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      INTRODUCTION TO UVW UNWRAP
          High-level Summary
          1. Preparation
          2. Unwrapping
          3. Clean-Up UVs
          4. Export UV Coordinates
          5. Paint Textures
          6. Create 3ds max Material

  3DS MAX UVW UNWRAPPING

SUMMARY:

The following is a tutorial on the entire process of preparing a character for texturing. While there are many ways to approach unwrapping, including pelt maps and other quick-and-dirty techniques, the Precision Unwrapping process described here maximizes the user's control over the final result.

This first page is a high level summary of the entire process. The following six pages explain the entire process step-by-step.

Please see links to the right to view other pages of this tutorial.

STAGE 1: PREPARATION
a) Start with an Editable Poly model (keep copies of your spline models!)

b) Checker Map: Create a checker material and apply to your model (can be a checkerletter map). Increase tiling (20x20 is often a good starting place).

c) Reference Mapping: Apply Unwrap UVW modifier. Hit [Open UV Editor] to view 2D UVW space. Hit Face Selection, go to Mapping/Flatten Mapping & hit [OK] for a quick, full unwrap. Select all UVs & scale down to a dot. Move out of the 0-to-1 square to fit into a white checker space for later reference.



STAGE 2: UNWRAPPING
a) Select map-able polygon area (for cylindrical, planar, or spherical map).

b) Apply UVW map and use the 5 steps:

  1. Activate the Gizmo sub-object level, to see the yellow and green lines.
  2. Make regular (hit spherical & planar). Choose final mapping type.
  3. Fix orientation (alignment + hand-rotation. Check all views)
  4. Check pupik & green line directions to place seams where you want.
  5. Scale (cylindrical maps are scaled to fix checker pattern stretching).

c) Apply Unwrap UVW, hit [Open UV Editor], select UVs & move out of 0-to-1 square.

d) Convert to Editable Poly and choose another area to map (step [2]a).

Repeat until all parts are unwrapped. Confirm by applying Unwrap UVW with no particular area selected and check to be sure the entire Reference Map is gone!





STAGE 3: CLEAN UP
Apply Unwrap UVW at object level.
Hit [Open UV Editor] and put all elements in the 0-to-1 square with the following 4 critical considerations (ordered by importance):

a) Reduce Seams: Stitch together related parts like flesh on lower & upper arms. Different materials should NOT be stitched, like flesh to cloth.

b) Group by Color: Texture painting is easier if grouped by cloth, flesh, etc.

c) Prioritize: The most noticeable or detailed parts get more space. A face needs 1/5 the square, even though it is 1/20 the total surface area of a body. Feet bottoms can usually get less space, as they are less visible.

d) Optimize in the 0-to-1 square: Scale up parts & re-arrange for less wasted space. Mirrored parts can be stacked for less texturing work (symmetrical faces, right & left arms, etc). Leave at least 5 pixels gutter for normal mapping.



STAGE 4: EXPORT UVW COORDINATES
Apply UnwrapUVW, hit [Open UV Editor], and choose Tools/Render UVW Template. Set size (512x512, 1024x1024, or 2048x2048) and hit Render UVW Template. Save as a JPEG and open in Photoshop.



STAGE 5: PAINT IN PHOTOSHOP
Create a Photoshop file the same size as your UVW template.
Add at least four layers:

  • TOP LAYER: UVs: Copy and paste the UVW template to the top layer: set to Multiply, 30-50% opacity, and locked.
  • SECOND LAYER: Pallette: Find color references and color pick to make a Pallette (at least two shades per color).

  • BOTTOM LAYER: BaseColors: Create a layer for Colors on the bottom. Fill with a medium-dark color from your pallette. use the marquee tool to block out all the major colors.
    PRO TIP: Once you have major colors applied, hide the UV layer, save as a JPEG and apply to the model to view the colors in scene and make adjustments before adding details.

  • MIDDLE LAYERS: Create layers in between for painting details, dirt, and Ambient Occlusion (shadows cast by the model onto itself). Consider painting with a solid brush, 40% opacity, and use your pallette to quickly pick colors.

    Paint Color, Specular, Bump, and Opacity maps as needed. Save out as separate JPEG files, quality 10.





STEP 6: CREATE MAX MATERIAL
In 3ds max, select a Standard Material and name it.

Apply JPEGs to Maps Channels.

Apply the material to the model and render.



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3D Studio Max Precision Unwrapping:

High-level Summary   |   1. Preparation   |   2. Unwrapping   |   3. Clean-Up UVs
4. Export UV Coordinates   |   5. Paint Textures   |   6. Create 3ds max Material