Marked Seams Disappearing When Editing Verts on Editable Poly

[Anonymous]

I am still a beginner with Max, I started learning it a month ago, so forgive me if I do not make sense.

I would like to be able to edit my swords geometry after I have already started the process of Unwrapping via point to point seams, without losing all the seams I have created. Is this possible?

I created an editable poly, above it in the stack is an Unwrap UVW, which I have unticked "map seams" so I do not see the green seams. I then went around my model marking with point to point seams, I noticed some geometry I could clean up, I went back to the editable poly and fixed the geometry, when I went back to the Unwrap UVW all my marked seams were gone!

I redid this same scenario 4 more times, trying something different each time to see if I could work around it, but I have not been able to, my seams keep disappearing, could someone please help me?

Thanks,

Sherie

[Anonymous]

In editable poly, there is a ticker to "preserve uv".  Did you have this enabled?  Preserve UVs will allow you to move point and edges that are not on the edge of a UV island.

[Anonymous]

Does the tick box "preserve uvs" need to be ticked before I add the Unwrap UVW modifier?
As a test earlier I selected "Editable Poly" in the stack, selected yes when I got the warning about the UV's, then I went and put a tick in the "preserve uvs" deleted my vertices, but when I went back to "Unwrap UVW" all of my blue point-to-point seams that I had created earlier are not showing.

[blakestone]

If you're not already aware 3dsMax will save the UVW information into the mesh so at anytime you can collapse your modifier stack back to just an Editable Poly and continue modelling, then if you need to adjuts the UV's again just add the Unwrap UVW modifier back to your stack and make your changes and then collapse it when you're finished.

This is my workflow and I never have any issues with loss of UVs.

[Anonymous]

Hi Blakestone, What your describing is the part I am really having problems with, I must not be doing something correctly.

After reading your post I selected my "Editable Poly" put a tick in preserve uvs, collapsed the "Unwrap UVW" worked on my geometry, I then added the "Unwrap UVW" modifier back, I can then see all the green seams and "Map Seams" is ticked. I removed the ticket from "map seams" and I can not see all the blue "point-to-point" seams that I had created before I collapsed "Unwrap UVW". 

When you say "3dsMax will save the UVW information into the mesh" does this mean I should be able to see my previously created "point-to-point" blue seams? If yes, how do I make mine show up again?

Cheers,

[blakestone]

In case you were unaware "seams" and "pelt" tools are relatively new. A few versions ago they did not exist at all. Their function is to assist with the unwrapping process and not to replace any existing tools. From what you've written it sounds like you are relying quite heavily on these seams, all I can say is don't... Use it to unwrap your mesh as a once off and then move on. If you need to make changes to your UVs then modify what you've already unwrapped or redo your seams again. I use 3dsMax on a daily basis to model and unwrap 3D models and I have yet to use the "seam" and "pelt" tool, it's a nice addition but yeah I can get the same result using the existing tools which to be honest I find quicker as I do not need to worry about setting up seams!

I have attached an example

01. I have unwrapped a model using the Unwrap UVW modifier (using "seams" and "pelt" tool to unwrap)

02. I collapse my stack

03. I re-add the Unwrap UVW modifier and the information is still retained.

When you jump around the modifiers in your stack, especially when it comes to UV's you are at risk of losing what you've done, it even pop's up and
warns you. This is why I will continue to collapse the stack after unwrapping and then re-add it as I need to, this way I am never at risk of losing any information.

Hope this helps!?

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Hey Blakestone, the process I am following is one that is being taught to us through the college, in their example though, he does not make any mistakes and therefore does not show us how to go back and fix it, if we do make a mistake.

I totally agree with your comment on not relying on it. This whole process has really highlighted to me that I have to be pretty much 100% happy that my geometry was modelled correctly before I go to unwrap. In this case because I am following a tutorial and it was a long and difficult process to create all those point-to-point seams, re-creating each time is just not good.

I was lucky enough to find a fellow student that could screen share and step me through it, the one thing that I was doing wrong that seemed to kill this was, not being out of sub-object mode. This is my workflow now:

Make sure Unwrap UVW is not in sub-object mode (Grey Highlighted only),

Collapse All,

Go and edit what I need on the editable poly,

convert to editable poly,

Add the Unwrap UVW back

and there are all my previous seams, now they are green.

Again this would not be something you would want to do often. 🙂