Oh no not again!

[Vigilante]

Every once in a while I get the space-art bug. These aren't really screenshots, but are instead renders of 3-D models I made in Amapi 7 superimposed on spacescapes I made in PSP. I made everything except the human figures, which are from Poser. I don't know what the artistic value is but I have an awful lot of fun making them, so I thought I'd show them off.





Someday I would like to learn some new UV mapping techniques so I could make proper skins for the models rather than just using procedurals from the Carrara 5 renderer. The aluminum looks great on some, but I would like to put panel lines, rivets, and wear on some of my 1930-ish Space Opera rocketships.

[adlabs6]

Nice work Vig. That spaceship is really good looking.

Does Amapi7 have an internal UV map editor? If so it should be fairly straight forward. I've done quite a bit of UV work using Ultimate Unwrap 3D, and in my experience in that program it's about like laying out construction paper model piece by piece on a flat table.

If you've got any questions, let me know and I'll see if I can answer them.

[Vigilante]

Thanks Ads! There's a UV mapper in Carrara 5, which is where I texture and render the models, and I can work it OK, but after trying to orient the maps every which way I still can't seem to find a combination that will map a pointed cylinder without massive distortion. I'll post some ss examples later tonight. Maybe my problem isn't the mapping but instead dealing with mapping distortion when making textures?

[adlabs6]

For a shape like that fuselage, I cut it up into parts when mapping. I've got a few example pics I can post later also.

Your screens from Carrera will give me a clue what tools you're working with.

[Vigilante]

D'oh! I figured out my problem - I didn't know I needed to save the UV map to the model. I did a few quick lines on the template and I think I've got it now:

[adlabs6]

Hey, there you go.

And yes the UV map is part of the model file. Be certain the UV mapping is the final step you take, as any further edits on the model can either destroy the map, or create stretching distortions in it.