gmax uv unwrap problems

[armanguy]

when i got inot to edit the mesh i select the points and move them but as soon as i let go they go back to there original positions. Ive been trying to find the problem but oculdent what do you guys think the problem is?

just a note : the objects are different editable objects and i grouped all of them into one big object. i dont know if thats hoy your supposed to do it but thats how i did it.

 

[mindless_moder]

1) why are you using edit mesh to unwrap :S ?
2) did you "group" or "attach" ?
gmax is more or less the same as 3dsmax so what you should be doing is ...select the faces you want to unwrap apply a uvw map modifier choose the type of unwrapping respectively(if ur unwrapping a part that is somewhat cylindrical use cylindrical mapping > apply a unwrap uvw modifer and then position the unwrap outside the box > collapse it and ten keep doing that for all ur pieces.

 

[armanguy]

i ment to say my editable poly and i grouped them.

 

[crackhead]

attach them?

 

[armanguy]

attach them?

lol craxckhead i dont get it am i supposed to attach them?

 

[crackhead]

well i dont know gmax lingo but yeah u just need it to be one single object/mesh.

 

[armanguy]

i find this very confusing can anyone show me pics or somthing with someone doing what im trying to do?

 

[crackhead]

well pressumeably grouping it would keep them all as seperate meshes but all bellonging to the same group. but what u want to do is make it so that its just one mesh.

 

[mindless_moder]

--------------------UNWRAPPING FOR DUMMIES---------------

1) We attach all our objects using the attach button . if u click on the box on the right of the button it will bring up a list box that displays all the objects in your scene. select all the objects you wish to merge and click attach

2) Select all the face that you want to paint on independently

3) Add a UVW Map Modifier. This modifier lets you unwrap shapes that resemble primitives (i.e spheres , cubes , cylinders etc.)

Here are the main things to consider in the modifier parameters

4) now we add a UVW Unwrap modifier to unwrap the uvw's

here is the end result :

now that we have unwrapped one cylinder we can proceed to unwrap the others by right clicking on the unwrap modifier selecting "colapse all" and going through the steps again.

 

[armanguy]

hey thanks for all the help

 

[armanguy]

lol i just did what you told me when i go callapse all what happen really? what does it do im not to sure about using it?

 

[mindless_moder]

collapse all just retains the uvw info and lets you do it again on a different set of polys... try experimenting on some simple objects like i did . attach a sphere , a cylinder and a box together and map them all out as one object to get a feel for the method.

 

[armanguy]

ok what i dont get is the callapse erases the uv unwrap i did? and then i start a new on another object ? but the previous uvmap isn't on it :S

 

[crackhead]

u went offline just as i asked somebody what it did. he said its rubbish anyway.

 

[armanguy]

yeah i uninstalled gmax imma get the xsi mod tool

 

[mindless_moder]

the previous unwrap will still be there. but it wont show it until you have finished with all ur pieces.

 

[xC4RN4G3x]

if theres a black portion in my texporter than do i need to chop that off? anyway...where can i find this "collapse all" button? and what ur saying is that it allows me to start on another object(or part of the object) to unwrap. i've only been able to export jpegs of the polies i've selected and uwrapped (well i could use the texporter and just click the whole object but the thing is all messed up(looks ugy as hell). sorry to bother u mindless...but i need some help.

 

[StardogChampion]

if theres a black portion in my texporter than do i need to chop that off? anyway...where can i find this "collapse all" button? and what ur saying is that it allows me to start on another object(or part of the object) to unwrap. i've only been able to export jpegs of the polies i've selected and uwrapped (well i could use the texporter and just click the whole object but the thing is all messed up(looks ugy as hell). sorry to bother u mindless...but i need some help.

Collapse all is in the menu when you right-click on Editiable Mesh or Unwrap UVW in the list on the right.

 

[mindless_moder]

i think im going to have to do a small vid tut to better illustrate this .
does anyone have a particular kind of object they would like unwrapped ? i would go with carnage's mp5 but its a bit complex for a simple tut.

 

[armanguy]

oh yeah the only reason i uninstalled gmax is because i couldent save th files to anything else but .P3d or .gmax so i coulden really use it for anything.

 

[xC4RN4G3x]

doing the mp5 would be cool.

 

[xC4RN4G3x]

woot! got it figured out. i texported a basic skin of a butcher knife. the only problem i have is figuring out which unwrap thing to use(i used mostly planar). i dont know when which is best...but thats ok for now. i got it working woot!!!!!!

 

[mindless_moder]

well if its mostly flat you use planar . btw the unwrapping options will not always give u a clean unwrap . to test ur unwrap slap on a checkered material and see if the boxes are square shaped if they look rectangular and stretched out you might need to adjust the verts in ur unwrap editor.
just incase u dont know how to get a checkered material ...open up the material dialog by pressing "M" and go to maps > diffuse > click none > and choose checker you might want to adjut the tiling i use 16 x 16 most of the time.

 

[xC4RN4G3x]

i see...so if there is stretching i have to adjust my verts? sounds complicated(dont like touching those verts) lol. how do i know where to move it to make it unstretched? is it just based on experience? i mean i'm pretty sure i can figure it out...but i wish there was an easier way. like just using the "fit" button. lol.
EDIT: isnt there something that just unwraps the whole model for u? u click it and then its done (although highyl ineffecient). i think there was something like that. simon may have used it.

 

[mindless_moder]

yeah theres peltmapping

 

[xC4RN4G3x]

is that good or bad? i'm having trouble unwrapping a handle for a model i made. and i dont know what to do. i tried cylinder but it still got stretched. any ideas? i wanna just unwrap the handle as it is poly for poly (pelt mapping?). gosh i'm so lost. lol.

WHOAH! u didnt tell me u could rotate the unwrap gizmo!
that makes it alot better! i was wondering how u guys could unwrap those places where the elevation changes and stuff. intense

how do i make it so when i unwrap i only need to unwrap half of it? when i go to texport it, theres a block for the other side i didnt model. should i ignore it?

 

[mindless_moder]

hey carnage im going to ask a mod to edit ur posts . you should watch out for tripple posts mate crackhead got banned for that . anyways to answer ur question you will have to overlap the uvw's its called "mirroring" uvw's

 

[armanguy]

yo is there anyway to save objects in gmax to anyother format?my xsi mod tool wont even open its pissin me off!

 

[mindless_moder]

well i doubt it honestly. gmax is more of a evaluation copy of 3dsmax its not very flexible.

 

[xC4RN4G3x]

ok i made a basic skin. i didnt really make it(photocropped/edited with photoshop). didnt have the time to start from scratch. anyways yeah the model / skin kinda suck but atleast i did it. i'm only showing u the side i unwrapped lol. the other side is totally messed up. :|
EDIT: open the picture in a darker window or save it and open it in windows photo viewer or whatever. the white space behind the picture creates a lot of contrast. it strains ur eyes and u cant see the darker sides. sorry.