In this tutorial I am going to go through the basic procedures of applying UV mapping to a simple mesh, using that layout as a framework to create a texture and adjust the final positioning. There are two main methods you can use to UV map a model; The first way; this involves breaking up the model into chunks, by selecting polys and detaching them as elements. Then you copy the model, you can now move and rotate the elements of the copy into a flat square, next apply a planner UVW Map to it and finally use a morph modifier with the original model as a target to get the copy back to the same shape as the original model. This is the method I started UV mapping, it's easy to do if you know your way around Max but it is very long winded.
The second way; is to apply the UVW Map then using an Unwrap UVW modifier to flatten and position the UV map. This method is how I UV map models now, It may seem more confusing and complex to do at first but with practise I find it far quicker and simpler. It is this second method that I will be covering
The model we are going to make is a simple 6 sided dice or d6 (the reason I've said 6 sided it that any rpg'ers reading this will know that there are many different dice )
To make the mesh for our d6 we are going to use a box, ok it is a very basic shape and we could make it look better if we used a chamfer box (a box with rounded edges). However to keep it simple we will use a box. Instead of creating it by dragging I have used the Keyboard Entry so I can get an exact size and position.
The Gradient Ramp is a 2D map similar to the Gradient map, however, the Gradient ramp can be shaded more than 3 and there are several different types of effects that this map can produce.
The following technique will be about the relation between modeling and its UVWmap. Some beginners draw their 3D model by extruding from 2D shape and just use a simple UVWmap such as plane, box or cylinder type, however this may sometimes produce incorrect UVW mapping on surfaces and the result looks incorrect.
Hey, all you 3D modelers out there! I hope you are ready to start making something really cool that will take less than 1 hour and a half, from start to finish; and the best part -- it will look realistic! I know how it is to look around the internet for tutorials that are easy to follow that will also yield some favorable results, only to find nothing.
In this tutorial, I'll show you the basics of getting around the Unwrap UVW interface, a few methods for automatically mapping the object, and some techniques you can use when the automatic mapping doesn't quite do what you need it to. P.S. I've realized for one project this method was sucessful!
