UVW question

[swiss_cheese9797]

yo, thank you guys for all your help in my previous questions. To start, my modelling skills are rather good but I need work on my UVW unwrapping skills. Are there any tools or tutorials I should take a look at for 3d studio max 6/7? I would like it if I could find a quicker and better method/tool for unwrapping my skinmesh. Thanks.

 

[mindless_moder]

If you're using Max, and intend to do rigid objects (cars, planes, anything that has nice right angles), try chilli skinner. It let's you break the mesh up intelligently, unwraps the mesh (imagine a cube becoming a flat cross), "arranges everything into an optimal game texture sized rectangle, then performs the planar project and morph back for you. Rather good.

you can get it at http://www.chilliweb.co.uk/chilliskinner/

For things that don't fall into neat unwrap angles though, it's still push and pull time.

If you're in Max, I suggest you:

a. Copy the base object.
b. Make a reference copy of the original.
c. Add the cylindrical projection and the morph to the reference copy.
d. have a nice reference texture (I have a gradient with 10 * 10 checker pattern overlayed as mine) and have it showing in the viewport on the reference copy.
e. Begin tweaking the original to make it cylindrical shaped. You'll see the results of your actions update live on the reference copy in it's unaltered state. Be careful though, you cannot make any topological changes, as that invalidates the morph. Lucky jammy LW buggers

You'll find that relax and push are invaluable to the process btw.

thats from http://www.cgtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1498
this is something that i use http://www.planetquake.com/q3empire/data/tutorials/modeling/skinning/skinning.htm
and heres random other stuff
http://waylon-art.com/uvw_tutorial/uvwtut_01.html
character modeling vid 6 and 7 friom here are on uvw http://www.poopinmymouth.com/tutorial/tutorial.htm
make an account here and get this http://www.3d-palace.com/video.php?vid=21
other stuff
http://www.xenosgames.com/uvtut.htm
http://w-labs.com/tutorials/highway/highwayvideo.zip

 

[swiss_cheese9797]

Dude, you rock! thanx for the help, was more than I could ask for. And kudos for pwning that Die Hard guy.

 

[mindless_moder]

no sweat .. ive aquired a lot of info and resources since i first started modeling and skinning (i still have nothing to show for it lol) .