Modeler

Chapter 8: Map Tab 275Vertex MapChoose which UV Map to work on by typing the name into theText field, or selecting it from the drop down list. The list containsall the names of all the UV Maps used during the current session,whether or not the objects remain open, and whether or not themaps have any points assigned to them. If you type a new nameinto the field, a new map will be created. If the map you pick (orcreate) isn’t chosen in the Vmap Bar at the bottom of the screen,it will be when you click OK.Once you have points, you can use the Stretch tool (Modify >Transform: Stretch or H) to pull the polys down so they fit in theUV space, and your image won’t wrap.Select EdgeThis option allows you to choose in which direction the Spiderwill run. Like similar tools in LightWave, if you’ve chosen twopolys, Auto will give you the correct direction. Otherwise, you canchoose Odd or Even by using the menu (but it’s more predictable- and therefore faster - just to grab two polys.)DirectionChoose the direction you want the UVs to run in. If you aremapping horizontal polys, choose the U direction. If you aremapping vertical polys, choose V.U Start, U EndChoose the place on the map for the polys to be laid down.You can safely leave this at 0.0 to Start and 1.0 to End for thedirection you are mapping. So, in our example, where we’remapping in U, we would leave U Start at 0.0, and U End at 1.0.V Start, V EndUse small increments in the other direction, so the polys will belaid down row by row. In our example, if we started with V Startat 0.0 and V End at 0.05, we’d get one row of polys, the width ofthe map, and one twentieth of its height. Click OK, and the row ismade. Drop the polys.Select the first two polys of the next row, and click the commandagain. The dialog box opens with the last settings intact, so youcan see where you are. Simply change the V Start to .05, andthe V End to .1, and make another row. Continue in that fashion,increasing both numbers by the same increment, until you havemapped the entire area.When you are finished, you may notice two things. First, your mapmay be longer than the UV space. Second, there aren’t any pointson it at all. That may be fine with you; in which case you’re done.But, if you need to further manipulate the map, it’s easy to do. Justuse the Unweld command (Detail > Points > Unweld). This willput points on all the polys, and allow you to use all the Modifytools, as you normally would. If your models are simple enough,you can Unweld selected points; if not, you can effectivelyUnweld the entire model. Just be sure not to move anything inX,Y,Z space, and the Merge command (M) will put it all backtogether again when you’re finished mapping. (Don’t merge untilyou finish, though, so wait until you go though the next step.)