The best tool for a fast uv mapping

hangun

so ive been using 3ds max for quite some time now..for lowpoly stuff but recently i started to make over 4k poly models and uv maping and unwraping over 4k models is not so fun..so my question is..what tool should i use for a better and fast uv map?

mudbox
zbrush
3d coat
3d unfold
others?(wich ones)

Torch

I use 3d coat for uving, it's pretty straightforward and rocks at it. You could check out roadkill or headus too but I would say 3DC all the way

Shiniku

I use 3ds max almost exclusively. Tools like headus and roadkill are also nice, but I've gotten fast enough with 3ds max that I don't need to switch over. I still use the TexTools plugin a lot which doesn't work in versions of max later than 2011 though, sadly.

Xoliul

Yeah uh Unwrapping in Max really isn't bad. it's one of the few things in there which i feel work decently (when you get texTools)

You might be missing some key concepts like:

-Hotkeys for common operations (have to set them up yourself, default ones suck)
-Always turn off "normalize" when unwrapping to keep consistent scale
-Use instanced UVW Unwrap modifiers to unwrap different objects together
-Get texttools, mainly for the Align to Edge, Crop and Smoothing Groups from UV features.
-Use Relax By Face Angles and Peel map for excellent relaxing
-Use "make Rectangular" to well, make a selection straight
-Use "Strip" unwrapping to single-click unwrap pipe or spline like objects
-Use stitch to quickly connect islands.

you can see all of that stuff on video in my Eat3D Dozer pt2 DVD btw.

LRoy

If you don't like max's tools you can try headus UVLayout.

Xendance

LRoy wrote: »

If you don't like max's tools you can try headus UVLayout.

This. It's awesome for organic models.

NegevPro

Headus UVLayout is hands down my favorite tool. The only time I'll use anything else is if I create a model entirely in zbrush in which I'd use that UV Master tool.

It might be a bit confusing to use at first considering the UI is pretty minimal, but just watch a 10 - 20 minutes youtube video on it and you'll never turn back!

cptSwing

I use both PolyUnwrapper and TexTools (because the former is still missing a couple of features) in Max '12 and Max '13, and I don't see any reason to switch to yet another app for UVing.

passerby

ya i just using the built in tools of max or maya + some scripts. Yes some of the external tools are cool, but if your doing UV's as you model the amount of back and forward between apps i would need to do makes it no worth it.

maximumsproductions

Shiniku wrote: »

I use 3ds max almost exclusively. Tools like headus and roadkill are also nice, but I've gotten fast enough with 3ds max that I don't need to switch over. I still use the TexTools plugin a lot which doesn't work in versions of max later than 2011 though, sadly.

Textools works in 2012!

Many people will also swear by headus.

Edit* nm somebody already pointed it out

Decoyz

is maya still anygood for uv mapping, or is it all outdated now?

z3phon

LRoy wrote: »

If you don't like max's tools you can try headus UVLayout.

Xendance wrote: »

This. It's awesome for organic models.

This. UVLayout is great for organic models and amazing for hard surface models.

Renaud Galand

Maya + roadkill have been my friends for many years

Jonas Ronnegard

Shiniku wrote: »

I use 3ds max almost exclusively. Tools like headus and roadkill are also nice, but I've gotten fast enough with 3ds max that I don't need to switch over. I still use the TexTools plugin a lot which doesn't work in versions of max later than 2011 though, sadly.

Using textools in both 2013 and 2014, whats not working?

Lombos

LRoy wrote: »

headus UVLayout.

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

skankerzero

UVLayout.

No matter how fast you can be in Max, UVLayout is so much faster when you learn the hotkeys.

I thought I was fast in Max until I learned UVLayout.

I unwrap, relax, and straighten in UVLayout, then I pack in Max. I mirror and overlap uvs and Max has the best control for manual packing.

jacob thomas

I prefer to UV in Maya, any day of the week over Max. I learned to UV in Max but now I find it slow and clunky compared to Maya.
I might have to give UVLayout a go though it would seem.

WarrenM

The only problem with UV Layout is the stupid fucking USB dongle. I lost mine last year and you can't get a new one without paying full pop again. Dongles suck.

Stinkfoot

Headus UVLayout, I tried it only recently, and because of faults in my original meshI had to redo the UV's a couple of time, but managed to do it all in the same evening with this gem of a program
.

Shiniku

Jonas Ronnegard wrote: »

Using textools in both 2013 and 2014, whats not working?

Weird! I guess I'll have to try it out then. I think I was just going by the latest version listed on the website I downloaded it at, but the list probably wasn't up to date. Thanks for the info.

Optinium

A combination of 3D Coat and Maya here. I do personally prefer 3DS Max's UI/UV layout over Maya but my day job exclusively uses Maya so that's what I use.

But yeah 3D Coat is super fast, insanely fast, it doesn't have some of the finer tweaking tools like Max/Maya but it's ease of use and speed is just to good... Compliment it with another program for small tweaks.

hangun

after all i decided on uvlayout ..its not that hard..ive watch few tutorials and stuff..and from all those tools i have a question

if i have like 2 arms..wich are identical bouth front side and back and left and right arm..is there an tool or option that will get them all in on uv ?instead of having like 2 arms but separated uv

skankerzero

dustinbrown wrote: »

UVLayout all the way.



That's interesting, Jesse. What, specifically, do you feel Max does better when it comes to manual packing? Basic transformation of shells isn't difficult in UVLayout, so I'm curious what about Max's tools you find to be worth the extra export/import. Don't get me wrong, I've seen some of your MechKnight UV sheets and they're boss, so you're obviously doing something right.

It's not really an extra import / export. I export from Max, unwrap and straighten in UVLayout, export back to Max and pack. All in all, the whole process is still faster than I ever was in Max alone.

I like the vertex and grid snapping in Max.
I use chugnuts (unwrap tools) in Max. I really like their displacement tools and being able to center several uv islands on top of each other using the UV Tile Tools. Soft selection in Max's uv editor is also nice when I need only certain parts of the uvs to be squashed.

I just feel more accurate in Max when I'm nudging islands around by mere pixels.

hangun wrote: »

after all i decided on uvlayout ..its not that hard..ive watch few tutorials and stuff..and from all those tools i have a question

if i have like 2 arms..wich are identical bouth front side and back and left and right arm..is there an tool or option that will get them all in on uv ?instead of having like 2 arms but separated uv

Before I export to UVLayout, I delete the parts of the mesh that are mirrored and have identical uvs. This saves time when it comes to unwrapping them.
After I pack everything, I just mirror the geo over so it will have the exact same uvs as the rest.

Malus

Renaud Galand wrote: »

Maya + roadkill have been my friends for many years

^This.

Simple, no bells and whistles or bloat.