UVW Unwrapping HELP!

Talbot

So at the moment I'm trying to learn about UV maps and texturing in 3ds max 2009.

I made a simple crate/box model to texture.


I made the texture and then aligned all the faces of the model to the texture use the UVW Unwrap edit.

But the problem was that I was basically guessing and checking the dimensions of the faces to make the texture above. So when I rendered (render below) on some of the edges the texture wasn't proportioned correctly so no matter how I configured the face in 3ds max... it would never get rid of all of them.


And another thing to note is that the face that is causing the problem is a ring so if you can't make it skinnier without taking the overall size of it down.



If you have followed me this far, this is where I start asking questions. I'm looking for an easy way to fix this problem. I think that if I could export the uv template out somehow that when I'm making the textures it would be a lot easier to get the proportions correct. Now that being said I have tried the "Render to Template" tool in 3ds max but this is all the appears:



Then I tried to use the "texport" plug in and that gave me a little bit better out come but did not give me the outline of the internal extrude that is on every side of the box.

So I know that I just put up a lot of pictures but I would rather put them up then have no one know what I'm talking about. But if you know the answer to my problem please tell me how to do it in detail or atleast link to a tutorial.

Thanks.

Nevinvex

I think render template looks like that because that isn't it's size, it's bigger and has to be shown like a smaller picture. Save it and then look at it. It should look just like the UVW map.

TSM

You should also fill your texture with a good base color, like say, a pale yellow / orange? Sample for the wood and full the gaps, then it should go away (this also helps with mip maps).

Talbot

Nevinvex: That did get rid of the random gaps but now I'm getting the problem that came with texport. I'm missing an edge that is very important.

Any idea how I can get that one?

TSM:
That is a very good idea... I'm definatly going to use that in the future and also if I can't get this template to export how I want it to. Thank you!

Baddcog

Everyone will probably scoff at me but...

What I do is add a uvUnwrap modifier after I uv map it.

That brings up an editor window that you can move the verts around on the tex. I resize it as large as possible, take a screenshot, paste it into photoshop and I've got all the polys laid out to paint on.
There are other ways to do this but it works for me, and is easy.

You can always use that unwrap editor to adjust your polys into correct position too.

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You have alot of wasted space on the tex though. All those polys should be close to each other, no need for those huge gaps, lots of wasted pixels.

Also, watch those dark lines right on the corners of the boards, that makes them look like the tex is misaligned.

Nevinvex

Well I'm trying to get back into 3dsmax as I haven't played with it in alot of time. I don't know why that edge is missing. How did you unwrap it? You should UV one face, make it planar, then the inner 4 polygons individually. You should get that edge you're missing and then just mirror the rest of the cube's sides to the one you uv'd

Talbot

Wow I kinda of an idiot right now... haha.

Baddcog: Actually that is exactly what I do my problem what that I was only editing the faces... but when you pointed out the verts... I did like a double take. Thank you so much for pointing that out.

But if any of you know how to export a little bit more detailed uv template please feel free to let me know.

Talbot

Nevinvex: I didn't really do anything but Edit UVW Unwrap > Tools > Normal Mapping > (Then I bumped up a number to like 80... I don't know what the number label was because for some reason I can't get back to that screen... haha )

Maybe you could give a detailed, step by step instruction of how I should do it starting with opening the UVW Unwrap modifier.

Talbot

OH I forgot to finish the steps... after that I moved the faces around so that it looked like this:

Then just went to tools and did "Render UVW Template..."

Nevinvex

I'm sorry but I can't. Don't have 3dsmax here and I'm gona get a new laptop next month on which I'll install it and start working in it. Aaah, I can't wait.

Talbot

Ok so this is the second time that I'm an idiot... I just actually looked (imagine that) at the screen shot I just posted. And I released that that was the only one that didn't include the outside piece... because I never put one there. I had it set up like this:



So now I'm going to move that face that I was missing into the blue box and hopefully it will render.

Talbot

Ok it worked... Thank you Nevinvex! Sometimes that happens... it takes me explaining it to someone for me to find out the problem.

Thanks again

Nevinvex

Here is how I would do it. Select all the polygons of your object except those that are not perpendicular to each side of the cube. Apply UVW Map on it and select "Box". Then apply UVW Unwrap. Weld things that match so you have only one version of everything. Select all you have in the UVW editor, move it outside the black box and click on it on the object stack to collapse everything to it. Then select all your object's polygons and do UVW Unwrap. Select everything in the black box (these are the non-perpendicular to the cube's faces polygons). and use "flatten mapping". Then weld them in such way that there's only 4, but be carefull how you do it they must correspond to eachother when looking at all the cube's faces. Tada. Move and resize everything as you want, but make sure everything is inside the black box.

Btw, this method might be a bit weird, but meh, I said I didnt touch 3dsmax for awhile