Seamless texture mapping Tutorial

[HapZungLam]

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig04.jpgfig04

I hided the other parts. Lets just focus on the torso. Select them, and apply a cylindrical projection.

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig05.jpgfig05

Since XSI (most of the 3D package) will cut from the front of your object. We better either rotate the projection, or like what i did is just select the left part of the polys and move them to the right.

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig06.jpgfig06

Select your head UVs, and do the same thing: apply cylindrical projection, move the left portion to the right(or maybe you don't need to). To get something like fig6.

As you notice that i selected the boundary points. Yeh, Iam about to stich them together.

People may ask, why do you peal them apart at the beginning and why do you stich them back. well, at the beginning if you select the whole object and do projection. You'll get a strange result. So it is better to project them parts by parts, then stich them back together.

[HapZungLam]

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig07.jpgfig07

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig08.jpgfig08

There, stiched. The way i stich is trying to keep the torso UV, not to distort them. I found that it is easier for me to smooth out the rest of the neck under the head which i will do next.

Fig8 shown the result after it. I won't touch too much of the rest of the upper part of the head unless they are stretching badly.

Next after you stich them together, is time to take them apart again. Select the head section and move them away from the body. The reason is that i always want the head texture tobe more high res than the torso. To get more detail on it, you have to make the UV larger.

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig09.jpgfig09

I selected the right arm (or left, they are done in the same way) do the same thing of applying cylindrical projection. The important of this part is that you want your shoulder able to fit inside the whole where your torso UV has left off.

Lets go ahead and select the shoulder polys, and move them away from your arm section.

[HapZungLam]

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig10.jpgfig10

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig11.jpgfig11

Have your shoulder selected, apply a plainner projection of YZ(which is the side view of the UV) So that you can easily fit inside of the whole(fig11).

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig12.jpgfig12

After you make sure the shoulder is 100% fit inside the whole, now you take those polygons out and put it on top of the arm portion(Important, you take the polygons out. Don't distort the structure of the whole chunk)

[HapZungLam]

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig13.jpgfig13

Focus on the bottom of the shoulder portion, i'll split the center of the points where they should be under then arm(shouder) in your mesh.

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig14.jpgfig14

The purpose of splitting the edge is for you to be able to fit the both ends of your arms.(i hope you guys will understand with the figures)

And next of cuz, you want to stich them with the arm portion. so you'll get the whole chunk of arm and shoulder.

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig15.jpgfig15

The left of fig15 is what you are looking for. And the right part of fig15 is to show that it is able to fit inside the hole of torso (don't put them in, i was just showing!!!!!!!)

[HapZungLam]

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig16.jpgfig16

So now, i guess you all will have something like this. Notice that i scaled up the head uvs, and rotated the arm so that they'll fit a rectangular texture properly.

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig17.jpgfig17

In your texture editor (XSI) You may go to Edit->stamp UV and save the file as a targa file (so that it will contain an alpha as well)

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig18.jpgfig18

The following is only apply if you use XSI:

In photoshop,(well, this is a very messy fig18) you open your original texture (or a template for the texture). Also open the stamp uv tga file that you've just saved.

Copy the stamp UV tga file to your original texture was another layer, along with the alpha channel to the original texture's alpha channel.

Select your original texture file. It should now have 2 layers of texture: 1 is your templete, another is from your stamp UV file. In your alpha should have the alpha from the stamp UV file.

Select your stamp UV layer, go to layer tab, control left click on the alpha channel, hit delete. Now, your stamp UV layer, should only left with the UV coordinate. Now, you can delete your alpha channel.

If you are not using XSI. I guess all of you will have your own way to copy your UV to the texture. Either doing screen capture or they have their own exporter.

Alright lets move on while you have 1 layer of your base texture template, and another layer of your UV is set.

[HapZungLam]

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig19.jpgfig19

Now what we have to do is to copy the bottom bleeded texture of the head to the other side of the neck. So whenever you create you texture, you must paint alittle extra room for you to merge.

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig20.jpgfig20

Copy both your texture layer and the uv layer. So you have 2 texture layers and 2 uv layers.

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig21.jpgfig21

Drag an rectangle (or just marque a section) that you are going to merge. Go Invert selection. Select the 2 copy layers (UV copier layer and texture copied layer) and hit delete.

[HapZungLam]

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig22.jpgfig22

Join the 2 copied layers.

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig23.jpgfig23

You translate and transform both layers. Move and fit to the top of the neck. Because you have your UV with you, so match it. That's the way you won't get seams.

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig24.jpgfig24

I added the letters for the shoulder. Basically you are going to do the same thing. You copy the originally texture (in this case, will be my letters) and the UV. Delete the useless potion. Move them together to the otherside.

[HapZungLam]

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig25.jpgfig25

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig26.jpgfig26

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig27.jpgfig27

Now you see my final result isn't perfect. It is because I got offsetted when i scale the arm UV and rotating it. Also, the bottom of the shoulder is very hard to get it seamless. But it will be just a little part people won't able to spot it.

