3ds Max - Mapping question

Davide_sd

I'm trying to create some good textures for my daedalus mesh, but i have some questions to do; this mesh is very detailed. Actually every panel is a single object; a lot of them are istances of other panels, so if i'll apply a modifier to one, all other istances will add the same modifier.
What's the best way to mapping this beast? add to each panel a uvw map modifier seems to be an hard/laborious work. i was thinking to group all small panels to a mesh object, then big panels to another mesh object and so on, and then add an unwrap modifier to each mesh objects...how would you procede?

solarie

Yeah you can do as you say, but it will give the plates more or less the same plate feeling,
Like they all have the same dirt and bump mapping and all that.” A bit boring”
If I were you I would unwrap them all, and make 3-5 different textures to add some depth to the ship and the plate work, there is no easy way texturing is almost as mutsh job as the modelling process. :rolleyes:

I my self also do it the dreading way plate for plate object one by one it takes long time but after it is don you will feel a big “huge” self accomplishment, I do In any case

PS: I also offer to help make thus textures if you want; I love to make them yeah i know am crazy.

MadKoiFish

Well for one Id collapse all those clones if you want different maps to each panel set.
Looking at the mesh Id say a lot of planar mapping will be involved. If you plan to unwrap or not is another question. Id do so in a simple way by envisioning it in a simplified box form and going from there. With unwrapping you can place specific details in specific places where just planar mapping you can get some control but not as much as with unwrap.

not to plug the tut site but Tutorials The madFish Way! under texturing I have some basic maps example and a grid line map similar to a unwraped mesh approach as well. There are a lot of steps you can clearly skip but it should give you a general idea. TRUE unwrapping will output a image with all faces on it.
MAX itself has some good tuts as well in all the different UVW types and unwrapping a simple object.

Davide_sd

thank you for the answers!