UV Unfold and pinning - Polyloop

judee3d · 8th September 2007, 09:34

Okay, I'm sure I did something wrong - but what? Is it absolutely necessary to pin a UV map, or can I just straighten it out like I want and validate?

I cut the seams as I wanted, everything laid out correctly, but kinda jumbled (hey, my first model, it's allowed to have a jumbled mesh,

) Anyway, I literally straightened it out point by point until it was perfect!

Then I figured maybe it had to be pinned, like if I don't pin it won't stay that way. So I stuck two pins in (I think I did - there was no visual clue there - shouldn't I see some point where I pin?

Then I re-clicked the unfold... big error!

Totally annihilated the UV map!

So again, do I have to pin? Or can I just validate once I have it like I want? Also, once validated, um, how do I get access to the map itself? Or do I then have to go into UV map to get a map?

I know, I'm a noob. But I am watching tuts and slowly getting through the manual. And I love to ask questions!

Oh.. one more Q. The object I UV'd was at level 3 smoothing, but when I did the UV map, the UV's were at level 1. I couldnt get it to show at level 3. At level 1, it had a kind of UV cage around the model that was like the original boxy model before smoothing. Is this normal?

Thanks in advance for any help,
judee

rickei · 8th September 2007, 15:39

judee,

no you do not have to pin. it is supposed to help with the unfolding, but as you have seen, it can also jumble things up a bit, if you don't put the pins in the right place... I rarely use pins.

smoothing is Dynamic Geometry, so you will have to collapse your smoothing for it to actually be applied as real geometry.

to save your UV map, just click on the camera icon at the bottom of the UV editor screen.

hope that helps

judee3d · 9th September 2007, 15:17

Thanks, yes that does help! And now I have learned that pinning can be helpful in early stages - but not after I've gotten everything straightened out!

Couerl · 12th September 2007, 18:01

Pinning helps to keep key vertices in place when you use the relax tool on dense areas of the mesh. Having dense areas on the UV map once it is unfolded is generally unwanted because it lowers and distorts the resolution of your applied texture. Some of these things can be looped and cut and then relaxed seperatly so that you can get better texturing in those tight areas. Unfortunately the seams issue in Hex and the general touchiness of that part of the program makes these kind of edits tricky. Whenever you start working with displacement and UV's in hex, always save a copy of the model first.

rickei · 12th September 2007, 18:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Couerl

always save a copy of the model first.

Amen to that

8th September 2007, 09:34	#1 (permalink)
judee3d Vertex Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 15	UV Unfold and pinning Okay, I'm sure I did something wrong - but what? Is it absolutely necessary to pin a UV map, or can I just straighten it out like I want and validate? I cut the seams as I wanted, everything laid out correctly, but kinda jumbled (hey, my first model, it's allowed to have a jumbled mesh, ) Anyway, I literally straightened it out point by point until it was perfect! Then I figured maybe it had to be pinned, like if I don't pin it won't stay that way. So I stuck two pins in (I think I did - there was no visual clue there - shouldn't I see some point where I pin? Then I re-clicked the unfold... big error! Totally annihilated the UV map! So again, do I have to pin? Or can I just validate once I have it like I want? Also, once validated, um, how do I get access to the map itself? Or do I then have to go into UV map to get a map? I know, I'm a noob. But I am watching tuts and slowly getting through the manual. And I love to ask questions! Oh.. one more Q. The object I UV'd was at level 3 smoothing, but when I did the UV map, the UV's were at level 1. I couldnt get it to show at level 3. At level 1, it had a kind of UV cage around the model that was like the original boxy model before smoothing. Is this normal? Thanks in advance for any help, judee

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8th September 2007, 15:39	#2 (permalink)
rickei Respect the Dawg! Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: USA - Conway, South Carolina Posts: 787	judee, no you do not have to pin. it is supposed to help with the unfolding, but as you have seen, it can also jumble things up a bit, if you don't put the pins in the right place... I rarely use pins. smoothing is Dynamic Geometry, so you will have to collapse your smoothing for it to actually be applied as real geometry. to save your UV map, just click on the camera icon at the bottom of the UV editor screen. hope that helps

9th September 2007, 15:17	#3 (permalink)
judee3d Vertex Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 15	Thanks, yes that does help! And now I have learned that pinning can be helpful in early stages - but not after I've gotten everything straightened out!

12th September 2007, 18:01	#4 (permalink)
Couerl Polygurbs Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Denver Posts: 1,295	Pinning helps to keep key vertices in place when you use the relax tool on dense areas of the mesh. Having dense areas on the UV map once it is unfolded is generally unwanted because it lowers and distorts the resolution of your applied texture. Some of these things can be looped and cut and then relaxed seperatly so that you can get better texturing in those tight areas. Unfortunately the seams issue in Hex and the general touchiness of that part of the program makes these kind of edits tricky. Whenever you start working with displacement and UV's in hex, always save a copy of the model first.