Knut
21-07-2003, 10:32 PM
I have been asked to write a tutorial on how to unwrap a character, and here it is. It took a bit more time than I thought, due to a trip to Finland, my Finntroll project (http://forums.3dtotal.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3623&perpage=15&pagenumber=31), Final Fantasy X and me being a lazy ba$tard.
First of all I wanna say that this isnt neseccarily the best way of doing it since I am self taught on the subject, but it works fine with me and many people seem to use the same method.
Here (http://forums.3dtotal.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8280) is the character I am going to work with.
You can download it if you want, but you dont have to because the purpose of the tutorial is not to unwrap a specific model, but to teach you the basic methods of unwraping in Max. (I'll upload it to my server later)
You should have some experience with max before you start on this tutorial.
Oh, and if you find any errors in my english, feel free to tell me either by posting here or sending me a pm. I want everybody to understand me but English is not in my native tounge, and well, you know ;)
Ok, here we go:
Part One
Divide the model into different pieces. Use the detatch tool and split it up to make it easier to keep track of things.
This is how I split it up: Head-neck, chest-back, arms, glove, hook handle, pants, fake leg, belt metal thingy and shoe (colors doesn't matter).
Lets start with the glove.
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/01-glove-01.jpg
The glove consists of two main parts: the light grey and the dark grey part. Select the light grey polygons and set the material ID to 2 (MAT ID 2). (changing ID might make the glove change color, but dont worry about that)
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/38-matid.jpg
Set the other polygons to MAT ID 1.
While having the MAT ID 1 polygons marked, add a UVW Mapping modifier from the modifiers drop down list.
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/40-uvw2.jpg
Since the mesh were workin on is cylindrical, set the gizmo to cylindrical in the parameters menu.
The green line sumbolizes the seam. This is where the cut will be when we flatten out the mesh in the unwrap window.
Use the rotate tool to align the gizmo to the mesh as seen on the picture:
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/02-glove-02.jpg
Now add a Unwrap modifier and click EDIT.
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/39-uvw.jpg
A window like this will pop up:
Click (http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/03-glove-03.jpg)
(due to the large size of these images, I will post them as links)
This is the "Edit UVWs Window", and this is where the magic happens. There are a range of different tools to use, like move, rotate, scale etc. Refer to the User Reference fo the full list.
Move the verts around using these tools. This window might look frustrating and pointless at first, but don't give up just yet.
Move the verts so they look something like this:
Click (http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/05-glove-05.jpg)
WARNING: while unwrapping, this problem might occur:
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/04-glove-04.jpg
The green lines symbolizes the edge, and on this image, the vers are not welded. To weld the verts, click ctrl+T and drag the verts you want to weld over eachother.
Adding a checker map to the model helps alot while unwrapping. The checkermap shows how the finihed unwrapping will "lay" on the mesh.
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/06-glove-06.jpg
Now lets move on to the rest of the glove.
Add an Edit mesh modifier and select the polygons on the top of the hand/arm. Set the MAT ID to 2. Select the polygons on the underside of the hand, and set the MAT ID to 3.
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/07-glove-07.jpg
While having the polys on the underside selected, add a UVW Mapping modifier. Now use a planar gizmo. The green line points to the right, and the little yellow line sticks out on the top (not visible on picture).
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/08-glove-08.jpg
(as you can see, I applied the checker map to the polygons)
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/09-glove-09.jpg
Add an Unwrap modifier and click edit.
This is how the Edit UVW's window looked.
Click (http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/10-glove-10.jpg)
The verts on the back are the ones we unwrapped earlier, and should not be played with. Therefore, click the ALL IDs rollout and select 3. Now only the polygons with MAT ID 3 will be shown.
Also, click the little button on the top (marked on the next picture) to make the background brighter. This makes it easier to see the blue lines. The thick blus lines symbolizes the square map. Keep the verts within these lines.
Click (http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/11-glove-11.jpg)
Move the verts to something like this:
Click (http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/12-glove-12.jpg)
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/13-glove-13.jpg
Now add a new Edit mesh modifier and select the topside polygons by using the "select by ID" (2 in this case) tool.
Add an UVW Mapping modifier as before and align the planar gizmo.
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/14-glove-14.jpg
Add a Unwrapping modifier and set it to show only ID 2
Click (http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/15-glove-15.jpg)
Click (http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/16-glove-16.jpg)
Now add a new Edit mesh modifier, select all the polygons and add a Unwrapping modifier. The unwrap window looks quite hopeless, but fear not! Deselect all, and set it to show only ID 1. Mark all the verts, and scale them down. Do the same with ID 2 and ID 3.
Click (http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/17-glove-17.jpg)
Click (http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/18-glove-18.jpg)
The glove is unwrapped!
Use the same method to unwrap the hook handle (one cylindrical gizmo on the thick part, one cylindrical gizmo on the thinner part, and one planar gizmo on the flat part. I didnt bother to unwrap the hook itself. I'm lazy)
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/19-hook-01.jpg
Click (http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/20-hook-02.jpg)
END OF PART ONE
I'll post part 2 a.s.a.p. (actually no i wont. me and anonuser are gonna fix some stuff first)
First of all I wanna say that this isnt neseccarily the best way of doing it since I am self taught on the subject, but it works fine with me and many people seem to use the same method.
