UV Mapping

[lostinmymind]

Ok so I am having a problem-I've snooped around online but can't seem to find anything on this:

I've got a model with a UV map included as a jpeg-Is there any way I can attach one to the other in Nifskope or Blender? so far I haven't found a way and I'm seriously bashing my brains out >.< I'm sure it's something relatively simple, but I just can't seem to find it. Manually re-mapping the UV in nifskope is taking so damn long it's not even funny, and I don't know of another way. :wallbash: Help a newb out?

[Skree000]

ok heres the situation

 

Models are 3d geometry

 

to texture the 3d geometry we must 'unwrap' the shape onto a flat surface, this is the UV unwrapping process.

 

Once you have UV unwrapped your model, its UV coordinates are contained within the 3d shape's data. (that is called 'a mesh that has already been Unwrapped, or a 'mesh with UVs)

 

 

The UV unwrap is basically an organized layout of where the 3d triangles appear on 2d space.

 

We export out this layout as a 'template' showing how the wireframe is spread out, usually we export these out to aid in the texturing process, to paint on top of them, or around them, using the wireframe exported UV template as a guide for where we need to apply our textures to which areas.

 

Now, when you say, you have a model with a UV map included as a Jpeg, do you mean, the jpeg is a flat template render of the UV window, showing the wireframe spread out flat?

 

or is it a Texture map with color information, or something like that.

 

 

 

You only really need 1 UV unwrap per model unless your game engine is going to apply additional effects such as AmbientOcclusion, FinalGather, GlobalIllumination or grunge maps onto your model, then it would need a second UV unwrap on a UV2 channel

 

Are you asking if there is an easier way to unwrap your model? If so, programs like 3dstudio max and Maya have UV windows that will let you unwrap things... Maya's sucks tbh... but there are simple applications such as Roadkill or UVLayout that are standalone and can quickly unwrap a model for you, but you will never have the kind of control you would in your unwrapping process as you would in 3dsMax, maya or Blender.

 

Or are you asking if you can attach multiple 'texture maps' to a model? Not sure which you mean since you sound like you are a bit new at this :) (not trying to make fun, just trying to get a better idea of your question before i can answer it)

[lostinmymind]

That was fast :)

 

Yeah, my problem right now runs like this: I have a model that includes a UV map to help with texturing-problem is, when I run the UV unwrap in Blender, It looks nothing like it and is usually REALLY bad and confusing-the model is quite complicated so half the stuff in the UV unwrap doesn't even appear on the model.

 

 

OK. It seems just getting a better explanation made something click in my head. I managed to create a perfectly matching unwrap. I have no clue what the hell was wrong or how I did it, but it's working now....

 

Thanks a lot for the help mate :thanks:

 

 

EDIT: AAAAAH i get it now. The standard unwrap in Blender works like a charm, the "really cool smart unwrap that is better for you" screws things up by being way too precise. Time to start texing this bad boy XD

[kennyimpala]

That was fast :)

 

Yeah, my problem right now runs like this: I have a model that includes a UV map to help with texturing-problem is, when I run the UV unwrap in Blender, It looks nothing like it and is usually REALLY bad and confusing-the model is quite complicated so half the stuff in the UV unwrap doesn't even appear on the model.

 

 

OK. It seems just getting a better explanation made something click in my head. I managed to create a perfectly matching unwrap. I have no clue what the hell was wrong or how I did it, but it's working now....

 

Thanks a lot for the help mate :thanks:

 

 

EDIT: AAAAAH i get it now. The standard unwrap in Blender works like a charm, the "really cool smart unwrap that is better for you" screws things up by being way too precise. Time to start texing this bad boy XD

 

Im having the same stupid problem, I think is because im either doing it in the wrong chanell (1) or because im just not unwrapping it correctly

[Skree000]

in most 3d packages the unwrapping process goes one of two (or both) ways:

 

1.select either parts of your mesh, or all of your mesh and apply a 'Projection'. This will 'project' the wireframe view of your shape into UV space, from the specified angle of the projection. This method is effective for capturing parts of your mesh in 2d space as they appear from various angles. Usually best done with simple objects that have larger hard surfaces, or objects inwhich the texture can be 'projected' down onto from one or two angles only. Such as a building, a staircase, walls, a bookcase or simple furniture with no curves, etc.

