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UVW Mapping is Impossible!


rictus135

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I am currently working on a new head model. It will add a mandalorian helmet/head to the game. (As in a head that looks like a helmet, not a mask item.)

 

I have done all I am likely to be able to achieve through modeling, and am up to UVW mapping. Only it is way above my head. I downloaded Quanons UVW tutorial, and while I understand what I am supposed to do, I am simply not capable of doing it.

 

So I am wondering if one of the marvelously talented people around here would be willing to give it a go for me.

 

Once the UVW is done I can move on to the skinning (IE ask someone more talented to do that as well!) Eventually it will be released as a collaborative mod. PM me if you are interested in partnering up.

 

mandolorianhelmetsq6.th.jpg

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It's not that it is just "too hard". I understand the processes, but it requires a certain level of skill to apply them effectively.

 

I don't want to be too dependant on others when it comes to making mods. I will continue to try and learn, and if nobody can/will do the UVW for me, I will certainly try to finish on my own.

 

But recognising your limitations and seeking help is exactly what Holowan is all about.

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It requires a certain level of patience. This isn't the matrix; you don't download knowledge and understanding. You actually have to try to do things to pick up skills. I'm more than willing to help people, but I don't believe in doing things for them (especially when they haven't really tried).

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I could do a 500 piece puzzle no worries, it is certainly not patience I lack. But trying to put those 500 pieces together when your not even sure what it is supposed to look like is rather more difficult.

 

But I do see your point.

 

I am trying it again but finding a problem trying to detach all of the polygons. Is there a way to do all of them at once? It seems like one at a time is the only method, and I can't see all of them as I "buried" some when I was remodeling. I might have been able to see them all in the Edit window after Unfolding the mapping, but the program freezes almost every time I try this.

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It doesn't seem like your tutorial is doing you any favors. You might want to start with something a little more basic -- learn to unwrap simple objects before you try to tackle something complex. Learn how to unwrap basic geometrics -- squares, circles, cylinders -- and that should help you out a LOT. Just make sure that when you're UV mapping you apply a checker material to your object so you can see where the stretching is. You want the checkers not to be stretched to have a good map.

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Don't try to do BIG complex shapes at ones.

 

If you pick the whole head and in the EDIT window do Unwrap to closest face, Max loves to crash on that.

 

Don't freak on the Mess you get when first viewing the Edit window.

 

Part of UVW-mapping is re-organizing the whole thing.

This often requires doing unwrapping in several steps, and then stitching things back up again.

 

I found UVW-mapping to be one of the weirdest and hardest to do in 3D.

Like Inyri says practice is the best way to get a grip on it.

 

I was'nt very good at it in the beginning to. And my tutorials show my workflow I find easiest, this doesn't mean its THE thing to follow.

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Well I am still having no luck with this, I think there is just too much to do for a first time. I am currently working on modelling an Asari head (from Mass Effect) and will try the uvw mapping for that.

 

If anyone is interested in taking over the UVW mapping for the mando helmet, please don't hesitate to say so.

 

Edit: Quick question, I somehow got the impression that the UVW mapping would smooth out the lines left on my model from the previous one. Is this accurate or do I need to do something else to smooth them out?

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Ah, I do believe I wasn't very clear about that, sorry.

 

If you look at the pic you will see two lines - for lack of a better word - running down on either side of the visor. These were once grooves in the original model, that I flattened out. They appear to have corners where they join the rest of the mask, and I would like to see a more rounded or blended appearance. The same goes for the chin, the strap around the back of the head and others.

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The weird thing is I did read tutorials to start with. The results were..... interesting. It was only when I decided to figure it out on my own that things got rolling. Maybe it is time to give them another go. tutorials tend to confuse me easily, but if I am looking for something super-specific I might be able to survive.

 

I must be such a badass, I never follow instructions!

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You might check out this 3D-Max forum:

http://www.monkeydid.co.uk/Maxforums/index.htm

 

I sometimes browse around and look at various topics, I picked up few handy tips and methods to do stuff in 3D.

 

These pro-programmes take a while to get use to and take your time for it.

Mess around with the tools shown to you in tutorials.

 

I find it the best way to get to know "what it does".

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It seems to me, rictus, that you should really get more comfortable with how the software functions before you start using it to mod for KotOR (or any other game). Practice techniques until you get to a decent comfort level, then apply what you've learned to your game mods.

 

If you need to learn about something specific you can always ask. ;) Highly recommended to start from the bottom and work up to more advanced techniques, though. Like learn to make fairly decent models before you try learning to UV map -- learning to UV map a poorly-made model will just make it that much harder to learn.... trust me. -_-

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