[Hexagon] Some pin-placement (UV) help needed

[Tassilo]

Hey, Loops.

While I'm beginning to understand the basics of UV mapping, I yet tried to live without pins. Well, now I've gotten to the point where that won't work anymore. I read several tutorials about UV mapping, but none managed to really teach me how to use them.

As you can see on the attached image, the thumb of the arm tends to get huge while the middle finger gets quite small when I just set seams. I tried several pin placements, but none with pleasing results (mostly things get even worse).
Could you help me on this? Please? Pretty please?

Thank you,
Tassilo

[AWBenson]

Pins are a way of controling the UVs after it is split up. On the example with the hand above, you may want to position pins at the tip of each finger and on the polygonal "star" (5+ edges to one point) at the base of the fingers.

This may not fix the model when it splits it out onto the UV screen. It will enable you to select the pin there and move that pin to adjust how Hexagon will unfold the model. Think of this as setting up a tool for the immediately after the unfolding part.

As for the thumbs being big, it's because there is alot of surface area to unfold when comparing that to the amount of surface area of a finger. You can use the edge/seam tools to cut vents in the mess (not completely cutting through the object like an edge loop). This will allow Hex to unfold parts of the model without affecting the areas it is touching... but it will make more texture seams in doing so.

[tonytrout]

It is trial and error in my experience. Andrews suggestion is a good one. I usually use 2 pins on a piece of mesh , sometimes up to 4, and that gives a general layout like you have there. Sad to say I then spend a fairbit of time in fingers and toes pulling and laying out the points on the UV map manually

[AWBenson]

Also, I typically use two pins per piece of mesh. He has split up his mesh into the top and bottom components of the hand, an arm and a cuff. So, there are 8 pins being used (2 per uv mesh) with more pins to deal with odd stretchiness (like with the short fingers).

[Markku]

With my modest experience I say:

- use only 2 pins per 1 continuous UV mesh (like the others said)
- set those 2 pins so that in the UV view they form either straight horizontal or straight vertical axis and then fiddle with the Pinning Axis dropdown until you see things lined up correctly

UV mapping is a nightmare and I got some decency into it after realising that the pins must lay in straight axis.

...but I'm a noob so I can be very wrong.

That Headus' UVLayout tool would be a must to anyone banging their heads with UV's. Their licensing policy is just a major turn off.

[Tassilo]

Thanks a lot, guys!

[RedSquare]

You would do well to read this explanation and his second one on Advanced UV 'tis very good.

http://forum.daz3d.com/viewtopic.php...2c880f622c52e4

Especially, his reasoning for pin placement.