Applies To
	Product(s):	MICROSTATION
	Version(s):	08.05.00.64
	Environment:	N\A
	Area:	Visualization
	Subarea:	Materials
	Original Author:	Bentley Technical Support Group

Problem

If normal direction is changed, materials appear to start from a different edge.
- Materials are showing vertical instead of horizontal when normal direction is changed.
- Materials rotate 90 degrees after using "Change Normal Direction" tool.

Solution

Reason:

Non solid elements such as shapes, complex shapes and surfaces have a vertex order, if the normal direction is changed it changes the order of the vertices.

For example:

A 4 sided shape has the vertices labeled as follows:
A-B
| |
D-C

With the normals facing one way, the vertices may read ABCD. Side AB would be considered the top edge of the surface for material mapping orientation. However if the normals were changed to point in the opposite direction, the vertices would read ADCB, making side AD would be the top edge.

Possible Solutions:
- Reset the normals again (using the Change Normal Direction tool)
- Copy the material, rotate the pattern to the desired orientation and apply to the element.