:: Solved ::

I'm was trying to grok textures in wings 3d. The first post (hint: this one - see below) is my original question, the second is the solution as well as comment on how I got so confused. I hope this will help someone.

I am trying to create a model with multiple textures, with Wings 3D, but each new texture created replaces the old one.

I am using v.0.98.36 from Ubuntu repos in Hardy.

This keeps coming up and the replies seem at cross purposes.
eg.

http://nendowingsmirai.yuku.com/topic/5655
... (this forum may be a better place to talk about this but it involves creating yet another account!)

Here's what I do:

1. create model - it's a tad complex so I want several seperate textures.
2. select some faces
3. rt-click > UV Mapping
4. segment by > normals
5. continue by > projection normal

Now I have a UV editing window. The background image is a grid of letters and colors - but that's OK, I'll change it to flat white below.

6. create texture - set the background color as white and the keep outlines in black.

Now I have one texture image in the outline window and the appropriate panels are properly textured. Now to texture the rest of the image.

7. select the remaining (untextured) panels
8. rt-click > UV mapping
9 & 10 as 4 & 5 above.

Now I have a UV editing window, the background image is the previous texture... but that's OK, I'll be changing it to flat white as before.

11. as 6.

But I still have only one texture image in the outline window.
Further - while the panels selected in step 7 are properly textured, the ones selected in step 2 are no longer correct. Instead, they appear to be mapped to the last texture created in step 11.

What I was expecting was that a second texture image would appear and each set of panels would be wearing their own textures.

What did I miss out?

I have tried the different options for the uv-map (direct, force-segment keep original, force-segment delete original) and tried renaming the first texture. Also tried assigning a different material to each area to be textured. Tried making a copy of the texture - but don't know how to assign the copy to the region it's supposed to texture. (assign to materials? how?)

One of the things about posting a very complete question is that it can help produce a solution...

The trick is to be very careful about the materials used - Wings will assign the entire model a default material, usually named for the first shape you produced (mine said "octotoad-auv"). This is often the confusion - Wings uses this even if you have created new materials. You need to delete this material, and assign a new material for each texture.

From the outliner window, you can rt-click a material and select "select" - this will highlight all the faces of that material. Then, rt-click the geometry window and select "UV Mapping" - proceed as normal.

After the "create texture" step, go back to the outliner window, rt-click the new texture and "make external". Name the external texture something handy.

Create the second texture like the first.

After "make texture" the new texture replaces the first - don't worry, we'll fix this... make it external, give it a different name from before: it's a different texture.

Now go to the geometry window - file > import image

This produces a dialog which should list, amongst other things, all your textures. Find the old one - select it.

Now look in the outliner window ... you'll find both your textures present.

To assign the old texture back to it's material, left-click on it's name so the name is highlighted. Under the name is a little picture of the texture - drag that over to the material name and drop it.

Now the old texture is back where it's supposed to be.

Repeat for the next texture... or wait till the end and do it all in one go.