I think this one from 'Reunion' is the best reference there is:
THATS IT! Thanks Rekkert. It's just what I needed. I hate to be so dumb but is Klingon read left to right or right to left. I'm wondering what it says.
It's looking great. That Lightwave bug sounds like a hair pulling experience.
At one time I figured out (I thought) that if I delete the UV map and do it over it fixes it, and that has worked in the past. However this model is so complicated that I used the old map to help me select parts of the Vor'Cha and make a new map. I assumed this would work. After a DAY of redoing the UV map it didn't work. You DON'T want to hear the words I said.
Have you tried a UV unwrapping plugin? I used to use one (I don't remember the name) because I found the unwrapper in LW10 to be lackluster. Or would you still run into the same issue with exporting even if you used a plugin?
Have you tried a UV unwrapping plugin? I used to use one (I don't remember the name) because I found the unwrapper in LW10 to be lackluster. Or would you still run into the same issue with exporting even if you used a plugin?
By UV unwrapper you mean one that just does it all automatically? I think Lighwave does that but the problem is the size of things is distorted because it just crams it into the UV space. The most useful thing is the "Texture Guide" function. As long as you make the texture guide square (the same dimension on both sides of the direction you are shooting your model) the pieces retain their proper shape and dimension. I hope you have used it and know what I mean. Probably have.
By UV unwrapper you mean one that just does it all automatically? I think Lighwave does that but the problem is the size of things is distorted because it just crams it into the UV space. The most useful thing is the "Texture Guide" function. As long as you make the texture guide square (the same dimension on both sides of the direction you are shooting your model) the pieces retain their proper shape and dimension. I hope you have used it and know what I mean. Probably have.
Yeah, it sounds like you are talking about that UV unwrapper that I hated in LW10. As you say, it just crams stuff into the UV space, it also tends to create too many parts for the maps. I most of the time just use planar and cylinder mapping from the image dialog and the axis control and automatic sizing to put it where it needs to go. Every now and then I use a sphere or cube, but those aren't the best things to use. Looking at the Texture Guide, it looks like it also uses planar, cylinder, sphere and cube mapping. It just shows you where the map is going to line up. Very handy. I'll have to keep that in mind for the future, thanks for letting me know about it.
Oh, Texture guide is a game changer. You can rotate it, move it over to the object in question. You can tip it and bank it and change it's pitch. It is the best shot at UV mapping anything. I was taught how to use it by the the CGI artist for a B movie called "Iron Sky." Before, I couldn't UV map. After, I could. Now if NewTek could just find and fix the UV map output bug. I don't know what triggers it. It may have something to do with the fact that the standard EPS file output size is 6 x 6. I have always changed it to 24 x 24. I wanted to have more pixels to work with.
Oh, Texture guide is a game changer. You can rotate it, move it over to the object in question. You can tip it and bank it and change it's pitch. It is the best shot at UV mapping anything. I was taught how to use it by the the CGI artist for a B movie called "Iron Sky." Before, I couldn't UV map. After, I could. Now if NewTek could just find and fix the UV map output bug. I don't know what triggers it. It may have something to do with the fact that the standard EPS file output size is 6 x 6. I have always changed it to 24 x 24. I wanted to have more pixels to work with.
Yeah, Truespace had one of those and I really loved it, so it's nice to know that LW has one too. Thanks for that.
Iron Sky was a movie with good CGI. The script and acting were terrible, but the CGI was top notch. I get that it was supposed to be a satire, and I like satire, but I didn't feel that was well done satire.
Are you just exporting them map to line it up with your model? If you're wanting to line stuff up with your model, there's another way. You can take the part you want to use into Layout, render it straight on in the orientation you want it with an orthographic camera, then take that image into whatever program you're using to make the textures and line it up with that. As long as you're using planar mapping, it works quite well. That's the method I used to do the feather detailing on my D7 several years ago:
Iron Sky was a movie with good CGI. The script and acting were terrible, but the CGI was top notch. I get that it was supposed to be a satire, and I like satire, but I didn't feel that was well done satire.
You nailed it. I found the movie in a discount bin and watched it, and probably won't watch it again. There were one or two funny moments but the rest was pretty bad. I debated dubbing it a C movie. Luke and his cohorts did a very nice job on the CGI, however.
Your orthographic technique sounds intriguing. I've got to find a fix and that could be it. It would still take some trial and error to get it to match the UV map. One thing I had been doing is just enlarging the image in the left lower corner (200% - it needs to be twice as big, not 4 x) and trying to match it up with the real map. It's clunky because the lines are thicker and not nearly as clean. However, it is relatively fast.