Here (http://forums.3dtotal.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8280) is the character I am going to work with.
You can download it if you want, but you dont have to because the purpose of the tutorial is not to unwrap a specific model, but to teach you the basic methods of unwraping in Max. (I'll upload it to my server later)
You should have some experience with max before you start on this tutorial.
Oh, and if you find any errors in my english, feel free to tell me either by posting here or sending me a pm. I want everybody to understand me but English is not in my native tounge, and well, you know ;)
Ok, here we go:
Part One
Divide the model into different pieces. Use the detatch tool and split it up to make it easier to keep track of things.
This is how I split it up: Head-neck, chest-back, arms, glove, hook handle, pants, fake leg, belt metal thingy and shoe (colors doesn't matter).
Lets start with the glove.
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/01-glove-01.jpg
The glove consists of two main parts: the light grey and the dark grey part. Select the light grey polygons and set the material ID to 2 (MAT ID 2). (changing ID might make the glove change color, but dont worry about that)
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/38-matid.jpg
Set the other polygons to MAT ID 1.
While having the MAT ID 1 polygons marked, add a UVW Mapping modifier from the modifiers drop down list.
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/40-uvw2.jpg
Since the mesh were workin on is cylindrical, set the gizmo to cylindrical in the parameters menu.
The green line sumbolizes the seam. This is where the cut will be when we flatten out the mesh in the unwrap window.
Use the rotate tool to align the gizmo to the mesh as seen on the picture:
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/02-glove-02.jpg
Now add a Unwrap modifier and click EDIT.
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/39-uvw.jpg
A window like this will pop up:
Click (http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/03-glove-03.jpg)
(due to the large size of these images, I will post them as links)
This is the "Edit UVWs Window", and this is where the magic happens. There are a range of different tools to use, like move, rotate, scale etc. Refer to the User Reference fo the full list.
Move the verts around using these tools. This window might look frustrating and pointless at first, but don't give up just yet.
Move the verts so they look something like this:
Click (http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/05-glove-05.jpg)
WARNING: while unwrapping, this problem might occur:
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/04-glove-04.jpg
The green lines symbolizes the edge, and on this image, the vers are not welded. To weld the verts, click ctrl+T and drag the verts you want to weld over eachother.
Adding a checker map to the model helps alot while unwrapping. The checkermap shows how the finihed unwrapping will "lay" on the mesh.
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/06-glove-06.jpg
Now lets move on to the rest of the glove.
Add an Edit mesh modifier and select the polygons on the top of the hand/arm. Set the MAT ID to 2. Select the polygons on the underside of the hand, and set the MAT ID to 3.
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/07-glove-07.jpg
While having the polys on the underside selected, add a UVW Mapping modifier. Now use a planar gizmo. The green line points to the right, and the little yellow line sticks out on the top (not visible on picture).
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/08-glove-08.jpg
(as you can see, I applied the checker map to the polygons)
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/09-glove-09.jpg
Add an Unwrap modifier and click edit.
This is how the Edit UVW's window looked.
Click (http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/10-glove-10.jpg)
The verts on the back are the ones we unwrapped earlier, and should not be played with. Therefore, click the ALL IDs rollout and select 3. Now only the polygons with MAT ID 3 will be shown.
Also, click the little button on the top (marked on the next picture) to make the background brighter. This makes it easier to see the blue lines. The thick blus lines symbolizes the square map. Keep the verts within these lines.
Click (http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/11-glove-11.jpg)
Move the verts to something like this:
Click (http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/12-glove-12.jpg)
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/13-glove-13.jpg
Now add a new Edit mesh modifier and select the topside polygons by using the "select by ID" (2 in this case) tool.
Add an UVW Mapping modifier as before and align the planar gizmo.
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/14-glove-14.jpg
Add a Unwrapping modifier and set it to show only ID 2
Click (http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/15-glove-15.jpg)
Click (http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/16-glove-16.jpg)
Now add a new Edit mesh modifier, select all the polygons and add a Unwrapping modifier. The unwrap window looks quite hopeless, but fear not! Deselect all, and set it to show only ID 1. Mark all the verts, and scale them down. Do the same with ID 2 and ID 3.
Click (http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/17-glove-17.jpg)
Click (http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/18-glove-18.jpg)
The glove is unwrapped!
Use the same method to unwrap the hook handle (one cylindrical gizmo on the thick part, one cylindrical gizmo on the thinner part, and one planar gizmo on the flat part. I didnt bother to unwrap the hook itself. I'm lazy)
http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/19-hook-01.jpg
Click (http://home.no/slipknut/unwrap/20-hook-02.jpg)
END OF PART ONE
I'll post part 2 a.s.a.p. (actually no i wont. me and anonuser are gonna fix some stuff first)