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Zmodeler 2: UV-Mapping (texturing)


Description

by Hoppah
Hi,

Another tutorial about UV-mapping for Zmodeler 2 users.
UV-mapping is the progress of creating a texture/skin for a 3D model.

The purpose of this tutorial is teaching you how to make a new texture/skin for a 3D model.

Zmodeler 2 website: [url="http://www.zmodeler2.com"]www.zmodeler2.com[/url]

[b]UV-Mapping with Zmodeler 2 (v2.0.7.802)[/b]

Difficulty: Moderate

Programs used:
Zmodeler 2 (v2.0.7.802) Registered version
PhotoShop CS (v8.0.1)

==========================

WHAT IS UV-MAPPING?
UV-mapping is the process of applying a texture onto a model.
When UV-mapping, you assign each 3D vertex to a certain location on texture.

[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/uvmap_01.jpg"]Image 01: Example of a texture[/url]
[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/uvmap_02.jpg"]Image 02: Example of a model without texture[/url]

==========================

TIP TO MAKE GOOD TEXTURES FOR YOUR MODEL
You need to have a texture before you are going to UV-Map your model.

You can make a good and exact texture by making screenshots from all views of the model in Zmodeler 2.
You put those all together in one file, so you have one texture with all views.
Most of the details, like antenna's, side mirrors, interior and wheels are drawn later when you are about to UV-Map those parts.
You can make your texture quite easy and precise this way.

[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/uvmap_03.jpg"]Image 03: Make screenshot from all views[/url]
[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/uvmap_04.jpg"]Image 04: Make a texture[/url]
[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/uvmap_05.jpg"]Image 05: Draw the texture[/url]

==========================

LOAD TEXTURE
1. Make sure you have a model and a texture file. Import the model file.
2. You have to load a texture into Zmodeler 2. Go to View -> Materials Editor.
3. A small pop-up menu appears. Click on the first icon under the picture to add a new Material. Give the Material a name too.
4. Click under Texture Layer on the box next to the check.
5. Add your texture and click on OK.

When you have more textures you have to add more Materials.

[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/uvmap_06.jpg"]Image 06: Create Material and load a texture[/url]

==========================

ASSIGN TEXTURE TO MODEL
6. Before you are going to UV-Map you need to assign your Material(s) to the model.
7. You need to enabled the Scene Nodes Browser (Which shows a 'list' with the models) first. Go to View -> Floaters and enable Scene Nodes Browser if it is disabled.
8. Make sure you are in Object Mode (hotkey 4) and that Selected Mode (hotkey Space Bar) is disabled.
9. Right click on the name of your model and click on Properties. A pop-up menu appears.
Open Mesh -> Polygons. Change Material to the Material(s) you have made in step 3.

Note: When you add new polygons to your model after this, the new polygons aren not assigned to a Material!

[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/uvmap_07.jpg"]Image 07: Enable Scene Nodes Browser[/url]
[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/uvmap_08.jpg"]Image 08: Object Mode & Selected Mode[/url]
[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/uvmap_09.jpg"]Image 09: Assign Material to model[/url]

==========================

DETACH VERTICES
10. It is possible that the corners of polygons (vertices) are connected to each other. You get in trouble when you UV-Map polygons which are attached to polygons you don't want to uv-map (yet).
11. To detach them you need to select a group of polygons you want to detach from the other polygons.
12. Make sure you are in Polygon Mode (hotkey 3) and that Selected Mode (hotkey Space Bar) is enabled.
13. Use selection tools to select polygons. Selected polygons will change to red/orange.
14. To detach the polygons you need to go to Modify -> Submesh. Click on the square behind Detach.
15. Make sure those three options (To new object, Keep original, Enable drag) are NOT checked.
16. Click on Detach and click on the model with Left Mouse Button to detach the polygons. Nothing visual should happen.

When you want to assign more Materials to your model you have to make sure you are in Polygon Mode (hotkey 3).
Select and detach the area's on your model you want to assign to a certain Material.
Then do Step 9 again.

Note: You can use Shift-D to deselect everything. Use Shift-A to select all polygons.

[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/detached_vertexes.jpg"]Diference between attached and detached vertices[/url]
[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/uvmap_10.jpg"]Image 10: Selection tools[/url]
[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/uvmap_11.jpg"]Image 11: Select polygons[/url]
[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/uvmap_12.jpg"]Image 12: Detach polygons[/url]

==========================

UV-MAPPING
Change of your views to UV Mapper.
17. Make sure you are in Polygon Mode (hotkey 3) and that Selected Mode (hotkey Spacebar) is enabled.
18. Select the group of polygons you want to UV-Map. For example: the whole left side of your model.
19. Go to Vertex Mode (hotkey 1). Green lines -which represent the incidence of light- will appear from the vertices.
20. Change another view to where you see the largest part of the selected area's (which are red/orange). For example: when you have selected the left side of your model, change a view to Left View.
21. Go to Surface -> Mapping and click on Edit UV. Click once with Left Mouse Button on the view which you have changed in previous step.
22. A small menu will appear. Make sure 'Generate New' is checked. Do not touch the other options.
23. Click on OK. If you do not see see your texture in UV Mapper view, click on Material in UV Mapper view and select the Material the selected polygons are assigned to.
24. When everything is right, you should see your texture and part of the model (wiremodel) which you are going to UV-map now.

[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/uvmap_13.jpg"]Image 13: UV Mapper view[/url]
[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/uvmap_14.jpg"]Image 14: Vertex Mode[/url]
[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/uvmap_15.jpg"]Image 15: Generate Map[/url]
[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/uvmap_16.jpg"]Image 16: UV-Map[/url]

==========================

UV-MAPPING 2
25. Go to Object Mode (hotkey 4) and disable Selected Mode (hotkey Space Bar). Make sure you can edit X and Y co-ordinates.
26. Go to Modify and click on Move. You can move the wiremodel in UV Mapper view now. You can see what happens to your vehicle in 3d view or Perspective view.
27. Use other tools in Modify (like Scale and Rotate) to fit the wiremodel in the texture.
28. When you are done you can UV-map another area (Go to step 18 again).
When you are UV-Mapping a new area, you CAN NOT change the last UV-Mapped area anymore in UV Mapper view.

[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/uvmap_17.jpg"]Image 17: Tools[/url]
[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/uvmap_18.jpg"]Image 18: Fit UV-Map[/url]
[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/uvmap_19.jpg"]Image 19: Final result[/url]

==========================

EXPORT YOUR MODEL AS .V3O FILE
When you want to save (export) your vehicle as a .V3O file you need to make sure this is right:
- The name of your model in Scene Nodes Browser (View -> Floaters) must correspond to the name of the .V3O file.
- You can not export multiple models to one file. Attach (Modify) them first.
- The texture file must be located in the same folder as your model file.

[url="http://www.emergency-planet.com/tutorials/uvmap_20.jpg"]Image 20: Export model[/url]

For questions about this tutorial:
[url="http://forum.emergency-planet.com/index.php?showtopic=1740"]Zmodeler 2: UV-Mapping[/url]

==========================

Tutorial made by Hoppah
January 2006

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