Blender is mean

CMB

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I'm only getting interested in blender because it uvmap good.
The problem is it's to laggy to let me import a .3ds file.
Help me blender master cheapalert.

CheapAlert

you can ignore that error

also, the .3ds format is the worst format ever. Use .obj instead. Don't forget to select all verts and remove doubles after importing an .obj file though.

Zcubed

Huh, did somebody say Wings?

If you're only using the app for mapping, Wings might be easier to learn. Elysium has a nice video-tutorial for it on his site.

CMB

First I stop uvmapping with 3dsdmax because its to time consuming.I check out lithunwrap.
I end up ...
Then on to Blender!
I end up ...
Wings better be great.

CheapAlert

Perhaps you're over-expecting or using them unproperly.

Blender needs seams defined on the mesh's edges first where you want them for the LSCM to split up maps. The real magic begins there with seams :P

Gmanx

Seams = control, and you need control. Seams and pinning are an awesome combination. Blender is teh w1n..

Mongrelman

http://www.ibiblio.org/bvidtute/mytut/uvtut.avi for video tutorial on LSCM uv mapping.

MoP

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First I stop uvmapping with 3dsdmax because its to time consuming.

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Wuh? No it isn't!

Joao Sapiro

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First I stop uvmapping with 3dsdmax because its to time consuming

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well, if ur lazy obviously :P 3ds max has a very intuitive unwrapping method, u gotta know the model layout that u want to make even when ur modeling it , it works for me :P

ElysiumGX

Programs don't unwrap models without skill from the user. It's how you use the tools at hand that gives the best results. Try the Wings3D UV mapping tutorial on my site. If that doesn't satisfy you, not sure what will. It saves time to create your geometry in a method that will allow for easy unwrapping later. Think ahead.

arshlevon

i stopped using photoshop casue it didnt make my drawings good.

Zcubed

Look it up on the hotkey list, I think the "Make Good" filter was Ctrl-W or something.

Slum

zcubed: nope, it's ALT + F4

Richard Kain

Blender's UV tools improve drastically with each iteration. The LSCM feature that was added reduced the time necessary to unwrap a model drastically. What was previously an arduous and mind-numbing process became simple and quick. The most recent version includes a "Live LSCM unwrap" feature that lets you tweak the automatic unwrapping by defining pinned vertices in the UV editor. It fixes almost all of the problems that the previous LSCM unwrapper had. Follow these steps.

1. Define seams on your model. Its best to place seams where they will be the least noticeable, and where they won't interfere with painting the models skin. Also take into consideration how the pieces will look when unwrapped. You don't want any overlapping.

2. Switch to face mode.

3. Select all of the faces.

4. Use the LSCM unwrapper. There is an option for this from the "U" menu, as well as the toolbar menu.

5. Blender should now break your model apart into the pieces you defined in the UV editing window. If you switch a 3D window to textured view, you'll be able to see the changes you make in the UV editing window in real-time. (a very useful feature)

6. Before you switch on LSCM Live Unwrap in the UV editor, be sure to select and pin some points on all of the pieces that were separated. If you don't, a bug will mess up your UV Layout. Don't worry if this happens, you can always go back and re-LSCM unwrap to correct the problem. If you keep having problems with this bug, go back and separate each skinned section of your model into different meshes. You can join them back together after you are done with the skinning.

7. Once you have your points pinned, switch on LSCM Live Unwrap. Now you can grab the pinned UV coordinates, and move them around. The rest of the points for each UV section will deform according to the LSCM unwrap, allowing you to tweak each section to your liking. I find its usually best to pin four-six of the UV coordinates around the edges of each section. If you need more precise control, just pin more coordinates.

cateaic

Im havent really messed with UVW unwrapping so I hope this doesnt sound weird but does blender essentially break youre UV's up into larger more recognizable pieces instead of having to weld tiny pieces together using other unwrapping methods like "box" or "planar"? I havent heard of the term "pinning vertices" so my understanding is a bit off...maybe you can explain? Thanks!

KDR_11k

LSCM basically unwraps parts of your models automatically. Since the algorithm can't guess everything you want you can pin vertices (give them a fixed position they have to keep) to influence the result.

Richard Kain

Yes, that is partially what it does. Blender will not divide your model up for you. You have to go into the model yourself and define the edge "seams" that you want. After that Blender will take the seams you defined and divide the model up in the UV Editing Window.