Maya: PSD Network vs UV Snapshot

UltraLrod

Hey everyone. I searched through Polycount forums and couldn't find any comparison between the PSD network and UV Snapshot. I was taught how to use PSD Network, but a recent instructor at the community college that I attend, taught us the UV Snapshot. This totally lost me and has gotten me confused. I also watched some texture tutorial on YouTube and they seem to use the UV Snapshot too. Is there any difference between using either PSD Network or UV Snapshot in Maya? Is here any advantage between the two?

Eric Chadwick

PSD Network isn't only for a UV wireframe, you can also use it to link up different layers in the PSD to different nodes in Hypershade, so you can have diffuse, bump, specular, etc., all coming from the same PSD. Does that make sense?

Here's a tut
http://www.3dtutorialzone.com/tutorial?id=53

UltraLrod

It kinda makes sense. Instead of having to make the folder needed in Photoshop like the tutorial you gave me, wouldn't it be easier to go into the Hypershade > Edit > Create PSD Network and let Maya create it for you?

Equanim

UV snapshot is a bit more flexible because the image it creates can then be imported into whatever painting app you like, not just Photoshop. It's also a workflow that carries over to pretty much any 3D package since not all of them have a PSD Network feature.

PSD Networks are a nice time saver too a point. If your PSD has a lot of layers or is really high res, it'll take a long time to load and update. I've had projects where breaking my texture into several PSDs has been a huge time saver simply due to loading times.