Alright, that's about it, i hope you guys enjoy. And i am open tobe attacked.:applause:

[HapZungLam]

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig28.jpgfig28

There you see the problem.

[leigh]

Hey there, HapZungLam, thanks a lot for going to all this effort :thumbsup:

Just one thing: I am not entirely sure that I understand every step of your process :surprised
Perhaps a little more information in each step as to why you are doing what you are would be more help? Towards the end it becomes a little bit confusing for me (although I am kinda tired, and that might be why I am having trouble understanding it all :blush:...

[Robato]

I completely agree with Leigh. You had me all the way until you get to the shoulder.

I completely understand the head and neck seamless part. Great tutorial as you have given me ideas already.

I feel that my texturing....especially UV mapping is my weakest point and I really appreciate people like you taking the time to explain how you go about doing things.

Cheers!!! :beer:

[HapZungLam]

Haha, finally have some reply. I am expecting people don't understand.

Is the shoulder part the most confusing?

If you understand the neck part, shoulder part is the same idea.

The logic of it (it can even apply to your arm, leg cylindracle seam) is that you have to make sure in your UV, both boundarys are haveing the same ratio between each point.

When you paint your textures, you have to paint more, extra, lead to the other side of it.

eg, the neck, I don't stop painting the texture right after the UV is ended, I have to asume that the UV is in one piece that i have to paint also the rest beyond the neck. Therefore lateron i can cut it, and match it to the other side of my UV.

Same idea as the shoulder. The shoulder UV is being taken away from the torso UV, So that left with a hole.

In photoshop, You have to asume the UV is still there inside the hole, you have to paint your shoulder in those holes. After you finish, copy it and paste it to where your shoulder UVs are.

The reason of make a dupe of your UV layer in photoshop is for you to mech the other side of it.

The reason of delet the "un marque" texture rather than just marque and copy. If you notice when you do paste in photoshop, it will offset a little (well, sometimes it doesn't).

I hope it helps (or it makes more confusion?)

[HapZungLam]

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig29.jpgfig29

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig30.jpgfig30

http://hapzunglam.50megs.com/uvtutorial/Fig31.jpgfig31

I just did a simple twisted mesh with the same idea that i match the left boundary to the right boundary. Hope you get the idea.

[Levitateme]

hi hap, i like your idea im going to read a few parts again to understand more.

i have a few questions.

1. when you copied the text taht says uv tutorial from the shoulder, and pasted it again, is that a trial and error sort of thing? did you just paste a second time and it just magically worked? thats why i have to read this again.

2. what do you do when you have to match say....the uvs that are some weird shape to some uvs taht are of a differnt shape? does that make sense? like matching uvs that have a circular arc on the edge, to a very flat uv edge. i hope that makes sense. what would you do then?

i have asked quite a few pros at this, and they all say its just a ton of work . i have never found anyone who said "oh its easy just do ...." but your the only person i have seen write a tutorial on it. so ill read again, i was just skimming at first. but ill read , and if i have moer questions ill ask i fyou dont mind

Ciao

[Levitateme]

ok hap, your method makes perfect sense. you just copying your textur, uv layer. then adjust ontop of your uvs that need to have a seam fixed. i think this method would work a majority of the time. but i can't see it working on like some uvs with a round edge, to uvs with a flat edge. can you tell me how you would go about doign that? i like your tutorial alot, cause it has agreat method i have never seen. just curious on how you would do that circular to flat edge... thats all

:) thanks again.

[HapZungLam]

Originally posted by Levitateme

1. when you copied the text taht says uv tutorial from the shoulder, and pasted it again, is that a trial and error sort of thing? did you just paste a second time and it just magically worked? thats why i have to read this again.

Those words from the shoulder ain't error sort of thing. I am just lazy to paint the texture. I thought it will make it easier to understand (well now it endup not i can see:thumbsdow)

Originally posted by Levitateme
2. what do you do when you have to match say....the uvs that are some weird shape to some uvs taht are of a differnt shape? does that make sense? like matching uvs that have a circular arc on the edge, to a very flat uv edge. i hope that makes sense. what would you do then?

Do you have an example of what kind of object that'll let you brick the UV into 2 parts that has a round edge and a flat edge? I kept thinking and can't picture it.

[Levitateme]

ok i have a exp fo ryou now. no texture just the uvs.

http://home.bresnan.net/~planetofsound/WebHelp/uvquestion.gif

[EricChadwick]

Picture is not showing up, just a red X.

[Levitateme]

thanks posm.

[HapZungLam]

and would you plz show me the 3D object as well?

[Levitateme]

hap it was just 2 planar shapes, i just smoothed the other.

[yinako]

sorry i didn't read all msg, too long.

When ppl ask how to do UVs like a god I have 2 words for them:

* Automatic UV(maya..also i believe in XSI)
* deep UV

The rest is stitch and sew...

