Maya: Multiple Objects use the same UV Shell for automatic Layout

Podden

Hey Maya People,

perhaps a dump question but I could not find any answer and can't belive there's not answer to this simple problem.

I have an object with a repeating structure (e.g. grills or blades of a vent) and for several reasons (different scale and material) I DON'T want to make instances. But I do want to let the use the same UV shell.
Is it possible to "stack" the UV's of these object together, so that they align above each other AND preserve this structure when using the "Layout UV's" Button for packing everything together?
Thanks in advance for answers

Bartalon

I don't think there's a way for Layout to preserve stacked shells, however you can move them around and snap shells to each other with regular point snapping. With the UV Texture Editor as your active window, go to your Move Tool options and check the Retain Component Spacing box.

Podden

So always when I have an object with small but many same looking objects and I don't want to waste space in the UV I cannot use the "LayoutUV" Function and have to layout and scale myself?
Wow that's not what I expected
Will send a feature request to Autodesk. Thanks

m4dcow

Podden wrote: »

So always when I have an object with small but many same looking objects and I don't want to waste space in the UV I cannot use the "LayoutUV" Function and have to layout and scale myself?
Wow that's not what I expected
Will send a feature request to Autodesk. Thanks

You could try splitting the repeating objects from the main model so they don't get scattered around like in LayoutUV, do LayoutUV on the main object, then select all objects and place your overlapped repeating pieces by hand.