Whats the most efficient way to texture this? Noob question

longhornfan25

This my first thing i've made in 3ds, so what would be the most efficient way to texture this. i tried to do the unwrap uvw > to flatten mapping but then i get ALOT of shapes,and i would thank there a easy way to do this.

any type of info will help me greatly


Please and Thanks haha :poly136:



link to my (test portfolio) its the UT tower

http://innisproductions.weebly.com/gallery.html

Baddcog

You should post pics directly here but...

Lot's of ways to map. I personally like to break things down into manageable little chunks.

At the bottom of your tower you have a cylinder on each side (clocks?). detach those from the mesh and apply a cylindrical map. Then apply UvUnwrap, move the uv's off to the side... do that for each piece that has a simple shape. You can even clone that 4 times, adjust the uv on each piece so none will overlap. Then move them into place, attach them all and do another uvunwrap and position all 4 uv segments together.

I do it as I go most of the time then later just have to do some scaling/moving adjustments to get them all on one map together,

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Super ninja'ed me.

I'll just add, overlapping uv's is great, but you also have to be careful. Gonna bake AO or normals? Don't overlap.
Or do what he said, make one side, bake, then clone 3 times ...

longhornfan25

thank yall so much for your response!

Are you saying to do this after i've flatten out the map? Also is there a limit too how many i can overlay or should i just do 2 to 4 like you said?


ha sorry i didnt know how to do that (post the pictures)

Baddcog

to post pics either get an account with drop box, or photobucket. then post the link here and pic will show, or attach an image to your post (might need more posts first)

I've just become really used to trying to save as much time as possible. unwrapping isn't fast or fun really.

Say top of the building, you have 16 columns. Do you want to unwrap 16 times? 'ell no!
So delete all of them but one. uv map it (cylindrical, or box...you have to develop preference). Then clone it once, apply a uvunwrap (this doesn't map, just opens the uv texture sheet to manipulate), move all polys to side), clone...

This clone will still have the uvunwrap so open it again, move all polys to side (but not where first were), clone, adjust, clone adjust...
Attach all clones together, readjust uv's..

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basically I'm just saying use a mapping technique that works best on small pieces.
(the clocks are cylinders, so applying a cylinder map on one of them is the quickest way to flatten it. Then using uvUnwrap modifier to adjust the uvs (because the round part on top, and the outside ring will be on top of each other).

The use a basic technique on the pillar (cylinder mapping would also be an easy way to do it), adjust a bit. Then clone and just do a minor adjust on each one so they don't overlap.

then attach all pieces. and adjust with UVUnwrap again to make sure no pieces overlap.

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it's just easier than trying to unwrap (flatten) and entire building all at once.

Baddcog

double post just to seperate info:

overlapping:

You can overlap as much as you want. Like all 16 pillars can be in one spot on the texture. IF you are only doing a diffuse/specular texture.

However, if you want to bake AO (shadow map) nothing can overlap for the bake, or it'll come out pure black (not white with grey shadows).
Same with Normal maps (bumps), they have to have unique uv space to bake right.

So you could layout the 4 pillars on one side next to each other, bake AO and or normal maps. Then clone the other 3 sides (and they will overlay the first side, but are already baked so no problems).

You could also just bake it with only one pillar, but the shadows wouldn't look very good (as those 4 pillars should cast shadows on each other)

longhornfan25

thank you, but how do you clone?

this is were im at right now.

do i just go through each one and over lap them?
(btw this is for only the main building not clocktower)

GoSsS

The easiest and fastest way to do this is to unwrap an element which is duplicated (like the columns, this part with a cylinder etc) and when it's unwraped, you duplicate this element (like that you'll automaticaly have your UVs overlaped).

For the main building, you can unwrap one side (with a planar mapping + a relax). When it's done you just have to duplicate it 3 time and here you go
Maybe you can even put an edge righ in the middle of the side to symetrize (you'll have more space on your UV map



Have fun !

longhornfan25

GoSsS thank you for your response, but how do i duplicate it?

...duplicate it when i'm in uwv unwrap mode?


again thanks to everyone helping me!

longhornfan25

THANKS! haha