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+---- Thread: UVW Unwrapping (/Thread-UVW-Unwrapping)
UVW Unwrapping - Gyssar - 09-13-2006
Ok, here are my two cents:
I. Here's a little step-by-step on unwrapping UVW for complex models, like characters (this tutorial is for those who are at least vaguely familiar with MAX and know what the modifier stack and sub-object levels are):
1. Make your mesh and collapse the stack to the "editable mesh" surface type, as it's the only one Oblivion understands properly within the game.
![[Image: th_01.jpg]](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a177/SilgradTower/Tutorial%20-%20UVW%20Unwrapping/01.jpg)
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2. Go to the "materials editor", select a blank material and add a checker map into the "diffuse color" channel, tile (20 by 20 is usually a good number) and push the "show in veiwport" button (i'll explain what this is for later).
![[Image: th_02.jpg]](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a177/SilgradTower/Tutorial%20-%20UVW%20Unwrapping/02.jpg)
![[Image: th_03.jpg]](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a177/SilgradTower/Tutorial%20-%20UVW%20Unwrapping/03.jpg)
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3. Select your whole mesh, apply the created material to the mesh (the checkered map will appear messy and distorted), then, from the modifier rollout, apply the "unwrap UVW" modifier to the mesh and click on the "edit" button in the modifier properties window.
![[Image: th_04.jpg]](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a177/SilgradTower/Tutorial%20-%20UVW%20Unwrapping/04.jpg)
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4. A window will open. What you'll see at this stage is a total mess, this won't do, so what you do is the following: at the top-right corner of the opened window, you'll see a dropdown field, that chooses the map to display. select your checkered map in there, you'll see that the background of the window has changed to your map. Now drag a selection box around all the UVs and shrink them down to the size of about half a white square and place it in the middle of one of the white squares (at this stage your mesh should turn completely white). COLLAPSE THE STACK!
![[Image: th_05.jpg]](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a177/SilgradTower/Tutorial%20-%20UVW%20Unwrapping/05.jpg)
![[Image: th_06.jpg]](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a177/SilgradTower/Tutorial%20-%20UVW%20Unwrapping/06.jpg)
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5. Select one of those parts at the sub-object level, minding the edges - they have to be in a reclusive location, as the seams between the unwrapped UVW segments will run along those edges.
![[Image: th_07.jpg]](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a177/SilgradTower/Tutorial%20-%20UVW%20Unwrapping/07.jpg)
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6. Leaving the mesh selected at the sub-object level, drop down the modifier rollout and apply the "UVW map" modifier (you'll notice that the area of your mesh that you have selected in step 6 becomes checkered), in the "mapping" section select the type of mapping that fits the shape of your selected area the most, then, at the gismo sub-object level move and shape the gizmo, so that the checkers appear the least distorted.
![[Image: th_08.jpg]](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a177/SilgradTower/Tutorial%20-%20UVW%20Unwrapping/08.jpg)
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7. Now apply the "unwrap UVW" modifier again and click on "edit". The window will open again and it will now contain the UVs only for the section of the mesh you have selected in step 6. Now, select all those UVs and move them WELL beyond the thick black line that sorrounds the central texture tile, taking care to remember it's approximate position. COLLAPSE THE STACK!!!
![[Image: th_09.jpg]](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a177/SilgradTower/Tutorial%20-%20UVW%20Unwrapping/09.jpg)
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8. Now reselect the area you just unwrapped and hide it. Repeat steps 6 - 9 until the whole mesh is hidden, taking care not to overlap the unwrapped sections in the UVW editor.
![[Image: th_10.jpg]](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a177/SilgradTower/Tutorial%20-%20UVW%20Unwrapping/10.jpg)
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9. Now your mesh should be fully hidden, unhide it, select the whole mesh and, once again, aplly the "unwrap UVW" modifier and click on Edit. You'll see, that the skin of your mesh is randomly scattered all over the place, your quest is now to put all those sections of skin (taking extra care not to overlap) within the black margin, while keeping them as large as possible. Mind, that sections that you wish to have extra fine detail (like the face) should be larger than those of little detail (legs, arms), which should be reflected on the mesh itself by the checkered map, with the checkers being smaller on areas of fine detail.
![[Image: th_11.jpg]](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a177/SilgradTower/Tutorial%20-%20UVW%20Unwrapping/11.jpg)
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10. That's all folks, now all you have to do is download the Texporter plugin for your version of MAX and, using the exported UVW in photoshop as a reference, paint your texture :bananarock:
Tip for low detail geometry: You don't have to go to all that trouble with geometry of lower detail, because Oblivion welds all the imported geometry at fused vertecies, so all you have to do is break the object into multiple peices (works best with simple architecture and weapons), minding not to move any corresponding vertecies away from each other at the edges, as it will only weld the vertecies, sharing the same coordinates, and apply a texture to each piece individually.