@Mistro11

Wow! Thanks for the Plug-in info.....

Good things come in little plug-in packages!
SOLVED!

@Mistro11

What we are aiming at is a scenario where:

Instead of shifting around a relatively complex UVW mapping,
simply flip in/out unique material texture images onto group/component copies.

Ok will try this .... similar to the export/import method which also works.

Now imagine a row of 10 similar objects and the hassle trying to get 1 to 10 on them. There should be a simple command/plugin to split any material and make it unlinked and unique.

here are the maps

@numberios:

When I have only ONE object which has been textured and mapped, it is easy to replace the texture by renaming the file link in EDIT MATERIAL TAB

When I copy that object, it is not possible to have TWO different maps on each of the copy. SU populates BOTH INSTANCES with the LAST texture image applied.

Hence this roundabout EXPORT/IMPORT to BREAK the MATERIAL TEXTURE INSTANCING LINK.

Of course if there is a simpler/better way to get this done, it will be welcome!

So in my illustrated example, I am aiming for the rendered image of FIRST CONE having MAP 1 and SECOND CONE have MAP 2

STEP 1 : FIRST CONE is mapped and textured with MAP 1

STEP 2 : DUPLICATE FIRST CONE. So we have 2 CONES with MAP 1 only

STEP 3 : Select material of SECOND CONE. Replace with MAP 2

RESULT : BOTH FIRST AND SECOND CONE now are textured with MAP 2

DESIRED RESULT : FIRST CONE has MAP 1 and SECOND CONE has MAP 2

For people to try for themselves!

MAT TEST.skp

Exporting to DAE and reimporting has worked!

Nope ...

Using the "save as" technique is resulting in
imported file with Texture2 to be replaced by Texture1 of open file.

Further experimentation is
on ...

So are you confirming that I need to manually map fresh texture if I need more than one texture in a SU file?

That there can only exist ONE INSTANCE of a texture/mapping, unless ofcourse created from scratch.
Bummer ...

Desired output