This is the longest and tideous process , could sometimes take me 2 times the effort than my modeling. but gets 99% seemless,streach free, accurate UVs. If you want to be a UV slave use this method.:rolleyes:

[Levitateme]

yinako, you seriously use automatic mapping inmaya? i have a technique that gets rid of all my seams , but it only works in maya. and i can do it in about 5 minutes. it is flawless, but i was looking for a way to do it in just photoshop. i guess there isnt one way that will solve all.

[HapZungLam]

Levitateme :

so you mean that they are 2 objects?

if they are 2 objects, there has no way to match the UV with my method.

what i will do to match it is to stretch both obects's UV abit to get an average. hummm....

does Photoshop has a tool that can change round image into square imges? i think not.

But i just thought about this(don't know if it will work or not.

1. make the texture for the round shape. Dupe it. scale the boundary which you want tobe flatten. Scale in x with the value of 0 (so that you get the flat boundary) Render it, then in photoshop paste the image, and start from there to create the texture for your rectangle object.

[Levitateme]

thanks hap, i was thinking the same thing. well i have a technique i use in maya to get rid of my seams. im jsut going to stick with that becuase its fast. thanks for your help:)

[yinako]

Originally posted by Levitateme
yinako, you seriously use automatic mapping inmaya? i have a technique that gets rid of all my seams , but it only works in maya. and i can do it in about 5 minutes. it is flawless, but i was looking for a way to do it in just photoshop. i guess there isnt one way that will solve all.

maybe you can give me some tips on how you do it.
Like I said I use Automatic/deep UV as a last options for me its does the job but takes the most time.

what do you mean do it in Photoshop? mapping uvs?

[Levitateme]

Yinako, its very very easy.

go to texturing, use the clone tool with a nice fall off. clone target right near the border. then start painting directly next to were you put your clone source. then start painting. i only messed around with it a little. my friend who is a genius showed me that. but it only works in maya that i know of.

[HapZungLam]

so you mean, there has a clone tool on maya that you can paint on your 3D object? wooow, that's kinda need. It can save me hell alot of time.

[Levitateme]

yah there is texture tools in maya. they paint in projection mode. but i only really use them to fix seams.

[Barbas]

Is there a way to do this in Deep paint or deep uv?

[Levitateme]

deep paint of course. it has A projection mode. but in maya it always just paints in that mode so you never have to worry about seams at all. i dont use deep paint 3d anymore/never again. i got all kinda of weird problems with it when exporting back into deep paint from adobe. especially when using deeps projection mode. i dont use deep uv becasue i prefer unwrapping my uvs in maya. that i sjust because i know what im doing. i dont like automatic stuff. i like having control.

[Barbas]

Well that is quite obvious in your great uv layout tutorial :beer:

[Levitateme]

did that help barbas? i mean if you have maya, you really dont need anything else. just photoshop.

[yinako]

Originally posted by Levitateme
Yinako, its very very easy.

go to texturing, use the clone tool with a nice fall off. clone target right near the border. then start painting directly next to were you put your clone source. then start painting. i only messed around with it a little. my friend who is a genius showed me that. but it only works in maya that i know of.

I actually I was asking about UV mapping...in Maya.
On a side note, if you are talking about cloning seams, I can't really use it for texture res higher than 2K, or 4K which I perfer. 3d paint is extremelly slow in Maya, I have about 1G ram, not much but still even on 512 textures 3d paint does not offer realtime performance, hence I don't use it.

[Levitateme]

i know what you mean, in maya ist very slow. and images the size your talking about taht would be to much work. but still its very fast.

[hugodog]

hi Hap,

Can you fix the link to all the pictures in the tutorials?

And thanks a lot for the tut. Appreciate it.

Regards,
Hugo

[HapZungLam]

It should be fixed. Notice me if anything is missing.

[EricChadwick]

Forgive me if this is an obvious question, but why not just use 3D paint? Seems like an awful lot of effort to go through to fix seams, when projection paint is widely available.

If you;re budget-strapped, here's a free projection painter (non-commercial use), and it seems inexpensive for commercial use...
http://www.terabit.nildram.co.uk/tattoo/

I haven't played with this program, but I have used Body Paint and Deep Paint 3D.

[HapZungLam]

good question. I'll use it for sure if i have the program and if i know how to use it. :p

[yinako]

Originally posted by EricChadwick

If you;re budget-strapped, here's a free projection painter (non-commercial use), and it seems inexpensive for commercial use...


just wondering if this program supports textures around 2k, and at realtime?! I have yet to find a program that lets me paint in 3D at realtime at 2k at least.

[EricChadwick]

I kind of doubt Tattoo will do this properly. Sounds like it sticks all textures into video memory, and very few cards can handle a 2048x2048 (is this 2K? I'm a bit rusty on film terms).

Amazon 3D sounds like it might be the ticket... if you're on Unix, and you have some money.
http://www.ifx.com/amazon/#3d

[Creamdog]

Cool stuff! Thanks for this helpfull tutorial. I am not that experienced in texturing, so this was a little push in the right way. That Tattoo, I will also check out!!! Thanks Hapzunglam for your time.

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