Ok so I re-read what you did to map things orthographically, thought about it and realized what it could do for me. It could make some difficult shapes easier. Just save them to a new object file. Manually unwrap the mesh, shoot an ortho and now suddenly it becomes the template for how you should properly do your Texture guide unwrap to keep each polygon its true size.
You nailed it. I found the movie in a discount bin and watched it, and probably won't watch it again. There were one or two funny moments but the rest was pretty bad. I debated dubbing it a C movie. Luke and his cohorts did a nice job on the CGI.
Sounds like me and Green Hornet with Seth Rogen. $5 DVD at Walmart, I've watched it exactly once in several years. (though, I may watch it again soon) I think I borrowed Iron Sky from the library, fortunately.
The one line I liked was the Moon German holding a cell phone or calculator or something modern and saying "THIS is not a computer. THAT is a computer" pointing to this big ugly 1950's Univac thing with blinking lights and tapes etc.
I'm working on interior greebles for the bussard collectors on the Vor'Cha.
Meanwhile I finally figured out a way to get the Photon Torpedo tubes into my Ares Diplomatic ship (not actually THAT difficult, It just took me a while to realize how to do it). You know, photon torpedo tubes make the ship a little more diplomatic.
At one point in time I started an Equinox. This is the Terran paint job. This thing has a difficult hull / saucer to get right. Truth be known, it still isn't right.
I always thought the Equinox would be cool to do, until I got a better look at the orthos. Too many things that I don't like about it, despite liking the ship overall.
Yours looks good, though. If it's not exactly right, it looks really close.
The engines aren't easy, the hull has odd quirks to it. You've got to be a better modeler than I am. Very likely you could do it. Certainly MKF and Nightfever could knock it out no problem.
So what do you think? Should I recolor the Vor'Cha's interior greebles Red and make them really glow? I think I'll try that. At least I used self-sealing stembolts.
Posts
THATS IT! Thanks Rekkert. It's just what I needed. I hate to be so dumb but is Klingon read left to right or right to left. I'm wondering what it says.
At one time I figured out (I thought) that if I delete the UV map and do it over it fixes it, and that has worked in the past. However this model is so complicated that I used the old map to help me select parts of the Vor'Cha and make a new map. I assumed this would work. After a DAY of redoing the UV map it didn't work. You DON'T want to hear the words I said.
By UV unwrapper you mean one that just does it all automatically? I think Lighwave does that but the problem is the size of things is distorted because it just crams it into the UV space. The most useful thing is the "Texture Guide" function. As long as you make the texture guide square (the same dimension on both sides of the direction you are shooting your model) the pieces retain their proper shape and dimension. I hope you have used it and know what I mean. Probably have.
Yeah, it sounds like you are talking about that UV unwrapper that I hated in LW10. As you say, it just crams stuff into the UV space, it also tends to create too many parts for the maps. I most of the time just use planar and cylinder mapping from the image dialog and the axis control and automatic sizing to put it where it needs to go. Every now and then I use a sphere or cube, but those aren't the best things to use. Looking at the Texture Guide, it looks like it also uses planar, cylinder, sphere and cube mapping. It just shows you where the map is going to line up. Very handy. I'll have to keep that in mind for the future, thanks for letting me know about it.
Yeah, Truespace had one of those and I really loved it, so it's nice to know that LW has one too. Thanks for that.
Iron Sky was a movie with good CGI. The script and acting were terrible, but the CGI was top notch. I get that it was supposed to be a satire, and I like satire, but I didn't feel that was well done satire.
Are you just exporting them map to line it up with your model? If you're wanting to line stuff up with your model, there's another way. You can take the part you want to use into Layout, render it straight on in the orientation you want it with an orthographic camera, then take that image into whatever program you're using to make the textures and line it up with that. As long as you're using planar mapping, it works quite well. That's the method I used to do the feather detailing on my D7 several years ago:
You nailed it. I found the movie in a discount bin and watched it, and probably won't watch it again. There were one or two funny moments but the rest was pretty bad. I debated dubbing it a C movie. Luke and his cohorts did a very nice job on the CGI, however.
Nice D7. I really need to do one.
Sounds like me and Green Hornet with Seth Rogen. $5 DVD at Walmart, I've watched it exactly once in several years. (though, I may watch it again soon) I think I borrowed Iron Sky from the library, fortunately.
Meanwhile I finally figured out a way to get the Photon Torpedo tubes into my Ares Diplomatic ship (not actually THAT difficult, It just took me a while to realize how to do it). You know, photon torpedo tubes make the ship a little more diplomatic.
I think someone once called it "aggressive negotiations."
Yours looks good, though. If it's not exactly right, it looks really close.
Yeah, that's exactly how it is. The Rhode Island had a sensor dome covering that, but the Equinox had the bridge sunken in like that.