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texturing uvw unwrap 3dsmax

A

airvice

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unitedkingdom
Having looked through the forums here i can see threads about unwrapping textures in gmax using LithUnwrap and the 3ds gmax plugin but not for
3dsmax9.

Can anyone advise me of the best method for doing this?

If i want to apply custom photorealistic or baked on textures tailered in photoshop to complex parts of a vc for example ?

also the best method for creating a uv multiple object texture map?

thanks

k
 
I'd like to know too, having just got Max 7, but I see there's some tutorials in the help files so I'd start there for some basics.
 
ive seen tuts about uvw unwrap but not about unwrapping a complex object then exporting to a paint program editing it then compiling in to a multiple (1024x1024) texture sheet for use in FSX ?

or applying a baked on texture ?
k
 
Last edited:
LithUnwrap isn't needed for Max. It has it's own built in function to generate unwrapped mesh templates! :)

With the UVW Editor open, explore the options on the toolbar. I don't have Max loaded at the moment, but it's on there. You can render the mesh to texture and save in a specified size and format (.bmp, .jpg, .tga, etc.)
 
Ok still struggling a litle here

i have managed to bake textures on to an object using render to texture in max 9 but the images resolution once baked is very poor.

also i cant find a way of creating a uv texture map with the baked textures in it . There seems to be no option for this in max How do i create a 1024 dds from here with all the baked textures on it.

do i just save the render to texture as a dds or do i render another uvw template with all the baked textures on the object ( this seems to loose all textures in the process)

ive tried all approaches here but either no result or blurred low res bit map

My current method.

1. use uvw unwrap modifier in 3dsmax9
2. create a render uv template in 3dsmax from the edit uvw box
3. save uv render as jpg open in photoshop
4. add textures to fit exact unwrapped object geomatory. save as jpg
5.apply to object in max and bake textures on in scene with lighting
6. then i render to texture again and save a jpg or dds dxt5
7.apply this dds to object
7 results = horrible blurred low res



what am i missing here?


thanks
k
 
Size of texture when you render? And don't use .jpg - depending on degree of compression it gets ghastly quite easily.
 
Do not save as anything except either 24-bit .BMP or .PSD for use in Max.

Only generate converted DDS/DXT5 for use in FSX.
 
airvice said:
...i cant find a way of creating a uv texture map with the baked textures in it ....
Click to expand...

With the LithUnwrap method for gmax in mind, a work method for Max would seem to be:-

Once you've got an object mapped nicely, render to texture with Use Existing Channel selected, rather than Use Automatic Unwrap. This gives a texture file you can load in Photoshop/PSP/whatever. Set this file as the texture for the model parts you want to include on one texture sheet.

You can now proceed to map the next object, placing the mapping on the sheet as suits via the UVW editor. As each object is mapped, render its mapping to texture and add the resulting file as a layer to your texture sheet. (this is a good reason to use .psd format files btw) Then update the texture in the material editor - presto, an increasingly populated texture sheet.

When it's done, make a .dds file for FSX.

I wouldn't claim infallibility for this, I've just started stomping around in Max: no doubt others with more experience will know more or better methods.
 
thanks for your advice all !

i missed the use existing channel part for some reason this part of the render windows is jumbled up and text not displayed correctly so hard to use but this method seems to work ok the only problem is if a save as layers in photo shop the renders all have black backgrounds rather than white. This would mean cutting them out and pasting on to a white blank sheet which will end up looking utidy around the edges of objects is there no way of rendering to texture with a white background?



thanks
k
 
Last edited:
For the LithunWrap/Gmax method I would select all the black background in the bitmap for each layer and erase it, leaving it transparent. I also have a solid background layer. That way layers stack up neatly and should show nicely in Max's UVW editor

I was also using PSP, but you may knock me down with a feather if Photoshop can't select all of a given colour...
 
In Photoshop, use the Magic Wand to select all the pure black and then hit the delete key to remove it. Done.

Learn to use your tools and you'll save a lot of time and grief... ;)
 
airvice said:
but .BMP 's dont allow alph channels as fa as im aware?

k
Click to expand...

Considering that Alpha channels are meaningless in Max, and that your master texture should always be kept in a layered .PSD file anyway, it should make no difference whatever in the end.

You can of course use a TARGA (.tga) in Max, which will help keep the memory requirements lower while modeling, but your textures for use in FS should always be created from the master .PSD file.
 
Always use 32b tga with pre-multiplied alpha when r2t in 3dsmax.
It's free of losses and saves the outline of your geometry into the alpha channel that you can later use in photoshop to get rid of the background ("load selection" select "layer transparency ".

Lithunwrap is still a handy tool to get wireframe templates for multiple parts in a row.
Just select all objects you wish to create a wireframe for, export selected to 3ds format and load that file into LithUnwrap, save your template.
 
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