3DS Max Un wrapping - unmarking seams after peeling?

3D4Eva

I'm still playing around with 3DS Max as we're using this going forward on our new projects in 2021. I cannot find out how to re-adjust UV seams after peeling? I'm coming from Maya and it is so easy to just remove seams and do a new unwrap without having to redo all my work. Even Blender allows this, so I must be missing something in Max????

Is there a certain workflow for this? If not I'll have to make a request to use something like Rizom I think.

Eric Chadwick

Did you read the manual yet? After Peeling, the peel seams are converted into map seams. http://help.autodesk.com/view/3DSMAX/2020/ENU/?guid=GUID-EA10E59F-DE7F-497E-B399-6CF213A02C8D

A screenshot of your problem might help too.

3D4Eva

I've gone through that, but I'll look again.

Here is a cylinder I'll use to show this. First I use a UVW Remove utility, then I make it an editable poly and add in my Unwrap modifier then mark these seams:



Now for example sake, I didn't want to cut that seam all the way through the top and bottom cap, I have no way to remove it once it has been peeled because it is now green.



I'm forced to use the Reset option and redo it from the start:





I would assume there has to be a way to go back and remove these seams and re-do the peel?

Now this is a very basic example, but when you're working on a complex mech there is no way anyone is going to go back and forth to adjust a poor seam placement by redoing all the seam placements again from scratch. I assume I'm missing something?

Eric Chadwick

Select the green seam in the Edit window, and Stitch.

Eric Chadwick

No need to reset, ever. Just keep editing, because each new edit simply overwrites the existing.

Also, no need for UVW Remove either.

Kanni3d

Stitch edges, or just simply select the face however you like (grabbing both uv shells, face by angle amount etc) and use quick planar map. This'll reproject the uv's as one, just a faster way of stitching if there's a lot of edges or something.

3D4Eva

Ahhh thank you both!  This helps! I was searching for hours online and was told to always use a Remove utility because even when you add an unwrap mod it will still mark your map seams.

I'll do some more research on all of this before 2021, thanks again!

Eric Chadwick

Whoever advised that doesn't know wtf they're doing. #misinfo

3D4Eva

Sadly my experience with Max is limited. I was told this because when you make a cylinder for example and convert it to an editable poly, then add the unwrap mod you get the map seams by default:



This person told me to always use the reset to remove those map seams. I did notice if I ignore it and mark my seams around each cap, and one on the side to it split it it will still cut it where the map seam is so I don't get a just 2 UV Shells for the caps, and 1 for the side.



Of course it is easy to fix just by selecting all the faces and doing a quick planar map projection which clears it all.

Eric Chadwick

You get the seams by default because UVW Unwrap simply loads the UVs if they exist already. Most primitives like Cylinder have an option when created to add automatic UVs (or not, up to you).

For hard surface models, it's good to setup Smoothing Groups (split vertex normals) where the surface has strong angles (etc.). You can then use those to make automatic UV seams, for faster unwrapping.

3D4Eva

I see! Thank you. I will uncheck generate mapping coords when creating these to remove the extra step.

Thanks again!

Eric Chadwick

The UV tools in Max are pretty nice these days, lots of good stuff in there.

The default UVs from the primitive introduce some weird seam splitting. 


That's legacy behavior from before they added Editable Poly. You can fix all those easily though... in the Edit UVWs tool, by selecting all the vertices, and using the Weld button.



If you wanted the sides as a cylindrical projection, and the top and bottom as planar projections, like you show in the final purple cylinder up there. Then you can use the UVW Map modifier in Cylindrical mode with Cap on, and just Weld out those legacy seams.



Then use Pack Normalize to auto-arrange the UVs.

Some of the UVs might be inverted, like the bottom of the Cylinder. This will cause backwards textures and if you're baking they won't get rendered either. So, select the inverted parts, Flip them, and re-Pack.



Anyhow, I hope this helps. Feel free to post questions as you have them!