Saturn-like rings node in SceneKit

Question

I am creating a model of Saturn and I'm having problems when creating the rings. I found this asset

but when I try to set it as a diffuse, it projects like this

How can I control the way a texture projects over a geometry?

Answer 1

I found the solution. By replacing the cylinder with a torus and rotating the image 90 degrees, XCode did the mapping itself.

But there must be a better way.

Answer 2

This isn’t specifically a SceneKit or IOS issue, the same would apply in any 3D package.

You can control the way a texture projects over a geometry by using UV mapping. In practice that means you map the vertices and faces of the model on to the texture in software such a Blender. The texture you use now is meant to be tiled but because the lines on the texture are perfectly straight it will never look optimal.

To save yourself some trouble, use a texture that shows the entire ring from the top/above.