Texture Coordinates
From polycount
Texture coordinates, also called UVs, are pairs of numbers stored in the vertices of a mesh. These numbers are often used to stretch a 2D texture onto a 3D mesh, but they can be used for other things like coloring the mesh (see Vertex color), controlling the flow across the surface (see Flow map), etc.
Contents
[hide]UV Tutorials
UV mapping thought process. Images by Jesse "skankerzero" Sosa. |
- UV Unwrapping Best Practice Factors & Priorities Polycount Forum thread.
- 3DS Max - UVing complex objects Polycount Forum thread, UVs for complex cylindrical-shaped meshes.
- Best techniques for packing UV’s Polycount Forum thread.
- An Introduction To UVMapping In 3d Studio Max by Ben Tate.
- UV Theory Polycount forum thread, how to plan good UVs.
- As it turns out, we all suck at unwrapping? Polycount forum thread.
- Step-by-Step Techniques for Tiling Textures in 3ds Max - by Chris Holden, how to make texture atlases.
- Organic rock UV seams Polycount forum thread, how to create good UVs for spheroids.
- Unwrapping a sphere Polycount forum thread, good methods for UVing spheres. For sphere modeling tips see SphereTopology.
- First-Person Weapon UVs by Joe 'EarthQuake' Wilson, good weapon UVs.
- Maya / Mudbox: Street Cop Workflow by Mashru Mishu, good character UVs.
- uv + turbosmooth= big problem Polycount forum thread, how to prevent 3ds Max subdivision from distorting UVs. A similar thread: Best way to approach unwrapping UVWs with Meshsmooth?.
- What's an 8-sided tiled texture ? Polycount forum thread, how to edit textures so you can rotate and mirror them on adjacent polygons without seams.
- Light map#Light_Map_Texture_Coordinates
- TextureAtlas
UV Tools
3ds Max
- TexTools
- PolyUnwrapper
- Texture Atlas Generator
- turboTools
- Normalize UVs Maxscipt
- LCSM Unwrap
- 3ds Max Bridge to Headus UV Layout
- 3ds Max Bridge to Roadkill
- morphMap
Headus
Maya
Softimage / XSI
- Softimage Bridge to Headus UV Layout
- Texturing Scripts on CreativeCrash.com
- Softimage Bridge to Roadkill
UV Map Grids
The grid is a texture to use while unwrapping a mesh. Sometimes called a custom UV map template, a UV checker, or a test grid.
Good things to have in a UV map grid:
- A large checker grid to see large distortions.
- A fine per-pixel grid to see small distortions.
- Circles help with solving distortion, as it's easier for the human eye to see when a circle is distorted than a square.
- Unique colors across the map, to see where the UV is tiling.
- Letters and/or numbers to see when the UV is reversed.
- Letters and/or numbers to see where a mesh feature is located in UV space.