In the following article we would like to introduce you to 6 practical tips for UV mapping (very important process to create a 3D configurator).
If you are not yet familiar with the basics of UV mapping, we recommend that you first watch the following video:
In the asset pipeline, UVs are often considered boring and receive little attention. However, neglecting these steps can lead to serious technical problems later on.
For this reason, we have written the following article. You will understand a few concepts that will help you save time in the future and make a good overall impression on your colleagues. Please note that this workflow is mainly for VFX work, but some of these concepts can also be applied to games.
The techniques presented here have been learned in practice, and of course you may not agree with some of them. If you would like to tell us something in this regard, please send us an e-mail to marketing@viscircle.com
Why good UVs are so important?
UV mapping tasks vary from company to company. Some studios have the modellers and others the texture artists.
If you are a modeller, it is important to understand how annoying it is for a texture artist to receive bad UVs. The UVs should be well organized, otherwise you run the risk of wasting too much time on this task.
If you are the texture artist and are not busy with the task of unpacking, you should often communicate with the modeller who is responsible for the UVs. Before tracking a new task, be sure to notify the modeler of your intention beforehand.
Good UVs save money and time. If the UVs are perfectly designed when working on the assets, the modeler has done a good job.
Define their resolution.
When working on a asset, we often want to find out how close the camera gets to the object. You usually get this information from the Asset Manager.
The general rule for the movie is that the texture resolution of the piece should be twice as high as the final resolution.
Example: If your screen output is 2K and your UVs will be 4K, the parts you see on your Maya screen should be doubled in their UV view.
You should always keep this advice in mind. This way you don`t have to worry about blurry textures.
Add support edges.
Before unpacking, we would like to point out another important thing you should bear in mind when modeling an object with a hard surface. You should avoid stretching. The texture spreads around an edge if the seam edge is not properly reinforced. To prevent this, you should place additional supporting edges around their hard edges.
Flat cylinders and strips.
When un-wrapping cylinders, strips or ropes it is possible to get a strange result. This result can affect your textures. There is an excellent technique that works well in Maya and may help you create these UVs directly. See the video below.
If you have a flattened UV cover, it is also advantageous to have text or logo applied.
Avoid discrepancies.
The constant scale of your UV is crucial to avoid later inconsistencies with your texture resolution. It is best to use a UV-Checker to check if you have the right size. You can easily find a UV-Checker online.
In practice there are some exceptions that are acceptable to have several resolutions in the same object.
Sometimes there are parts that will be closer to the camera than others and therefore should simply have a different resolution. But even if you have different sizes, I would recommend that you scale them proportionally. This way it will be easier for you to enlarge assets later if you need to.
Good cuts and no visible seams.
Fortunately, we live at a time when we no longer have to worry about UV seams, but that doesn`t mean you have to be irresponsible with your cuts. Although in some cases you may need to cut more to get a higher resolution, you need to be careful and avoid unnecessary visible seams.
Separate tiles by material and organization.
By separating the tiles by material you save a lot of time in the selection process.
However, it is often the case that small pieces with different materials result that do not have to remain in the tiles. So it is up to you to decide where you want to place it. You should only take care not to place it too close to other UVs, this will make it easier for you to choose later.
When it comes to UVs, the organisation is enormous importance. Not only should you be separated according to materials, but it is also crucial to finde the right way to organize you intelligently and, if possible, make good use of the available UV space and thus avoid empty spaces.
Conclusions.
I hope you found this article useful. It is clear that UVs can be boring, but remember that you will be working in a team and it is important to hand over your work seriously to the next employee in the pipeline.
We will continue to publish more content on this topic on our blog in the future.
Thank you for reading.
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