Need help with UV unwrapping and transforms.

[wasmic]

I've recently (note: today) started modelling, and for my first KSP project I want to make a fuel tank, as it's pretty simple. I have a problem, though: I have no idea how to create UV maps / UV unwrap /whateverit'scalled. The thing that cuts my model up and makes me able to edit it in paint.NET.

I'm using sketchup, and I have already made a model.

By the way, what IS a transform? I've seen many "transform"s in cfg files when tweaking mods for personal use, but how do you define them? How do you set them?

EDIT: yes, I've been looking at youtube. The videos that I have been able to find make no sense to me.

[Alskari]

I can't help you with sketchup, I use Blender. To complete this process you will need to download Unity though. Unity is where you'll be defining transforms.

[wasmic]

Alright. Surfing a bit around has revealed that you need a plugin for sketchup to UV map directly from there. How complicated is UV mapping in blender? I'd like to know before downloading.

[Tw1]

I don't think Sketchup has any UV mapping ability. You could download blender (tis' free), export your model from sketchup, import it into blender, then map it there.

You'd need to select your model by pressing A, go down to the bottom where there is a little menu, there you select edit mode. Then, on the left of the screen, scroll down until you see a thing that says "unrap". That brings you another menu, with a bunch of UV options to choose from.

Then, you need to press F11 and shift at the same time, to get a UV view. Down the bottom, there is a menu wich says UV, and in that, there is an option to export UV. Save it somewhere to use.

Another tip- go outside the lines it draws when you do the drawing, or you'll get them turning up in the finished thing.

[Alskari]

Blender is easy to use once you figure it out. I think UV unmapping is pretty straightforward.

Unfortunately the supposed myriad of tutorials are usually short on screenshots. I've been thinking for a while of doing a simple screen shot tutorial, so I think I may go ahead and do that.

[wasmic]

Thanks, I'll try blender. The UV unwrapping plugins for S-ketchup look awfully complicated.

[wasmic]

Alright, now I have another problem - blender is extremely complicated compared to Sketchup. I've got a question: Where can I change the distance that one "blender unit" equals? I would like to change it to half a meter or something like that.

Edit: Whoops, double post

EDIT2: Okay, I don't think I'll ever be going to unwrap anything unless someone makes a detailed video walkthrough. Are there any KSP part tutorials on youtube?

Edited September 25, 2013 by wasmic

[Alskari]

That is the 'Scene' tab there. Under 'Units' you'll want it to be set up like that for the sake of convenience.

[wasmic]

I found some basic tutorials for ksp parts using blender on youtube. Now my only question is: How do I change one "blender unit" to equal one meter?

[Dispatcher]

There is actually a You Tube tutorial about modeling and UV unwrapping for KSP ... in this sub forum. http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/24742-Planing-on-a-new-Blender-Tutorial

For changing from Blender units to meters, look at the image in Alskari's post just above this one. See the blue buttons to the right? By default the "None" button will be highlighted in blue. Just click on the Metric button. In any case, None and Metric have about the same effect on the dimensions; I just set to Metric out of habit.

Edited September 25, 2013 by Dispatcher
grammar.

[Kerba Fett]

IF you're finding Blender too complex (as I do) take a look at Wings 3d. It's also free like blender, but it only does modeling. No animation or fancy rendering. (although it can link to POV ray) I find the interface less intimidating than blender.

I find the uv mapping to be pretty straightforward. Select the polys to uv map, open the uv window, select the edges to cut, and unfold. Then just move and rotate your uv's for easier painting and save your object.

As for. Getting your stuff through Unity and into KSP, there's some decent tutorials on YouTube about making objects in wings, setting them up in Unity, and moving them into KSP.

[wasmic]

Yes, I just noticed that I already had both asked and gotten an answer, and then asked again. I have just made my first model and I have UV unwrapped it. For now, no problem. Now to download Unity...

[Alskari]

Let me know if you need any Unity help.

[wasmic]

Alright, thanks everybody. I've made and textured a small odd-size (between 1.25 and 2.5) fuel tank. KSP loads both my model and my texture, but for some reason it won't load my cfg, meaning that the part doesn't appear. What makes it even weirder is that foor the .cfg, I just copied the swimming-pool tank .cfg, changed name, title, fuel capacity, description and dry mass. I also changed

mesh = model.mu to

mesh = tank15-75.mu.

I have no idea what I have done wrong.

EDIT: lol, just noticed that a page 2 had appeared. Weird that I hadn't noticed that before, seeing as I have already posted in it

@Kerba Fett: I've grasped enough of blender to make a few basic things. I might try the Wings 3D thingy at some point, if I'm going to make some more complicated models

@Alskari: Well, the forum tutorials contained enough information for me to make a fuel tank. I'm not sure how to define transforms, though, which is needed when I'm going to make engines sometime in the future.

Edited September 26, 2013 by wasmic

[Alskari]

Either leave mesh = model.mu as is (it should still work) or use the new structure completely. Which is what I recommend. Example.

[Technical Ben]

You could follow the tutorial I posted.

[wasmic]

You could follow the tutorial I posted.

Actually... I already did. I found it on youtube and followed it, but simplified it to a cylinder. I watched it primarily to learn how to UV map, but I also learned about the smooth shader thingy. It was VERY helpful.

@alskari: I'll try to do that.

[wasmic]

Update: @Alskari, it didn't work, sadly. My problem is that Kerbal doesn't even recognize the cfg, not that it doesn't read the cfg.

EDIT: Dammit, I double posted again!

Oh, and my setup is like this:

GameData/

Apokee/

Parts/

FuelTank/

Tank1-05/

FuelTank.png

part.cfg/

tank15-75.mu

Custom Stuff

Squad

Internals

...

Maybe I should just try and run it through Unity again.

Edited September 26, 2013 by wasmic

[Alskari]

Screenshots. I recommend you post screenshots.

[Technical Ben]

Thanks wasmic! There is also a Wings3D tutorial someone made if your using that software.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irUNsihVYyY

[NoMrBond]

If it's not private/secret at this point indev, you could put the .cfg contents up in a post as a CODE snippet, or put the whole thing up on pastebin (or something similar, gDoc etc), as someone may be able to spot why it's not loading

[Kerba Fett]

If I'm understanding your post, you've put your object in the main KSP directory. It should be in it's own directory in the gamedata directory.

[wasmic]

The post got messed up for some reason - I have put my files in the GameData folder. I'll try to run it all through Unity again at some point, but I don't really have the time today.