So, I rotated them and moved them, so that matching edges were touching, and I merged all the overlapping points, to eliminate redundant data. At this point, all the faces were separate shells, and they were all rotated in the same direction. Because the projection cube was equilateral, the faces of the model were mapped in relative proportion to each other, automatically.
![does unwrella work does unwrella work](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFXas4-XIAQckqK.jpg)
This gave me a separate rectangle for each side. Before duplicating the first plank, I used a cubic projection to quickly map all sides of it at once. To create that particular UV map, I did the following:ġ. If you can visualise in your mind where the joins are, when the mesh is flattened, you will be able to know logically what each area of your UV-map represents.Īnd then there is tiling/overlaying repeated faces to better use texture resolution, but that is another subject. I would suggest, at least for relatively simple geometric meshes, to make your cuts in logical places (edges, corners) where texture joins won't matter much (ie: eliminating the need for textures to perfectly align). There is no easy, straight-forward answer - it's a matter of deciding where you want to cut your mesh in order to flatten it. So it all depends on what program you are using.Įvery mesh is different, and as such the resultant UV-maps will require different approaches. however others require you to do this manually via pinning it flat, and this can often result in a bit of a guessing game.
DOES UNWRELLA WORK SOFTWARE
Some software will flatten your UV-maps via an automated process after you have defined the cuts/seams, which makes the task a lot easier. In the matter of getting the flattened UV-map to be proportional to the faces, well, that depends on the software you are using. if the bottom face had been included in his mesh, the layout would probably look quite different. If I remember correctly, Chosen's mesh had the bottom face removed, hence his easy-to-visualise UV map.
![does unwrella work does unwrella work](https://www.unwrella.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/unwrella_unwrapping_the_robot.jpg)
As such, it's a simple matter to lay them out in the example you mention.
DOES UNWRELLA WORK SERIES
In the case you refer to here, with the series of planks, it is relatively easy to define the cuts (on the corners of the thin edges) and lay them out flat, since the cuts are on logical corners of the planks, and the mesh consists of flat surfaces.
![does unwrella work does unwrella work](https://3dnews.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/unwrella.jpg)
So it is often a balancing act in choosing WHERE to make the cuts, and WHEN the texture distortion is acceptable to avoid painful texture seams. The goal is to reduce texture distortion as much as possible - however, the compromises often involve awkward seams that can result in visible (or difficult to hide) joins in the textures. Usually it is a matter of balancing compromises.Įssentially, it's about how and where you choose to make the cuts/seams to flatten your meshes. UV-map creation is as much an artform as creating mesh shapes.