Efficient uv mapping

Danoman

Hi, I want to do very efficient uv-mapping on models, and has been wondering how to maximize uv space on texture.

I've been looking at the wow model uv layout and they strike me as efficient because each uv group, body, limbs, head are essentially rectangular.

But it seems like they have retrofitted the map onto the texture painted beforehand. If you put a uv-test-map, you can see that the squares are distorted (not square, different size).

The reason I want to maximize uv space is because I want to put textures (different kind of armor) on top on skin texture. I kinda like the way blizz did it, would it be illegal to copy-cat them you think?

Thanks

Axcel

I am not a character artist, but I don't think they make mapping for existing texture. For sure they could make corrects by slightly moving vertexes on UV Map.

Could you share with us those mentioned examples which you have found?
Why inspiring by others' techniques should be illegal?

DavidCruz

If it is of your own design it is fine to "replicate" uv techniques.
If your using actual wow content it is not legal, be it concept art or models and your recreating them exactly this is also illegal.

Otherwise it is fine as long as you own the designs and are just inspired by their uv space usage and techniques. I also like the squaring approach, I have yet to understand it all myself so share any information will be appreciated.

Danoman

Thanks for the replies,

I will share some character examples here:
http://i.imgur.com/MMyBrQa.jpg

It's no mere coincidence that that each texture has the exact same texture space for each part of the body. I think it's so that they can paint cloth textures only once, and apply it to all characters. The only problem with this is stretching, since they fit different model volumes into the same texture space. The only part that differs are of course the head, since there are not clothes on it.

And for this reason in find it implausible that they paint the textures on top of the uv-mapping, how to avoid stretching? I think they have a template space for each part of the body, and then map the uvs to the template.

The only worrying part about this is stretching, but as long as you don't paint details, it should be no problem I think. The pros is that you will have less work, and ease of painting base texture. And the textures will look nice too

Thanks for your views!

edit: blood elf and human seem to share (almost same) textures
https://giphy.com/gifs/3oEdv2eApkOJKHkWPK

Zwebbie

What I imagine happened is that they modeled one template character first -- such as the human male -- then UV'd and textured that, and subsequently created the other characters by modifying the original model, UVs and textures. Only the heads look to be (more or less) separately modeled and textured, but the rest looks like a set of variations on one basis. Which is probably why the Orc has distorted trapezii; the UV layout was designed for a human.