 

or

 

2. select either parts of your mesh, or all of your mesh, apply Projection(s) then use a Relax tool to twist/melt/tweak your UV shapes into proportional minimal-distortion layouts. This method is best used for organic shapes such as characters, tree trunks, monsters, rocks or spherical objects etc. The relax tool may be called something else depending on what 3d program you are using, but they all basically operate the same way, either to relax/melt the shapes into more proportional layouts (dependant on either face-angles or edge-angles or face centers (you choose)). What that means is it will try to 'average-out' the angles between vertexes when set to "Edge' relax, meaning ideally a screen-door type wireframe grid will be relaxed so that all intersections are 90-degrees. If you relax to 'face' mode, it will look at the angles of the polygons on the actual object and how they relate to one another, and it will 'average-out' these angles, smoothening the UV-layout based on those surface angles.

 

Sounds complicated but basically its just a way of 'melting' or 'softening up' your Uv layout into more understandable or easier-to-read (and often easier-to-paint-on) layouts, essentially 'un-tangling' very tight or complicated bundles of wireframe in UV space.

[Phoynix]

its already unwraped you said and a template included in jpeg, opening the model up in a 3d program and running autounwrap is resetting it and redoing it to however that engine wants.. and btw... unwarping can only be done properly by hand, I HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT BLOODY WELL HATE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!.

 

I spent 80% of my time which each model I make unwraping uv and reworking them cause of texture seams and stuff I missed the first time, textures is about 15% of the time, but I like that and im learning as I do it so its fine.

 

Back to your problem.. sorry.. but I DO HATE UVs....

Jpeg isnt very good even uncompressed it has artifacts and this can unalign the uv slightly.. this might seem fine but it can cause major problems on a model, with the model loaded in a 3d app, you should have an option called something like UV Snapshot, UV Template. selecting this should allow you to save the uv as a graphic format of your choosing at a resolution you want.

 

normaly you want to texture at 4000 or so and then scale down.. which I just rememberd I forgot to do in my mod :)

 

Now if your wondering what each UV is, maya has a UV window viwer, and I can select faces on the model and have them selected on a uv picture, this lets me know what is what if its isnt directly obvious, most other apps have something like this, max does.

[dthumb]

That was fast :)

 

Yeah, my problem right now runs like this: I have a model that includes a UV map to help with texturing-problem is, when I run the UV unwrap in Blender, It looks nothing like it and is usually REALLY bad and confusing-the model is quite complicated so half the stuff in the UV unwrap doesn't even appear on the model.

 

 

OK. It seems just getting a better explanation made something click in my head. I managed to create a perfectly matching unwrap. I have no clue what the hell was wrong or how I did it, but it's working now....

 

Thanks a lot for the help mate :thanks:

 

 

EDIT: AAAAAH i get it now. The standard unwrap in Blender works like a charm, the "really cool smart unwrap that is better for you" screws things up by being way too precise. Time to start texing this bad boy XD

 

Smart Projection can be a bad idea for mostly round meshes , yeah standard unwrap is the way to go. Don't forget to move it around after you stretch and tweak your UV map, make use of those empty spaces and scale up those tiny unwrapped objects as much as the space allows for optimal texturing quality. I'm not sure if it's fixed, but an old version of Blender has a glitch when exporting UV maps as targa. So be careful with that.

[Crimson Knight]

hey all sorry to revitalize a dead post but i need help and have found no answers anywhere so here we go

 

Blender UV UnWrap ???

 

I have been modeling for a while but when i unwrap my uv map It has a bunch of vertex points attached to the unassigned or pink cube in behind.

 

I've tried simple blender unwrap re-seeming and deleting all doubled vertexes and and merged any loose vertexes but the 2D unwrap always attaches a bunch of vertex points to the top left hand corner of the UV editor Block.

 

Please any clue to what I'm doing wrong Please help