My notes on UV Unwrapping for games...
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UV Unwrapping for Games
Have to decide what need to unwrap / e.g - if prop has seperate attachments that can be customised
2k map standard for games
Golden Rules..***
Apply one smoothing group per UV island
Follow the flow and Avoid hard edges in UV islands - e.g 45 degree angles. - stretching - normal maps effected. Relates to smoothing groups
Avoid zig zagging and distortion as much as you can - Make sure everything is as straight as possible on UV borders - Torus islands should be straightened
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Clear all smoothing groups
TexTools plugin ****
- tools - smoothing groups from UV shells - caclulates smoothing groups based on UV islands - makes prop ready for texturing ****
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Chamferzones google drive - shares his free project files
Useful stuff - smartstitch script
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Smart stitch script***
to install script - new script - open - scripts folder - smart stitch - tools - evaluate all - customise user interface - set to shift plus S shortcut for smartstitch
Using smartstitch - selects a break on uv island and presses shortcut and it stitches for you
SS Options - UVeditor - tools
Align clusters - Scale Clusters - checked
Bias - 0
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Unwrapping Processes..
Isolates a part
Has smoothing groups (watch highpoly special - chamfer modifier and smoothing groups)
Selects whole element - Flatten by smoothing group
Lays out UVs according to smoothing groups! **
Isnt perfect - may have stretching
Select everything - Peel mode (peel does everything that relax does but usually better)
Tex tools - edge mode
Select edges and click align
For parts you wont really see - dont worry too much about hard edge unwrapping
Rescale elements --- sets everything to same density
Selects faces on edge of a curve and does Flatten Mapping - smart stiches to make islands
Selects faces - does Quick Planar
Peel mode
If theres a mess after peel mode - do Pack Custom
To define a UV cut - select edge and click "convert edge to seams"
To straighten two sides of a striaght uv island - select the edges - make loop selection select the top right - press *---* - then select *|* (looks similar - 26min in tut**)
Unfold Strip from loop**
Edge ode- define seam - click unfold strip from loop - makes clean unwrap
When all unwrapped - rescale elements button
To layout**
Uncheck rescale under arrange elements
click pack normalize
Change padding to 0.1
look at parts you wont see much and scale them down
repeat the pack normalize
Last step:
Use textools to assign one smothing group to each UV island
Sometimes doesnt apply the hard edge principle to more organic shapes like grenade he wants it all to be one smoothing group