Convert textures to a polygon mesh

You can convert a texture image into a polygon mesh using Modify > Convert > Texture to Geometry. Texture to Geometry converts an image into geometry by creating a polygonal mesh that is subdivided based on the colors in the image. The subdivided faces on the mesh may then be assigned a shading material with a similar color to the original image. The subdivided polygonal mesh can be used as is or, if the image was mapped onto geometry it can be made to wrap around the original polygon mesh so that it appears in the same location as the original texture map.

Texture to Geometry is useful in the following situations:

Texture to Geometry produces a polygonal mesh in four phases:

Segmentation

Groups of pixels that have related RGB color values are detected in the specified image. The groups of pixels are then divided into distinct regions or segments.

Surface meshing

The segments are converted into distinct triangular boundaries that define where the subdivision of the mesh will occur. The mesh is subdivided based on these boundaries.

Surface fitting

The resulting polygonal mesh is produced to either lay flat in the scene view or is produced to wrap a specified object, slightly offset above the selected mesh in the scene view.

Surface output

The subdivided faces on the resulting mesh are then assigned a shading material using the RGB color values that were detected in the segmentation phase.