Unwrapping in XSI

[archvilell]

I cannot for the life of me find any tutorials on how to unwrap something in XSI. All the links in the Tutorials sticky about unwrapping in XSI are broken. The only ones I can find are for MAX or Maya. A video would be ideal, since i can't really stay focused on a text version. If anyone has a link to send me, I would be most appreciative.

 

[archvilell]

Anyone? I know people start threads all the time about unwrapping, but they are all MAX tutorials. I'm using XSI so tutorials are harder to come by.

 

[Ames]

http://www.hl2w0rld.com/wiki/index.php/XSI_Texturing_Tutorial

I believe 3dBuzz also has something.

 

[archvilell]

I checked 3DBuzz and they don't have any of the their tutorials geared toward texturing (as far as I can tell) and the other tutorial assumes you have an image you want to use. I was told that I need to unwrap it and flatten the polygons then create the texture on top of that. The tutorial tells me to get my texture then apply it. What do I do?

 

[The Dark Elf]

one method, the one i use. Is to make a morph of your base object, so your actual object isn't effected. unweld the points and then pull it apart, flattening all the sides of the object, like if it was made of card and you were taking it apart. making sure all the polygons are facing in one direction. When your done, apply a planar UV map to it. Get rid of the morph and keep the UV map. mege points and now you've got your regular model and a completely flat UV map thats easy to paint on and isn't distorted.

Failing that, RTM, XSI has very powerful UV features and stitching and there's usually many different ways of doing something in it. I just prefer the above method.

 

[archvilell]

That's a good idea, TDE, I'll give that a shot.

Ten Minutes later..

Uhh, how do I make a morph. I looked in help and apparaently it's not called that?

 

[thereisaspoon]

tde's method wont work in xsi, so you're stuck with the uv editor, which kicks through ass. once you figure out what each button does, you'll be fine.

 

[aydin]

I have no idea how to do this aswell so I am waiting for Desty to make his tutorial on texturing in XSI.


To quote desty:

"yes, I will be making a video tutorial on texturing, but don't hold your breath"

 

[archvilell]

Ahh, that would be why I can't find it.

I suppose. I read thehelp section in the UV editor a few times, and it tell sme what each button does. My problem is that I don't know how to start. Some tutorials show you how to texture stuff, but assume you have the texture made. Others show you how to make stuff look realistic, but not where stuff goes. Some people say it's better to make then texture, then put the model to the image. Others say unwrap the image, draw on the texture, the put the image back on.

I personally want to go with the second, but I don't know how to unwrap. The tutorial at the top doesn't help because it assumes you have a picture. I need to unwrap, then be able to draw, then put it back on.

 

[Jeremy]

<3 unwrapping in 3dmax

 

[The Dark Elf]

tde's method wont work in xsi, so you're stuck with the uv editor, which kicks through ass. once you figure out what each button does, you'll be fine.

skip the morph part, works just fine.

 

[archvilell]

How do I unweld? I know not much more than what I learned on Desty's 1911 tutorial.

 

[thereisaspoon]

i need to make a vid on this or a minitut, so many ppl have no clue on how to do it, its so simple. Basicaly, you first gotta give ur ojbect an uv property, so select it, go to get->property->texture projection
if its a primitive pick a projection that suits it, else just pick a planar and use sub-projections in the uv editor. Press alt+7 to bring up the texture editor, or switch one of the view panels to the texture editor.
In your 3d view, select faces u want to apply a projection to, and in the textue editor use one of the 4 projection modes (they are orange buttons that look like primitves, usualy use planar) and pick best fit from the drop down (unless u know what you're doing). The selected faces will be unwrapped in the editor with correct ratio and scale. Basicaly gotta do this untill all faces are facing you in the texture editor.

 

[archvilell]

How do I get all the polygons the same size? When I select a face then click Best Fit, it takes up a fair portion of space. When I click the next polygon to unwrap, it becomes the same size as the first, so it's not proportional. Should I select all the faces from the whole object and unwrap them at once, or piece by piece then arrange them on to the square.



It looks like that.

BTW, what type of projection should I give my shotgun? I just clicked YZ so it was normal-looking. I don't know if that's right or not. Texturing is completely new to me. I don't know anything about it in any other program either.

 

[thereisaspoon]

first, use a square image (thats why i meant by proportional, as it create the projection proportional to the image)
the scale, rotate and move buttons are the S R and T beside the 3 last ones, u can also use the keyboard shortcusts x c v (same as in 3d view). use the zoom tool (z button) to pan and zoom in (navigation tool dosent work)
if u want a projection thats totaly proportional in size, use the one that looks like a cross of squares. This will use a smart cubic unwrap but it dosent arrange stuff for you. Once you got it unwrapped, select one uv vertex and keep pressing + on the numpad (make sure its the NUMPAD +) to increase selection, or you can toggle island selection by pressing the ISL button in the top row, then move em around and use the edge colors as reference (if an edge is yellow, it will correspond to another yellow edge)

 

[archvilell]

Hmm. I'm still lost. I now have my square image of 1024x1024. It is blank (white). I select my shotgun body (I assume the moving slide will be another texture), and go to Get - Property - Texture Projection - YZ. I get the screenie on the top post. Now I select one face, let's use the big side of the receiver, and hit the planar unwrap button, since it is straight up and down and flat. Next I go one face lower. This one is starting a curve, so it it tilted in relation to the world, but still flat. I hit planar unwrap again. Now this new face takes up the same area as the first face. How do I get them back together? Do I just stretch them to fit like they should or am I doing something wrong?

 

[kendo]

This is the best guide i have found so far on the subject http://www.finalgathering.com/tut/texture/te.html.

Though if its still not enough contact me through msn [email protected] and i will talk you through it.