[Mihai]

The UVs on an object determine how a 2D bitmap will be mapped to a 3D object. So the UVs represent the polygons in your mesh, but in 2D space. Imagine cutting a sphere so that you can lay it out flat on a surface, with as little distortions as possible.

[Cloudman]

Ok, thanks. the only experience I've had with UV is reversing the normals to invert text maps correctly.

Presumably it doesn't physically unwrap the surface does it? If so does it automatically wrap it again when you export to maxwell? Will it clean up all those messy meshes I'm getting?

[Mihai]

It won't change anything in the actual geometry, just the UV data.

[hyltom]

Personally i have never understood how to use an unwrapper and then texture the surface. Also, i don't want to faste my time for that. So i use a trick in rhino to get my mapping looking good most of the time. Now what ever is my surface and my map i spend less than few second to put the texture right. Thomas An. has helping me to write a tool in Rhino to achieve this result.

Here is the button script:
'_CPlane _View _applyplanarmapping 1 _changeplane -50,-50,0 50,50,0 _single 1 1
_CPlane _Origin World Top

So after creating a new button with this script, select your surface or multisurface IN THE PERSPECTIVE VIEWPORT and simply left click on the new created button. In that case for the speaker grid to looks strait, go to the texture mappping properties in rhino and rotate the texture in the UVW rotation (it should be the W).

EDIT: I forgot to mention that if you changed your camera setting (rotate the view), you will have to update the projection setting because this type of projection is base on the camera positionning.

[Maximus3D]

Very good looking and simple method hyltom i think your approach is the best one suggested so far. I have to say, ignore whatever i suggested because i like what hyltom wrote even more.

/ Max

[Cloudman]

Personally i have never understood how to use an unwrapper and then texture the surface. Also, i don't want to faste my time for that. So i use a trick in rhino to get my mapping looking good most of the time. Now what ever is my surface and my map i spend less than few second to put the texture right. Thomas An. has helping me to write a tool in Rhino to achieve this result.

Here is the button script:
'_CPlane _View _applyplanarmapping 1 _changeplane -50,-50,0 50,50,0 _single 1 1
_CPlane _Origin World Top

So after creating a new button with this script, select your surface or multisurface IN THE PERSPECTIVE VIEWPORT and simply left click on the new created button. In that case for the speaker grid to looks strait, go to the texture mappping properties in rhino and rotate the texture in the UVW rotation (it should be the W).

EDIT: I forgot to mention that if you changed your camera setting (rotate the view), you will have to update the projection setting because this type of projection is base on the camera positionning.

Thanks for taking the time to do this Hyltom.....much appreciated. My problem is I don't have a licence of Rhino.....I only use Rhino to import my STEP file and export using the Maxwell plugin......no save required so i get by with the demo.

I will investigate doing this kind of thing within Alias.

[yolk]

i'd just model the damn holes..ideas should be able to handle the 9487983475 holes. i textured maybe 4 things in my life..the rest i modeled..it saved me 6 years and 21 hours in total

[Cloudman]

i'd just model the damn holes..ideas should be able to handle the 9487983475 holes. i textured maybe 4 things in my life..the rest i modeled..it saved me 6 years and 21 hours in total

You joke, but I've done this before with custom grilles......only around the speaker though.

[hyltom]

Thanks for taking the time to do this Hyltom.....much appreciated. My problem is I don't have a licence of Rhino.....I only use Rhino to import my STEP file and export using the Maxwell plugin......no save required so i get by with the demo.

I will investigate doing this kind of thing within Alias.

You can do the same with any software that allow you to manipulate the projection mapping. What you have to do is simply to have the planar mapping facing the camera...easy to say but not easy to do as you will have to make a lot of experimentation.

[polynurb]

interesting approach Hyltom!

i see the surface projection has problems at the edges, because it is a polysurface. Your method is very helpful for polysurfaces!

though in rhino or alias i would model that simple shape as a single untrimmed networksurface, using the edgecurves and a few additional cross sections.
You will then get homogenous uv divisions which can fit cloth textures with very realistic distortion. Actually one could tweak the controlpoints to simulate slight stretch at edges on the model, instead of altering the texture.

[JorisMX]

I wish I could work with Rhino.
The Plugin UI looks so great and it seems incredibly powerfull. Atleast that's what I keep seeing you guys model with it

I just can't use Rhino. The UI makes me furious and the mouse controls kill me. I guess that's what I get for using cinema all the time

Oh btw, is a nice projection possible in c4d? And if yes then how?

[polynurb]

I just can't use Rhino. The UI makes me furious and the mouse controls kill me. I guess that's what I get for using cinema all the time

i started drafting with autocad... to me rhino was a revelation

[JorisMX]

Poor you

[rusteberg]

As another UV unwrapper I can really recommend Unfold 3D, no manual work needed, except to specify where the cuts should be, but it's really fast to do that.

apparently unwrella can do that for you...
http://www.unwrella.com/
here's another free one i came across...
http://www.mankua.com/uvwframe.php