How to generate/export UV-maps?

[RGBPeter]

I just started with texturing but I feel my methods are.... inefficient.

I am having trouble finding out what part of a texture belongs to which part of the model. I usually draw a coordinate grid on a texture using PS and load it up in KSP to see how it wraps around. I'm figuring this is not a good method, so I did some research and found out what a UV-map is. I downloaded blender and got it to generate a UV-map, but I have no idea how to export it as an .png.

I am very confused by blender's UI, it just doesn't make sense to me. Are there other program's for generating UV-map or unwrapping a .mu? Or could some one explain to me (click for click) how I get blender to do this? Maybe there a plugin for Photoshop to make it handle .mu file's (it can open 3DS, DEA and OBJ file's)

Any general tip regarding texturing are also welcome.

[InsaneDruid]

It’s hard to do a beginner’s tutorial on a rather specific step in modelling/texturing without proper knowledge about what you already know and what not.

The short and basic answer would be: if you are in edit mode and have the UV/Image editor window open, so you can see the UV-Layout of a mesh, then it’s just a matter of selecting all (strg-a) and using the "UVs" menu and selecting "export UV Layout entry". on the bottom of the window. Like shown in the pics:

If this was too much "insider-speak" with too many simplifications, I HIGHLY recommend the free and paid (the are WORTH IT!) tutorial-videos on CGCookie (https://cgcookie.com/course/blender-basics/ ) - especially the texturing tutorials (https://cgcookie.com/course/introduction-to-texturing/) and/or one or all of the free tutorials of BlenderGuru. (www.blenderguru.com/tutorials).

This 4 part videos series is especially focussed on the topic of UV-Mapping:

and last but not least this video is about exporting UV-Maps/Layouts to Images:

As for the second part of your question, i would say Blender is an excellent choice. The UI might seem strange at first, but then it is on all new programs. It will be better with time.

An image editing program like Photoshop can't handle 3d-data like .mu. The MU file describes just the 3d object, where all its vertices and edges are in space, along with some information about the materials used. And it includes information about what 2D Image files (that you can edit in Photoshop) to apply to what textures. But it contains no image files.

Just watch tutorials, the more the better. I bought a CGCookie half year account and watched ALL blender tutorials there, and then ALL tutorials on Blender Guru. It really helps A LOT.

[RGBPeter]

That are some nice tips and those tutorials are really informative, defiantly worth a watch! Thanks man.

BTW Photoshop CS6-extended handles 3D objects like a champ: http://www.tipsquirrel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/photoshop_3d_lights1.jpg

It just refuses to load .mu, and so does After Effects. Is .mu some kind of proprietary KSP specific file format or something?

[sumghai]

[MOD - Moved to Modelling and Texturing Discussion subforums]

BTW Photoshop CS6-extended handles 3D objects like a champ: http://www.tipsquirrel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/photoshop_3d_lights1.jpg

It just refuses to load .mu, and so does After Effects. Is .mu some kind of proprietary KSP specific file format or something?

The .MU files are indeed encoded in a proprietary format - these are model files generated by Unity using the KSP Part Tool script.

The only way to reverse-engineer them is to get Blender and use taniwha's unofficial .MU import/export add-on.

[AcesDwn]

Definately watch the tutorials, but in case you haven't found the tip, once you've unwrapped the faces onto your UV-Map, click the UV's button on the bottom of the view and at the top click Export UV Layout.

There's a lot to all this.. (I just started myself! :-) )

Absolutely watch the tutorials.. They are worth it! EvsDefcon talks fast, but I got a lot of info from his modding tutorials on YouTube.

Also Nifty55 or something like that... I took parts from both of them to successfully create my first fuel tank.

It's not working right in KSP right now, but the Blender/Unity part seemed to go well...

Hope that helped, even if just a little..

[Bev7787]

Sweet, just what I needed as well. Thanks!

[RGBPeter]

I found a way to load in models & generate UV-maps from inside Photoshop. No blender required ( only for .mu to .obj conversion). Turns out PS has a quite power full set of 3d texturing tools built in, I love it

[Van Disaster]

Hmm, will have to try that Not much of a fan of Max's UV editor and I never really found a 3rd party one I was that fond of either.

OTOH you can edit UV in Max's main 3d editor also, but that's a bit clunky too.