New to max - learning to uv unwrap?

n88tr

So I decided to install Max 2011, I got via a gift from a friend. . I chose to do this because I found that there is a greater abundance of tutorials for texturing for Max then Maya. And also because I think the modeling community overall on the internet favors Max and I find it difficult to get a lot of Maya help so I'm transitioning. Please don't flame me about this, this is just the opening statement for clarity of why if you were wondering why I'm moving to Max temporarily.

Anyways I just want to know that I'm on the right track for this uv unwrap stuff. I was looking that this tutorial and a few others on YouTube but I don't know if I can follow Max 6-9 version tuts if I'm using 2011? I was hoping to find an exact tut for 2011 on un wrapping. This is either impossible or I just suck at searching at this moment.

http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-unwrap-uvs-for-organic-modeling-3ds-max-8-196433/

My question is where does a fellow find a SIMPLE tutorial for this. I don't need to know how to un wrap a head or something complex. I'm looking for the basics of basic like say a 6-sided box. Dead simple. Those things seem to hard to find. Could I get some help here?

Anyways I'll keep looking at stuff but it all seems to be more complicated then what I need. I just model guns at the moment and want to get a few textured. I know I need to start out simple and lower poly and I'm making a few low-poly guns in Max so I have stuff to unwrap once I get more comfortable with simpler stuff like boxes and environ props, yes?

Thanks PC.

PS, I was also seriously considering getting a DVD tut for working in Max. I had similar training in college for Maya and I figured I could follow the same path. What do you think of this?

http://eat3d.com/3dsmax101

Mark Dygert

I think the help file and tutorials included in 3dsmax are going to be a great resource and probably the first place you'll want to look/search.

Main menu > Help > Tutorials > Search for Unwrap and check out "using unwrap UVW". Its full of useful info and a helpful walk through.

F1 brings up the help doc. Not the same as the tutorials but it explains a lot also.

Next up if you look up Gmax (an old free version of 3dsmax that's still floating around out there) they had some really good beginer tutorials that covered the basics really well too. There have been some enhancements but mostly to the higher functions, the basic stuff is still the same and you could easily do those tutorials in max2011.

I haven't checked out the 3dsmax101 from eat3D but work bought a few of their other DVD's and they where great, so I expect this would be good also.

Piflik

For a simple Box I think the Max Help File on the Unwrap Modifier would suffice...understand the functions and you can unwrap simple objects easily...this tutorial taught me the basics of unwrapping (although I still hate it )...AFAIK the Unwrapping process hasn't changed too much since Max6...Max8 added Pelt Mappin (methinks) and 2010 added Spline Mapping...so tutorials for older versions of Max are still usable...Pelt and Spline Mapping are useful, but not necessary for unwrapping...

renderhjs

@n88tr:
Do you have some modeling experience or a 3d model that you created before? Maybe we can go through with a model from you, step by step. That should be better as a abstract tutorial.
I could certainly now start talking about techniques, scripts, plugins and good approaches but it is useless if you don't get the right start.

n88tr

I'll try to follow the tutorial Piflik gave me. If it's too hard I'd love to get a step-by-step with a less complicated object than a teapot or organic head model. I don't get why every tut is of a complex model though, that makes no sense to me.

Farfarer

A friend of mine did a decent one for Max a while ago.

It's for an older version but all of the tools should still be there.

Mark Dygert

Typically they're simple operations on complex models so they can teach you several things you can't teach on a box.
Simple objects are already unwrapped so its kind of pointless to show you how to uwrap them. For example the unwrap for a box is the same as applying UnwrapUVW and clicking the box button. Planes are pre-unwrapped Planar, spheres spherical and so on.

Try this on for size.
Create a box.


1) Apply the Unwrap UVW modifier.
2) Click Edit to bring up the UV editor window.
3) Under Selection Modes at the bottom, select face mode.
4) Go Mapping > Flatten Mapping and click ok.


Flatten Map Results:


Now play around with the different options.
Back in the command panel, click Planar, click align to view then rotate the gizmo in the viewport and see what it does in the editor window.


Click Fit and see what it does, click reset, Click align XYZ go crazy!

cholden

These day, I"m mostly simplified my process to: Unwrap UVW, Flatten Mapping, then a combo of stitching and relaxing before assembling all the pieces into the box. The process is a bit different from one asset to the next, but I like it because I automatically keep an even pixel ratio as long as I don't scale any UVs wildly.

On some large tiling structures, I'll UVW Mapping a box with a predetermined pixel depth dictating the length, width and height. Stitch to remove any seams if necessary.


Be sure to Reset XForms before UVing as adjustments in scale can effect the results of mapping and relaxing.

I also suggest you download renderhjs' TexTools. Love it's linear button.

I don't care for it's results, but Pack UVs is handy for quick organization and rapid prototyping.