Simviation Forum - Gmax UVW cropping Cylinder method

Oct 30^th, 2008 at 10:15am

Brett_Henderson Offline
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I'm sure I'm overlooking something (again), so I'm looking for help (again)..

I'm trying to map a cylindrical fuselage.. I did the UVW and unwrap.. and made a nice template..

Then in Gmax Material editor.. I rotated and cropped just the portion of the 2048X2048 bitmap needed for the fuselage.. And mapped it by cylinder method.

As you can see, it shows up perfectly in Gmax, but the exported model is texture as though the bitmap was never rotated or cropped Undecided

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Reply #1 - Oct 30^th, 2008 at 1:41pm

Fr. Bill Offline
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As I wrote on your thread at freeflightdesign.com that tool has no affect on an exported model. It is only for use within Max/GMax.

Instead, add a UVW Unwrap modifier above your UVW Map, and then click the "Edit" button to open the UVW Editor.

Using the select/move tool, lasso all your mesh vertices and then move/resize as needed to arrange them on your template.

Now your exported model's UVW Map will work in the sim...

Bill
Gauge Programming - 3d Modeling Eaglesoft Development Group Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600-4GB DDR2 Crucial PC6400-800 GB SATA-ATI Radeon HD2400 Pro 256MB DX10 NOTE: Unless explicitly stated in the post, everything written by my hand is MY opinion. I do NOT speak for any company, real or imagined...

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Reply #2 - Oct 30^th, 2008 at 2:37pm

Brett_Henderson Offline
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**I'm answering here as well as FFDS**

Holy moly ! Thank you

I've doing this for so long, I didn't think I could still say, "OOOH AAAAH" ...

Just so I'm getting my head around the concept ('cause I haven't exported yet) .. Rotating, moving and scaling those vertices (as a group) has the same affect as rotating the bitmap, and then ONLY wrapping where the newly moves vertices dictate (the affect of croping just a section of the bitmap to be wrapped around the cylinder) ?

This will give me the true wrap (as in rivets not distorting) ?

I feel like a kid who has a new toy Cheesy

Of course this still leaves the issue making the bitmap work around the tail and nose.. but I can deal with that in PSP...

Thanks again !

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Reply #3 - Nov 19^th, 2008 at 10:39am

HarvesteR Offline
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think if it like this:

UVWmap modifier is like wrapping a textured foil around your model

UVW Unwrap modifier is the exact opposite, you're mapping vertexes onto the texture

they each have their advantages over the other... for intance, UVW unwrap is better for when you have a single bitmap that contains textures for many parts, and UVW map is better when you have a tiling texture (like floor carpet)

do not use the material bitmap tools, since they have no effect on the model after export and will just make things a lot more confusing in Max, those tools are there for making renderings and animations, not game models

Oh, and trust me... the Oohh Aahhs will just keep on coming... i've been messing with this thing for 5 years and i still get surprised
(i don't think even the guys at AutoDesk each know the entire program Wink

)

Cheers

NEW PC SPECS: Intel Core i7 920 - 6GB Corsair DDR3 PC12800 RAM- Intel DX58SO Mobo - Geforce GTX 460 768MB GDDR5 - 3x LG1952h LCDs through Matrox's TH2Go - 640GB Seagate Barracuda 7200Rpm - 200GB Maxtor 7200Rpm - Microsoft Sidewinder X6 Keyboard - 5.1 Surround and a Saitek X52 Pro and Pro Flight Rudder Pedals -- Running Windows 7 Ultimate x64

My 8800 GTX has at last retired... may it rest in peace in GPU heaven.

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Reply #4 - Nov 19^th, 2008 at 11:08am

Fr. Bill Offline
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Frankly, I think it's more useful to think of a UVW Map as if it were a camera taking a "photograph" of the mesh...

...UVW Unwrap is the studio where the "photographs" are developed. The only purpose of UVW Unwrap is to prepare the UVW Map(s) for the UVW Editor, where all the layout and design for the final, composited mesh "photograph" is generated: the texture template... Wink

Some folks try to avoid the UVW Unwrap/UVW Editor entirely by using the Gizmo to adjust the UVW Map's "viewport", but I much prefer to use the tools as intended. Cool

Bill
Gauge Programming - 3d Modeling Eaglesoft Development Group Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600-4GB DDR2 Crucial PC6400-800 GB SATA-ATI Radeon HD2400 Pro 256MB DX10 NOTE: Unless explicitly stated in the post, everything written by my hand is MY opinion. I do NOT speak for any company, real or imagined...

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Reply #5 - Nov 19^th, 2008 at 12:45pm

Brett_Henderson Offline
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I can vsualize it both ways.. I was just bound and determined to NOT have my lettering and rivets get "stretched" by the normal UVM map again. I knew there was a way to truly "wrap" the texture around a fuselage, and as usual, the fine members of this community came to the rescue Cheesy

It's working out pretty well..

http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1227100350

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Reply #6 - Nov 19^th, 2008 at 10:36pm

HarvesteR Offline
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looking good there!! nice clean and sharp textures Cheesy

they don't look stretched at all now (albeit i don't know how they looked before, but they do look good now Wink

)

Cheers

NEW PC SPECS: Intel Core i7 920 - 6GB Corsair DDR3 PC12800 RAM- Intel DX58SO Mobo - Geforce GTX 460 768MB GDDR5 - 3x LG1952h LCDs through Matrox's TH2Go - 640GB Seagate Barracuda 7200Rpm - 200GB Maxtor 7200Rpm - Microsoft Sidewinder X6 Keyboard - 5.1 Surround and a Saitek X52 Pro and Pro Flight Rudder Pedals -- Running Windows 7 Ultimate x64

My 8800 GTX has at last retired... may it rest in peace in GPU heaven.

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