UV Mapping

1. Unwrap UV

Please keep the UV island count under 200.

UV mapping is the process of taking the vertices of a 3D mesh and mapping them onto a 2D plane. Then, this layout is used to map the texture file (image) onto the 3D mesh.

It's good to divide UV islands based on the pattern of the outfit, which is the seams.

To prevent pixel loss, it's best to work as tightly as possible both horizontally and vertically.

2. UV Mapping at 3Ds Max

• Seams are perfect guides that indicate where to insert UV seams into the model. If you've modeled using references, use the outfit's seams as guides to approximately locate the UV seams.

• The UV editing system in 3Ds Max may not be sufficient for handling complex UV layouts. Utilizing additional UV workflow features can streamline your work effectively.

• A well-organized UV layout can simplify texturing. Aligning UV islands based on their direction can be extremely helpful, although this process is largely manual.

3. Exporting UV Maps

If you plan to texture with Substance Painter, you can skip this step. This process is useful when you only want to decorate the outfit with colors and simple drawings in Photoshop.

To create and edit textures in a separate image editing program, you need to export the UV map as an image file.

In 3Ds Max, you can export the UV map by using the "Render UVW Template" option under the Tools menu of the UV Layout panel. When you select this option, the file menu will appear.

We recommend to reduce the resolution of the UV layout to 1024 x 1024 pixels.

Align the parts marked in green to match the image and then click "Render UV Template.

Click the save button.

After specifying the location and filename, set the [save as type] to Targa image File and save.