UV mapping problems...

[Psycho529]

While UV mapping for a part I was making, I UV mapped it (I think I did it correctly) and then I had no idea to what I was supposed to do next. can someone help?

[tobyb121]

Are you working in blender?

Have a look at this: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/24742 last video goes through creating a UV map and shows how to export it. You can then load it up in photoshop/gimp or whatever and create your texture.

[Psycho529]

Yes I work in blender and that is sort of useful only I have a a slightly more resent version of blender and I have no idea to where the image creator thing is to start UV mapping...

[tobyb121]

Ah ok, I'm afraid I can't help you there, I'm a 3ds max user, and while the steps are the same (make a model, up-wrap UV, make texture, apply material, export) I'm not familiar with blender's UI.

Maybe this might help? http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blender_3D:_Noob_to_Pro/UV_Map_Basics

[Psycho529]

Thanks, was rather useful.

[Torminator]

In Blender, if you're working from one window, click the three lines in the upper right corner and drag to create a second window. In the lower left, there's a menu that probably is set on "3d View" right now. You may need to click the + to see it. set that to UV/Image editor, and make sure your mesh is selected in edit mode (hit A)

[Dispatcher]

I use the latest version of Blender also. The video tutorial posted above should be fine to follow. Anyway, I was just working on a UV map texture for a mod part this morning. You may have selected a UV map option in a menu on the right side of the editor. That however isn't how to make the UV map. Here is how. Once your model is completely built, make sure all the parts reside on the same layer. If you're not sure about what that means, you probably have everything on the same layer. Next, if your model consists of more than one simple mesh, you MAY want to join the meshes from the object menu. Or you might want a separate map for each mesh. Either way, you create a UV map for a mesh. What follows has been touched on in the above posts, but its worth repeating. The default Blender editor layout has an animation timeline module at the bottom of your screen (or window). You don't need that, so let's change it. At the lower left of the screen is an icon that looks like a clock face. Click on that and select UV Image Editor. The timeline area will be replaced with a workspace for doing the map. Move your cursor over that new workspace at the bottom. If you hover the cursor at the top edge of that workspace, it will change to allow you to raise it up so that you will have room to work in. Next, follow the video tutorial above. When you are ready, I recommend that you export the UV map as an image instead of using Blender to texture. The tutorial shows you where to find the selections to export it. Then texture the UV map in an image editor. I like Gimp because its similar to Photoshop but its open source (free). Once you are done making your texture, use the same UV map workspace menu to import your image back in. It should be visible where the previous UV map was. Then go up to the workspace above (the default is the 3D area). Next to where it says Object Mode (you don't want Edit Mode now), set the viewport shading (just to the right) to either Texture or Rendered. You should see your texture, assuming the default light and camera is in the scene. Don't forget to save your work. Good luck!

[Psycho529]

Thanks