Unwrap with multiple objects

[Dave Black]

Interesting dilema.

Well, you could just map each part as seperate objects, lay them out in UVW unwrap with a good bit of distance between them, and then texport each part. Take all the texport renders, and combine them in photoshop. Paint you maps, and then just use that map as the map for everything.

I would wager to say, that most people are allowed multiple maps for the wheels, spoilers, etc, though...

Interesting problem, but I don't think that particular issue has a resolution yet...

Think hard, and try to work around it...

That's all I can say...

Good luck!

:thumbsup:

[ian_foster]

Hehe, I'm in similar position here.
However, I have the luxury of it being multiple entities in one "mesh".


So far, I've found the only way to do it is to assign different material channels to the various sections and uv map each part seperatly.

I've only been able to do the next bit successfully by collapsing the mesh at this point (?)
Add an unwrap uvw modifier and go to work on organsing the bits on the background. Then take a texport of the mesh and do all the requirerd painting, then it should go back all nice and swish.

[Marcel]

I don't know if this helps, but you can drag your UVW coordinates outside the workspace of your Unwrap modifier. That way it is easier to attach objects which already have UVWs applied. Workflow goes like this:

- Give object mapping.
- Apply unwrap
- position UVWs outside working area (for example to the left)
- collapse
- attach to other object (with mapping already applied)
- scale and move UVW to where you want them.
- Collapse and detach if needed

The other way you suggest, chopping it up and using a planar map is maybe more useful in this case. Collapse object to editable meshes and animate them in the position you need at frame 100. Apply unwrap and go back to frame 0.
I think it will be easier that way when you need to change objects afterwards. You can acquire mapping coordinates, or use a rectangle as boundry for your planar map.

Good luck!

[ian_foster]

There's always chiliskinner if the model is low poly-ish.

I few hundred polys works pretty well in it, but once you get in to the thousands, you're better off doing it by hand, I find.


I've just finished uv editing a 11,000+ poly stormtrooper helmet. What a nightmare.

[Bilbana]

Thanks guys for your input but yesterday just after I posted I tried the plugin from footools called unwrap mesh.
With this plugin you can map the model just as usual but instead of going in to the unwrap to organize them you can automaticly "unwrap" the mesh in the viewport.

Using the standard max tools you can then manipulate the "unwrap mesh" (or rather the uv's for the target object)

The best thing about it is that you can do this on as many objects as you like as seperate "unwrap meshes". Since you are in the standard viewport I guess you could render them or take a screenshot or whatever to "texport" them.

3DZealot: Well if you are using multiple maps you would lose a lot of texture space due to not using the maps efficently which is impossible with too many maps.

ian_foster: Thanks for the reply. We have to be able to use different attributes to each model for instance, max suspesion-min suspension as well as animating stuff and so forth so using elements will not due.

Marcel: As I said I can't really attach the objects to each others since object specific information would be lost in the process.

ian_foster: I've tried it a bit but since it seemed a bit to low poly specific (our cars weight in at about 11000 poly drawed at the same time) as well as to much work for the result.

eliseu gouveia:hehe I like the concept but it just don't seem that precise, very inovative though.

[Bilbana]

ok I just found out that in practice, the method I explained sucks. Anyone know any way to get the unwrap modifier to display multiple objects?

or else I will forever hate unwrap!

[Marcel]

Lol, and it took you only 2,5 moths to figure that out? :p

You could use a spline rectangle as bounding box for your UVW mapping, and lay out the objects by hand (you are kinda mimicking the UVW unwrap modifier by hand), and render a template from the viewport.

Step by step:

- use my unwrap method from my previous post to unwrap all the objects by hand but assign the UVWs like this:
- arrange the different objects how you want their UVW's to be layed out
- draw a rectangle neatly around those objects
- apply UVW planar map over the rectangle and the objects (UVW map should be the size and at the position of the rectangle)
- remove UVW map from the rectangle and make it renderable
- assign wireframe material to objects (or a copy of the objects fi you don't want to mess up their materials)
- render viewport for texture template.

It is a very akward way to do it, but this way you can edit the UVWs of the different objects without having them to be a single object. You cannot edit them without reselecting, but at least you can see where they are in your UVW space.

Good luck!

[Bilbana]

hehe 2,5 months yes since I just recently tried it (our workpipeline is a bit depending on certain people deciding what to texture the objects with, licensing crap etc..) had to do other stuff until just recently.

Anyway this is how I'm thinking on doing it, will try it today.

1. Unwrap all the objects seperatly and moving them to specified places in uvw space (thinking of making a template map that specifies where to put what so they don't intersect)

2. Make a clone of all the objects and attaching all the cloned objects to each other

3. Unwrapping the clone

4. Texport the unwrap

5. Using the texported map as a background in unwrap and laying the seperate objects out like I did with the clone

Hope this makes sense, as I said I will try it out today wish me luck I hope this doesn't suck.

Btw the reason I'm not using your method marcel is because there is no fast and easy way to mirror stuff etc and the amount of objects I'm using makes this a very awkward way to work, but thanks alot anyway.

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