Apply materials to different facets

By default, applying a material to a 3D text object causes all facets of the text to display the same material. But a 3D text object can also display different materials on its different facets. For example, you can apply a shiny wood finish to the front facet, and a brushed metal appearance to the side facet. You can even apply a different material to the edges (the border between the face and the sides or the back and the sides).

Canvas showing 3D text with different materials applied to different facets

If the same material is applied to more than one facet, you can modify the multiple facets’ settings simultaneously to ensure the settings remain consistent. You can also link facets together so that they remain identical.

3D text in Canvas showing white Front Edge facet, metal Side facet, and wood Front facet

Apply a material to a specific facet of 3D text

In the Layers list, Timeline, or Canvas, select a 3D text object.
In the Appearance pane of the Text Inspector, click the Material pop-up menu, then choose Multiple.
Five preview thumbnails appear, representing the five facets of 3D text: Front, Front Edge, Side, Back Edge, and Back.
Do any of the following:
- Apply a preset material to a facet: Click a preview thumbnail for any facet, then choose a new preset material from the pop-up menu.
- Apply a custom material to a facet: Click the name of a facet to display its material layers in the Appearance pane, then adjust those material layers or add new ones.
  For more information, see Modify material layers.
The facet is updated to display the new material—in your 3D text object in the Canvas and in the Material preview thumbnail in the Appearance pane.

Apply a material to multiple facets simultaneously

In the Layers list, Timeline, or Canvas, select a 3D text object.
In the Appearance pane of the Text Inspector, click the Material pop-up menu, then choose Multiple.
Five preview thumbnails appear, representing the five facets of 3D text: Front, Front Edge, Side, Back Edge, and Back.
Shift-click the names of the facets you want to modify.
The selected facets are highlighted blue.
Click the preview thumbnail of any of the highlighted facets, then choose a new preset material from the pop-up menu.
The selected facets are updated to display the new material—in your 3D text object in the Canvas and in the highlighted Material preview thumbnails in the Appearance pane. The facets are also automatically linked together so further changes to any of them will affect all of them.

Link facets together

You can link two or more facets together so that any changes made to one of them automatically updates the others.

With a 3D text object selected in your project and the Material pop-up menu in the Appearance pane set to Multiple, Shift-click the names of two or more facets you want to link.
Click the broken link icon on one of the selected facets.
All selected facets are linked and display blue active link icons.
To add a another facet to the selected group, click its broken link icon.
The additional facet is linked to the group. Now, when you select any facet in the linked group, all linked facets are highlighted. Changes made to any of the highlighted facets are automatically made to all other facets in the linked group.

Unlink facets

To remove a facet from a linked group, click any member of the group to select the group, then click the link icon for the facet you want to unlink.
The facet is deselected and removed from the group.

Revert multiple facets back to a single facet

In the Appearance pane of the Text Inspector, click the Material pop-up menu, then choose Single.
The five thumbnail previews are replaced by a single thumbnail preview, and all facets revert to the material that was applied to the selected facet. Any modifications you made to materials on other facets are permanently discarded.