Modo UV editor equivalent to Blender 'Lightmap Pack'?

JedTheKrampus

I'm getting my stuff ready for UDK and I need to make my second UV channel for lightmapping. In Blender, this was super easy to do because of the 'Lightmap Pack' UV unwrap option, which maximized texel utilization for lightmaps. Here's an illustration for those unfamiliar:



(Obviously for a real lightmap I would increase the padding)

Is there something like this for Modo, perhaps in a third-party script, or do I need to write a Modo script or do my lightmap UVs in Blender?

Or should I not do my lightmap UVs like this at all because making a UV like this increases vertex count?

mAlkAv!An

JedTheKrampus wrote: »

Or should I not do my lightmap UVs like this at all because making a UV like this increases vertex count?

This.
For UDK try to stitch as many UV islands as possible. It's not only about vertex count but also lightmap seams and the fact that more UV islands require a larger padding area in total and therefore your effective lightmap size is smaller.

Farfarer

There's a Pack UVs button, that's probably as close as you'll get.

With UVs that look like that, you sous get a decent result, although it struggles a little with more complex islands, doesn't always pack them 100% efficiently.

Otherwise, you might want to try the Atlas options in the Unwrap Tool.

ZacD

You normally want more padding for UV's too, here's a guide for UDK, but it's similar to how most engine work http://worldofleveldesign.com/categories/udk/udk-lightmaps-03-how-to-fix-light-shadow-lightmap-bleeds-and-seams.php

http://worldofleveldesign.com/categories/udk/udk-lightmaps-01-basics-and-important-principles-for-creating-using-lightmaps.php