Uv help on model Share any tips and tricks?
polycounter lvl 10
Hey guys been suggested by a person to come to Polycount for some advice on how to UV. I've tried several methods on how to uv this character without making the seams too visible. I've tried to paint them manually in 3D coat, mudbox, zbrush with projection tool I've also used body paint 3D. Haven't tried Mari may consider it. But anyway none of those will help with the UV's. Do you guys know any techniques or any smart ways of laying out the UV's or any examples? I've tried multiple options. And I've cutted up the Uv's in many different ways but this is the minimalist I can make it ; Here's a couple of snap shots. And yes its a different model on one of the UV's but the concept still stays the same It shouldn't matter too much.
And what I wish to achieve is a grid perfectly on the model with 0 distortion so they are evenly spaced. Kinda like a wire-frame that's what it needs to look like. I cant use my current wire-frame and bake it because there's too many edges It will look messy and over cluttered. Any advice will be deeply appreciated thank you for taking your time on reading this.
Female
Female back:
Male:
male alternate UVs:
UV_Snapshot_of_Male:
And what I wish to achieve is a grid perfectly on the model with 0 distortion so they are evenly spaced. Kinda like a wire-frame that's what it needs to look like. I cant use my current wire-frame and bake it because there's too many edges It will look messy and over cluttered. Any advice will be deeply appreciated thank you for taking your time on reading this.
Female
Female back:
Male:
male alternate UVs:
UV_Snapshot_of_Male:
Replies
Also post your uv layout as well.
It is highly unlikely you will get zero distortion. You have to be creative in where to hide seams and be smart on how you texture. You can hide some via actual seams in clothing, cover with some type of geometry like a back pack etc.
Your uv layout needs work. Use as much uv space as possible. Pack in the uvs and utilize space. Most often the head has its own uv set and then the body a second.
The female's uvs are bad. Overlapping, needs to be unfolded, inconsistent.
Here is a fair example from Andor Kollar's Portfolio HERE
Firstly, if UV hulls are overlapping they will share the texture that is in that space. So if you have detail that is intended for her chest that will show on any other UV that is in that same space. The reason for separating the UV hulls, like the above example I provided shows, is to retain unique-ness and be able to texture each body part on its own with its own detail. What the blue shading indicates is if the UVs are flipped.
Secondly, what you are calling grid lines I suppose is the texture you are using to see how the distortion impacts the mesh visually. Regardless, you will not get the grid lines or checker board pattern to perfectly line up this is due to how something is UV unwrapped. That is totally fine. Seams are totally fine. The checker pattern not lining up at seams is totally fine. What matters is how you texture after the UV projection process.
To explain uv mapping, in a real world and in a gross way, think of it as "skinning." If you were to take the "skin" off of a human, how would that look laid out on the floor? Think of a bear rug. UVs take the form of the animal or human in its 3D sense and lays it in a 2D version. The seams are where the cut was on the "skin."
I hope that helps.
Again thank you so much for your response and your way of describing skinning I sincerely appreciate it because it is some darn good explanations for people who haven't UV'ed before. But I think I'm just terrible at explaining things hahaha