Automatic Image Texture mapping (Scale and size) on surfaces (no UV maps)

Question

This problem may be very straight forward to solve, but since I'm new to Blender (but not to 3D, CGI), and I already saw ton of tutorials on YouTube trying to find a solution but found none, so here it goes:

In Lightwave, I can automatically project a planar image (png, jpeg...) or movie (mp4, avi...) on any surface (polygon) without define (use) an UVmap. Lightwave offers an automatic fit (scale /size) projection of the image to a defined surface (like I said, no UVmap used). See attached image "Lw.png" for better understand.

I've tried to do the same in Blender but with no success. I tried every "Texture Coordinate" options and "Mapping Type" to no avail. See attached image "Blender.png".

Maybe I'm doing something wrong but shouldn't the "Mapping" node offer an "Automatic" image texture fit (scale /size) option?

Does Blender offers any way to achieve this result without forcing the user to "eyeball" all the "Mapping" Scale /Rotation /Location" values?

Can someone please point me to a solution (if there is one) to project a texture image or movie on a surface, without using UVmaps?

Much appreciated.

Answer 1

You can work with the UV Project modifier. This modifier works with an empty object which helps you to project the image onto the mesh faces. First you need to add a new UVMap to mesh

Then with mesh selected add UV Project Modifier

In the modifier, in "UV Map" input select the new UVMap we add earlier

In "Object" input select an Empty object that we help us project the image.

In the material add "UV Map" node

In the UV Map node select the new UVMap and conect to image node

Now the fun part, rotate the empty object to align with the face, also you can rotate and scale the empty to fit the image.

Optionally, to finish, you can apply the UVProject modifier to not rely on the empty object in the future if you wish.

Answer 2

Never-mind, I found the solution. It is not the most obvious /intuitive thing but hey, Blender never was an intuitive software.

The solution is: Name each polygon (that is going to be a display surface), with a unique Material name. Then, enter EDIT mode and select all such display polygon and add an UVmap. (see attached image for clarification). From that point, it becomes already possible to "automatically" apply images or movie as textures to each "Display" (polygon surface).