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Tutorial: UV-Mapping
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Tutorial: UV-Mapping // Archive: Tech Forum
Post by GraySho // Feb 21, 2007, 9:33am
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GraySho
Total Posts: 695
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I've finally recorded my uv-mapping tutorial in english. It's done in tS6.6. Some users reported that it doesn't work with ts7 the same way, but there are still a couple of users who use 6.6.
Some UV-Basics:
Objects are 3 dimensional, textures 2 dimensional. That's where the problem starts. The software needs to know how and where to project the texture onto the surface of the object. That's where uv's come in to play. Why "UV"? It's like X, Y and Z for the object/world coordinate system. U and V represent the X and Y in the texture space. As textures are 2 dimensional, there's no need for the third dimension (W).
So by editing the uv-space of an object, you generally define a map of your faces to tell the software which faces of your object use which texture section. If you scale one face up to cover the whole uv-space, the whole texture will be projected onto it. If you scale it down to the lower left quarter, only the lower left quarter of the texture will be projected to that face.
The border of the object's uv space can't be visually seen in the tS uv mapping editor, but if you right click the white square widget in the editor, the view will be reset and the border of the editor window represents the border of the uv-space.
Some notes to the videos:
#The procedure described is for meshes that are to be mapped before you have a texture ready. That means you unwrap the mesh, and use the uv layout to paint a texture later. If you have the texture already, you would apply the texture first and adjust the uv's to the texture. If you follow the tutorial and get to know how it works, you'll also know how to do that.
#In the tutorial I'm coloring the mesh before mapping, to define which faces should get distinctive uv-space. For simple objects like the one in the tutorial, it might not be absolutly necessary. You simply can select the faces and go on. But if you accidently click a wrong button other something unexpected happens, it makes it very easy to select those faces again, using CTRL+"Select using freehand" tool.
#If you want to see ALL faces in mapping editor, open it with the whole object selected, NOT from point edito mode.
#I suck as narrator, and english is not my first language, so don't wonder :D
Here's the tutorial, AVI file, Microsoft Windows Media 9 codec, 9MB:
http://www.spacerat.at/tutorials/ts_uvmapping/ts_uvmapping.avi
And a timelaps video, mapping another object, 2.6MB:
http://www.spacerat.at/tutorials/ts_uvmapping/ts_uvmapping2.avi |
Post by Steinie // Feb 21, 2007, 9:56am
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Steinie
Total Posts: 3667
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Thanks for the tutorial Graysho! This will help a lot of people who struggle with UV-Mapping. I understood you perfectly!:)
You should get Norm to move over to Tutorium. |
Post by 8-bit // Feb 21, 2007, 9:57am
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8-bit
Total Posts: 84
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Great tutorial. Thanks. I thought you did very well! :) |
Post by frank // Feb 21, 2007, 10:04am
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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...it makes it very easy to select those faces again, using CTRL+"Select using freehand" tool.
I'm used to painting faces different colors for importing objects into uv|Cow and splitting into partitions, but...
I NEVER knew you could use Ctrl+Select Using Freehand to pick faces of the same material.
I can use this type of thing when making morph targets and such. (For instance - for having to select the faces around a character's eyelids or lips, repeatedly) Lots easier than using Named Selections.
Thanks, GraySho! |
Post by 8-bit // Feb 21, 2007, 10:12am
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8-bit
Total Posts: 84
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There used to be a plugin for TS 4 called Unwrapper that rolled the mesh out flat and saved it as a UV map. Is there nothing like this for later versions? |
Post by GraySho // Feb 21, 2007, 10:22am
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GraySho
Total Posts: 695
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I NEVER knew you could use Ctrl+Select Using Freehand to pick faces of the same material.
I wonder how many of those features are unknown by most useres. Maybe we could start a thread of "hidden" functions to share this knowledge.
Good to know it's helpful :banana: |
Post by Birdnest // Feb 21, 2007, 3:56pm
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Birdnest
Total Posts: 152
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Nice tutorial Greysho! Your english was:)
Now I know I'm doing something right lol, I've been doing my own UV mapping similiar to your technique.
