# Trouble projecting a texture onto terrain **URL:** \ **Category:** SketchUp\ **Created:** [February 2, 2019, 4:39am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/trouble-projecting-a-texture-onto-terrain/86846 "2019-02-02T04:39:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Brewer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@Brewer](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Brewer)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 4:39am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/trouble-projecting-a-texture-onto-terrain/86846/1 "2019-02-02T04:39:46Z")
Hi everyone. I am trying to project a 2D map onto a 3D terrain model for the first time. I have created a base plane with the 2D map - it’s a JPG, imported as a texture, and when I right-click the map ‘projected’ is ticked. I have successfully created a blank terrain above it from contours I drew. When I select the map with the eyedropper and attempt to paint the terrain, I get a horribly fragmented mishmash of colours that have clearly come from the map, but which is garbled and torn and unrecognisable. I have researched the topic and it seems I’m doing everything right, yet the result is clearly wrong. Can you help?! ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 4:44am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/trouble-projecting-a-texture-onto-terrain/86846/2 "2019-02-02T04:44:49Z")
How about sharing the SKP file? ---
**Author:** ![Box](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/box/32/235164_2.png) [@Box](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Box)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 4:45am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/trouble-projecting-a-texture-onto-terrain/86846/3 "2019-02-02T04:45:53Z")
My first guess is you are trying to paint a group or component. Open for edit and paint the face directly. ---
**Author:** ![Brewer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@Brewer](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Brewer)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 4:48am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/trouble-projecting-a-texture-onto-terrain/86846/4 "2019-02-02T04:48:41Z")
Thanks for the quick replies! I have no idea how to share an skp file - I prepared some images to add to the post but I don’t see any way to attach anything?! ---
**Author:** ![Brewer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@Brewer](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Brewer)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 4:53am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/trouble-projecting-a-texture-onto-terrain/86846/5 "2019-02-02T04:53:28Z")
[Block1.skp](https://forums.sketchup.com/uploads/short-url/vG7qpDIPiRR9VtNBEk4VPScD7KR.skp) (2.4 MB) Aah, found it, it looked like it was greyed out and unavailable but it isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Brewer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@Brewer](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Brewer)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 4:56am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/trouble-projecting-a-texture-onto-terrain/86846/6 "2019-02-02T04:56:23Z")
![a](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/7/2/7226735da36e0eaf0d4a377d69b7081622801a8c.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Brewer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@Brewer](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Brewer)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 4:56am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/trouble-projecting-a-texture-onto-terrain/86846/7 "2019-02-02T04:56:55Z")
![b](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/2/e/2ef6a9ad47318408e89dcdaaf53edb5ec4759f02.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Brewer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@Brewer](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Brewer)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 4:57am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/trouble-projecting-a-texture-onto-terrain/86846/8 "2019-02-02T04:57:32Z")
![c](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/f/4/f470fa71587f393df154a624a77570048a82597e.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Box](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/box/32/235164_2.png) [@Box](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Box)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 5:11am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/trouble-projecting-a-texture-onto-terrain/86846/9 "2019-02-02T05:11:58Z")
As I said above, open the group for editing, either double click with the select tool or right click and select open for editing, then paint the surface. ![Proj](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/6/f/6f8c517dbdc4c93340bfd0e5fe957848e5955399.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Brewer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@Brewer](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Brewer)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 4:59am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/trouble-projecting-a-texture-onto-terrain/86846/10 "2019-02-04T04:59:48Z")
Sorry it took so long to get back to you - and yes, Box, of course you were right and that is exactly what it was! Frustratingly, none of the tutorials I read mentioned anything about the terrain being in a 'group that needed opening. Thank you so much! 😊 ---
**Author:** ![ShynnSup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@ShynnSup](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/ShynnSup)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2022, 11:24pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/trouble-projecting-a-texture-onto-terrain/86846/11 "2022-06-07T23:24:10Z")
Hi guys, sorry for bumping, but I ran exactly into the same issue but instead of a group it is a component. And when I try to apply the texture after ‘edit component’ it applies it to individual faces instead of the entire mesh. Any solution to this?