UVmapping Highres Assets?

Boyordo

HI.
I did just face an issue I have strangely not faced before. I am to create some film assets, I have only worked on game assets before, and I have run into some issues when it comes to the UV-mapping.
As the models are subd, and the UV-map should be done at as low level as possible, preferably without any smoothing levels applied at all, I get quite a lot of distortion when I apply smoothing (turbosmooth in 3ds max) to the model. I see no issue if I could create the UV map on a more divided version to start with but that is not my choice to make.

So any advice on how to uv map at the base low-poly level with minimum distortion at 2xdivision latar?

EarthQuake

Is there an option to smooth the uvs as well? There is in Modo afaik.

Boyordo

Not that I know of, when using max turbosmooth. I do not remember having this much trouble when doing the same thing with Maya. What I have been able to read up on states that at least a few years back mapping before smoothing in max worked really bad. But surely people use it, studios like BLUR use max as far as I know etc.

Checked now and no, I can not find any option to smooth uvs, or change uv smoothing method in 3dsMax 2014 using turbosmooth.

EarthQuake

Thats a shame, and yeah I think Maya has an option to smooth the uvs when applying smooth mesh.

illo

What I am generally forced to do in max is create my UVs below the turbo smooth modifier, turbo smooth to whatever level is necessary, then apply another UV unwrap and relax all my original islands. so the stack is:

-uvmap
-turbosmooth
-uvmap
-polymesh

not pretty, but if it works right?

Chase

Thats a great idea. Dont know why I made life difficult with unwrapping a dense mesh!

HAWK12HT

Try this mate, Turbosmooth iteration level 1 > Unwrap then Turbosmooth iteration 1 or 2 or as much as you want. These is a reason why most top teir concept artist who have switched to 3D are now using less sub D and making more hi poly stuff without it.

Edge flow is the key here. Since with mid level model where you ll apply turbosmooth there will be new edges added at crucial areas that is why you get UV distortion cause hard turns into smooth. But if you add turbosmooth level 1 you are good to go cause those extra edges will be already there and later turbosmooth levels will just build up on those.