One question as far as loading the texture onto your UV map. (After the mapping is done)..........Do I create my texture after the order of the mesh on the UV map? Whats the best way to do it? How do I get my textures to line up correctly on the model? You know kinda like a brick pattern so it can match on the 3D model. |
Post by Cammer // Feb 21, 2007, 6:47pm
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Cammer
Total Posts: 14
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GraySho, I think your suggestion of a Thread of "Hidden" Functions would be a
great idea.
Hope to see it start soon
Phil from Williamsport, Pa |
Post by 3dpdk // Feb 21, 2007, 7:48pm
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3dpdk
Total Posts: 212
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8-bit
tS 6 has two resident tools "shrink wrap" UV and a UV unwrapper. You can find them if you expand the UV edit icon. |
Post by GraySho // Feb 21, 2007, 10:59pm
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GraySho
Total Posts: 695
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One question as far as loading the texture onto your UV map. (After the mapping is done)..........Do I create my texture after the order of the mesh on the UV map? Whats the best way to do it? How do I get my textures to line up correctly on the model? You know kinda like a brick pattern so it can match on the 3D model.
This procedure is meant to be used if you plan to paint a texture for your object after uv-mapping. You load the uv layout that you have saved into your image editor and start painting over it, with the uv map as a guide.
If you have a brick texture that you want to paint on a wall, you'd rather texture your object before and then adjust the uv's. Select the face(s) you want to align in point edit, and open the mapping editor. The texture will be shown in the editor, as well as the selected faces. Now you can start to drag your vertices, edges or whole faces into position to line up correctly. |
Post by Tiles // Feb 21, 2007, 11:13pm
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Tiles
Total Posts: 1037
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How do I get my textures to line up correctly on the model?
Talking about Graysho's way here. I always create a mask from the exported mesh picture, giving it a five pixel border. And use this then to paint my texture. Especially at planar mapped areas it can happen that some pixels from outside the mesh are visible when mapped ... |
Post by Chester Desmond // Feb 22, 2007, 4:59am
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Chester Desmond
Total Posts: 323
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Graysho, thanks for the tutorial! Very well done and easy to follow.
I can use this type of thing when making morph targets and such. (For instance - for having to select the faces around a character's eyelids or lips, repeatedly) Lots easier than using Named Selections.
Frank, have you tried the Facemaster tsx from CK Game Factory? Very handy for this type of selecting. |
Post by frank // Feb 22, 2007, 5:35am
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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Chester: I have tried it before, and may have to give it a look again. However, selecting by face material is pretty cool too. I wonder how many other little tricks I'm missing (when ya gonna start that "tips-n-tricks" thread, GraySho? :) ) |
Post by parva // Feb 22, 2007, 5:40am
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parva
Total Posts: 822
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Cool tut GraySho :)
I was one of these who haven't known the material selection possibility and that after all the time with tS :D |
Post by frank // Feb 22, 2007, 6:22am
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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Anybody looking for a free app similar to Painter?
Check this out:
http://www.artweaver.de
Comes in handy for texturing. |
Post by pcread // Feb 22, 2007, 7:22am
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pcread
Total Posts: 21
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That was exactly what I was looking for. I got a tablet (Trust A4) for Xmas and was loathe to fork out the $419 for Painter X. The stripped down Painter Essentials at $79 was a lot more paletable, but this does what I want for a price I can easily afford.
Thanks |
Post by Chester Desmond // Feb 22, 2007, 7:45am
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Chester Desmond
Total Posts: 323
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Chester: I have tried it before, and may have to give it a look again. However, selecting by face material is pretty cool too. I wonder how many other little tricks I'm missing (when ya gonna start that "tips-n-tricks" thread, GraySho? :) )
Yeah that trick is a pretty sweet one. I still remember the day I learned that one while I was ....uh .. reading the manual :D
I would love to see a tips n tricks thread though, as it's a lot of the little things that people learn that can be so cool to share and save time.
Here's a little tut I did a few years back about using facemaster. I've used shader names to name the selections, but you can of course use "eyebrows", "upper lip" etc. to make it easier. |
Post by frank // Feb 22, 2007, 8:14am
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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Thanks, Chester! Checking out the tutorial now... |
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