for the material's pattern and texture.

      To learn more about the various settings listed here, select the Help button at the bottom of the dialog to open your program's documentation, or see the Related Articles section below.



  4. On the Texture panel:

    In the Define Material dialog, on the Texture panel, you can adjust your texture's rotation.

    • Specify the desired Angle.

      If the Keep Pattern/Texture in Sync box was checked in the step above, the Angle may already be at the correct value.

    • Click OK to confirm the changes and close the dialog.


  5. Your rotated material is now listed in the Plan Materials dialog or in the User Catalog if you copied and edited a material directly from the Library Browser.

    If the material is not in the User Catalog and you would like to use it in future plans, click the to Add to Library button located in the Define Material or Plan Materials dialog.


  6. Your rotated material can now be applied to any object in the plan using the Material Painter  or by opening the object's specification dialog and accessing the Materials panel. 


To rotate a material's texture using the Interactive Material Editor*

*Applies to X17 and newer versions. 

  1. Create a perspective 3D view by selecting 3D> Create Perspective View> Full Camera  and clicking and dragging in the area you'd like to create 3D view.


  2. With the material in view go to 3D> Adjust Materials> Interactive Material Editor .

    Note: The Interactive Material Editor is only available in Rendering Techniques that support material textures. Although not supported in views that use material patterns, patterns are nevertheless affected by the Interactive Material Editor provided that the material has Keep Pattern/Texture in Sync checked in the Define Material dialog.


  3. On the bottom toolbar, choose the scoping mode you'd like to use.

    If you'd like to create a copy of your material to rotate, select Component , Object , Room , or Floor Mode . If you'd like to edit the material everywhere it's used, select Plan Mode .

    If you chose the Component , Object , Room , or Floor Mode  you will receive the Create Copy of Material dialog asking if you want to Create a Copy of the Material or Edit the Source Material. If choosing to create a copy, fill out the Copy Name section and click OK to add the new material to your Plan Materials . Choosing Edit the Source Material will not create a copy, and will instead edit the existing material in your Plan Materials .

    For more information on the various scoping modes, please see the "Using the Different Material Painter Modes" resource in the Related Articles section below or access your software's Help documentation.


  4. With the Interactive Material Editor  tool active, click on the material you'd like to adjust and the following symbol will display.

    The various edit handles are used to modify your material in various ways.


  5. The triangular-shaped Rotate handle is located to the left of the axis polyline. Click and drag this handle clockwise or counter-clockwise to edit the material's angle.

    Press the Tab key while dragging this edit handle to open the Enter Texture Angle dialog where you can enter a precise value.

    For more information regarding the various edit handles that display along this symbol, please access your software's Help documentation. 


    Note: If your cursor displays a red circle icon with a slash when hovering over a material with the Interactive Material Builder tool, the material you're attempting to adjust does not have a texture applied to it, and cannot be edited.



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