UV mapping (Help)

[napalm121]

First of all I am pretty new to modeling.. well very new this is the first model I have tried to make. I used the mining helmet (or 'Filtration Helmet' as it's called in game) from 'The Pitt' dlc as a base to model on. So I modeled it to how I wanted to it to look (using a few tutorials as guidance) and then came the time to UV map it. I did as the tutorial told me to do and selected all the edges then went to the mesh menu and select UV map and this is what I got.

 

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/5398/uvproblem.th.png

 

I marked out what the main problem was on the image. The piping I added to the side of the mask dosen't seem to fit itself into the UV, I thought this may be due to the fact the mask (the origional filtration mask that is) was probably already UV mapped before hand.

 

I may be able to re-edit the UV map if I knew how to delete the current UV map, so if anyone could tell me how to do so that might make things simpler.

 

Ok that may have not been so clear so if I can clarify in any way just ask, any help is greaty appreciated. :smile:

 

Thanks

[Skree000]

okay looks like somehow a bunch of UVs got collapsed and/or stitched into a single point in the uv unwrap window.

 

To fix this, select the parts that arent looking right (denoted by the fact that they are all zooming to the corner with strong diagonal lines etc.) and also select any polys that are taking up the entire unwrap

 

once you have all the bad bits selected, re-unwrap those parts.

 

For cylinder parts, use a cylindrical unwrap projection, etc etc as you would normally for unwrapping.

 

 

 

This sort of phenomena is very common when you geo-edit a mesh that has already been unwrapped. Its up to you now to unwrap those bogus bits and make it look nice.

 

Remember however, that since the lines are coming from existing unwrapped geometry, that means you have 'uvs that are stitched', and if you go and start unwrapping them, it will only stretch out the good ones already.

 

You need to 'split, or break (depending on how Blender calls that function) the Uvs apart, dividing the meshes uvs from what is already unwrapped, from what you need to unwrap. (that way original Uvs are not changed).

 

Just take the new stuff, and unwrap that. Modifying existing textured geometry requires special care so this sort of thing doesnt happen. Typically functions like Connect, Draw Lines/Edges, or Slice do not modify the unwrap terribly since you are cutting through an unwrap, rather than distorting it.

 

If modifying existing unwrapped geo, avoid functions such as bevel, extrude, and non-planar collapses, such as collapsing major silhouette-retaining edges. ALl of those things will cause your Uvs to (usually) distort badly.

 

Collapse can be used with care, so long as you are collapsing co-linear stuff.