[C3 - C5] Mixing Different Ways to Unwrap a Model (UV #4)

[AWBenson]

"Mixing Different Ways to Unwrap a Model" is the fourth in my UV Collection. It using a low-polygon barrel model to demostrate using multiple shading domain with multiple methods of unwrapping while combining it on the previous tutorial's texure map.

http://www.awbenson.com/tutorials/Carrara_UV/UV_4.htm

The reason why you are using the same texture map as the prior one is to demostrate how to combine multiple objects into one map. If you were creating a robot character, you would typically want to have all the pieces together to paint. Henceforth, the combining aspects of this tutorial.

This tutorial can be differcult. It is not like the prior tutorials in which you can finish it within 20 minutes. However, it teaches very important parts of UV unwrapping which is why I couldn't shorten it while still producing a usable object.

The below image is a scene made from my results after painting the UV coordornates from this tutorial.



I hope you like it,

[AlainK]

I've just started learning this UV unwrapping thing. Oh man, it's tedious having to arrange what seems hundreds of dots. Is there any way to do this thing automatically? How do you even align rows and columns of dots in a straight line after moving them?

[AWBenson]

Unfortunately, no on both of your questions. Carrara doesn't have any form of pelt mapping like Hexagon 2 has.

You simply have the default methods of unwrapping from within Carrara, planar, box, cyclindar, etc. And Carrara doesn't allow for seems, so that is one reason as you have to use a run about method to create a seem in the UV mesh, as seen with the animated gifs.

You can simplify some of it by using alot of shading domains, but then it's tendious from another area.

[AlainK]

Originally Posted by AWBenson

Unfortunately, no on both of your questions. Carrara doesn't have any form of pelt mapping like Hexagon 2 has.

You simply have the default methods of unwrapping from within Carrara, planar, box, cyclindar, etc. And Carrara doesn't allow for seems, so that is one reason as you have to use a run about method to create a seem in the UV mesh, as seen with the animated gifs.

You can simplify some of it by using alot of shading domains, but then it's tendious from another area.

Andrew, any idea how they do those rows or columns of decals like those numbers and letters on a cell phone, keyboard, remote, etc? What technique is used? Howcome I've never seen any tut on these? Are they some kind of trade secrets nobody wants to share?

[AWBenson]

You can use a number of techniques, including a simple planar projection. These numbers are usually on a relatively flat surface. A planar project at a 90 degree angle would produce no distortions to a decal and the base color can be procedural without much effort involved.

Generally, texture mapping mechanical objects are usually fairly straight-forward because they usually don't require seemless texture unwraping. If the edges to a shading domain on the UV map doens't line up on an object with a standard, solid material then you cann't see a seem on the model anyway. This allows you to get away with "sloppy" UV-mapping. In a production environment, this is good form because you aren't spending alot of time doing something that isn't even noticable.

[Nester751]

Thanks AW!