Max 8 - UV planar mapping problem
polycounter lvl 18
Mentioned this in Vassago's post, but I don't want to take over his thread with my problems. Anyway, I decided to take some screengrabs of the UV unwrapping problem I'm having in max. When I planar map something it automatically gets stretched out to meet the sides of the UV editing square:
It doesn't maintain its shape within the square. Now I can uncheck "Normalize Map" and I get the right shape that I planar mapped but its HUGE!!!!
I can zoom out and scale it down, but I shouldn't have to. Is there a way to get the correct shape to automatically be scaled down and stay inside the UV editor square without being distorted? Maybe there's a option somewhere I need to check or uncheck?
It works perfectly fine in Max 7. If there's no fix for this I might have to figure out how to script it to autmatically scale down and fit in the square... I don't know. Anybody else having this problem and know how to fix it?
It doesn't maintain its shape within the square. Now I can uncheck "Normalize Map" and I get the right shape that I planar mapped but its HUGE!!!!
I can zoom out and scale it down, but I shouldn't have to. Is there a way to get the correct shape to automatically be scaled down and stay inside the UV editor square without being distorted? Maybe there's a option somewhere I need to check or uncheck?
It works perfectly fine in Max 7. If there's no fix for this I might have to figure out how to script it to autmatically scale down and fit in the square... I don't know. Anybody else having this problem and know how to fix it?
Replies
Is this "best align" akin to the "fit" command in previous versions of max? If so, there's youre problem. It "fits" UV into the map space, regardless of the aspect ratio. There should perhaps be a "fit, but maintain aspect" button.
I used to use an orbiting persp view, align to view, and "center" then "fit". I'd resolve any aspect distortion in the UV editor window. No biggie.
The circled numbers are the order I press the buttons. And it does look as if "best align" does auto-fit to the selected polys, but that shouldn't happen (should it?). I could understand it of I pressed "fit" afterwards, but I don't.
If I use "align to view" then that's extra work of setting up the correct view in my viewport... and I'm lazy and don't want extra steps. It would make sense if there was a "fit but maintain aspect" button, but I can't find it... I'll have to dig around some more.
So my only work around now is to either have "normalize map" unchecked and zoom out and scale down every time I planar map or instead use the "pack UVs" tool. These are extra steps I never had to take before. I love the new peltmapping and having a relax tool that actually works... but I want my planar mapping to work like in max7
mop, also you can do this,
1 planar map the whole mesh so it is in one big chunk
2 press the [pelt] button, then press [point to point seams]
3. then select all the edges where you want seams, (this is much easier than just selecting edges because you can (for example) click a vert at the wrist, then click a vert on the ankle, and it will make a seam following all way up the arm and down the body, and to the ankle instantly,
when using this make sure you get the selection you want, because it followes the shortest route between the 2 clicks, if it goes the wrong way, undoo and just try and go a shorter distance,
you can also arc rotate mid selection without losing your starting point
4.after you have seams all over for your whole model,
press the [edit pelt map] button (don't have max 8 here at the momment so the name may be a bit diffrent) and inside its pop up press the [simulate pulling] (again actual name may varry, its the bottom right most button)
this will usualy take one chunk of your model , and stretch it out, but more importantly at the same time, it takes and breaks all the other chunks apart at the seams you created
5. pop open the relax dialog, and relax, sometimes difrent chunks will relax better with difrent settings, do donn't be afraid to play around with them
6. comence with the merry making
this may seem like a lot of steps, but its really fast, the point to point seams is a lifesaver
I guess you need to do the Pelt bit to split along the point-to-point seams, though...
Try running this script which will square the map gizmo. Just drag it onto the tool bar or create a macro out of it and run it before you leave planar mode.
tm = $.modifiers[#unwrap_uvw].unwrap5.getGizmoTM ()
vX = tm[1]
vY = tm[2]
xLength = Length vX
yLength = Length vY
len = xLength
if (yLength>xLength) then len = yLength
vX = Normalize vX
vY = Normalize vY
vX = vX * len
vY = vY * len
tm[1] = vX
tm[2] = vY
$.modifiers[#unwrap_uvw].unwrap5.setGizmoTM tm
QE is aware of the problem, sorry for the hassle.
PeterW
Thanks for the script Peter, this is will definitely save some time. Hopefully this addition will make it into the .1 release when it comes out.
I have to select the faces i want, run that max script then hit planar mapping, pray to to the gods its on the right align because if its not i then have to select the right one go back out of planar map run the max script and re do the planar map....its insane considering i use to be able to select polies willy nilly and planar map them just by hitting enter....i tried this pelt mapping method and not only is it a pain to select all the seems it doesnt seem to map things properly...maybe i just need more time but i get the feeling the tool has been changed to work with organics and as a result simple meshes are now a pain to unwrap.