UV Mapping Vs Unwrapping? I dont get it...

Shuriken UK

This isn't meant to sound condescending or anything, its just the result of me getting my wires crossed somewhere LOL. Basically, I'm PRETTY confused. I've always learn't to make texture maps by simply using the "Unrwap UVW" modifier in Max, and that was the only process necessary, then I go and make the textures in Photoshop. However when I was reading a book about modelling for games in 3DS Max, they often ask you to use a combination of UV mapping AND UV unwrapping, without clearly explaining WHY.

Even for something as simple as a 6 faced cube, they took the trouble of using a "multi-subobject" material (a diff texture for each face), then using "UV mapping" to do "something else Im not clear about", then finally using "unwrap UVW". My main confusion was based on the fact that you can get EXACTLY the same result by simply unwrapping the cube, and you only need to use a single, standard material. This way you probably save around 10 minutes (because I work pretty slow... maybe too slow lol)

I've come across people using this method before in other tutorials, but I just cant work out why they dont do it the "quicker", more easy way. Its probably because I just dont understand the purpose of UV mapping, especially when used in conjunction with UV unwrapping. Aren't they basically just two modifiers that do practically the same thing, but in different ways? I'm lost...

I think its just a case of "beginners stupidity" HAHA, so thanks to anyone who can lift the curtain of confusion from my eyes!

gsokol

How old is this book and the tutorials you were watching?

If I'm not mistaken, that was how people unwrapped stuff in the past. Previously, there was no ability to select planar mapping, cylindrical mapping, etc...in the Unwrap UVS modifier, so that used to be the way to do it.

Eric Chadwick

In the past the Unwrap UVW modifier did not have Planar/Cylindrical/etc. methods. So you had to use the UVW Map modifier to do those. But now it's just faster to use Unwrap UVW.

However if you're using the modifier stack to create certain kinds of effects, it's useful to have UVW Map because it's less dependent on vertex order than Unwrap UVW. UVW Map also does a few more mapping types that Unwrap doesn't, like Face. But this is pretty rare for game use.

sprunghunt

For games you don't need it but you can animate a UV map modifier and do other things that aren't game related.

Noors

To me there are some situations where using theUVW Map modifier is more clever than the unwrap.

First, it's faster. You don't have to open the unwrap editor, select the faces, hit the correct buttons... For unfolding kinda primitives shape, it's efficient, in combination with the uvw xform, or atleast, it prepares further edit in the unwrap.

Then the UVW map modifier itself is the projection, so you can copy/paste the modifier on different objects and apply the same projection, edit the projection whenever you want... You can't copy paste the unwrap, except on a copy of the same object.

You can aquire the projection of another uvw mapped object.
Let's say i have a picture of a head on a plane.
On my head model, i apply a uvwmap modifier, aquire the uvmap of the plane, toggle the show end result, and now i have the head texture projected on my model.
I can move the poly points, the projection will stay correct.

So the unwrap kinda encapsulates the uvw map modifier, but to have a projection as a single modifier has some benefits.

Mark Dygert

I remember I had a ton of leaf planes that where covering a tree and I forgot to map each one.
UVW Map + Face did it in a few clicks where it would have taken hours to UVW Unwrap each.

Why UVW Unwrap doesn't have a face option I'm not sure...

Shuriken UK

Wow, reading all this just reminds me how much I've still got to learn in terms of texture mapping! I've never used UV mapping before so I guess its just a completely new concept for me. Its strange though, this book was written for Max 2011 users, and the very first project they walk you through is making a simple cardboard box, but they use a completely different mapping method to what I'm used to, and it almost felt a little counter intuitive, but its probably just my lack of experience.

I'll have to do some proper reading up on UV mapping, and find out all of its best applications (like when its best to use this, rather than unwrapping, and what the benifits of combining the two methods are) . Thanks for what you've all told me so far, I'll try and burn this stuff into my memory so I get a bit of a headstart haha.

BTW the book I'm reading is a PDF ebook as part of a DVD called "3DS Max Modelling for Games". Its pretty good, and even though it sometimes uses different techniques to what I'm used to, I know I'm learning new things, and it also it goes over a lot of the terminology and theory that applies to the subject.

Thanks!