[bizzybody]

The available UV mapping selections in trueSpace 3.2 are very limited, Planar; which just maps the same texture onto two sides and 'streaks' it over anything between, Cylindrical; which wraps the texture one way around but the ends usually come out funky, Cubical; which puts the textures on from six directions but still has a problem where some faces have wildly differing mapping specs, and Spherical; which wraps around an object all ways but leads to gross distortions unless the object is pretty much spherical. (The trueSpace user community was thrilled to FINALLY get applyable cubic mapping in 3.2. No explanation why it took so long when cube primitives were always generated with a 'built in' cubic map.)

There are some external programs and tSX plugins that work with tS 3.2 to rip/extract the existing UV map to a flat image that can be used as a guide for creating form fitting textures, but I've never seen a tSX for 3.2 that can actually adjust the UV map to straighten out problem areas.

trueSpace 4 and up have the ability to apply UV mapping on one or more selected faces.

Sooo, what external UV mapping apps are out there? Any free ones? Any that can work directly on .cob files?

[Vasudan Admiral]

The answer to all those questions is Lithunwrap.
FS-related tutorial and download link by IPAndrews

Incidentally, I would HIGHLY recommend you use something other than TS 3.2 as your modeler; let alone your texturer. Blender for example is far more flexible and vastly more powerful, and most importantly, free and open-source. (see my last post here for more info and d/l link)

I can understand you know your way around TS already and thus be reluctant to change, but I've used TS 5 and then 6 alongside Blender for a few years now (learning 3ds max now), and it really does sacrifice flexability, stability and capability for....well....nothing really. Infuriating and/or perplexing bugs perhaps.

[Water]

Blender also has a very good unwrapper.

Simply put seams on the model -and unwrap. Using a grid texture will show up any problems. Add seams until the check pattern looks consistent. Once you are happy start texturing. Even if you are half way through a texturing job you can add/change seams and change the layout. But then you have to change things around in whatever  paint software you use. Using a grid or check pattern means you are more likely to get it right first time.

Blender exports to Truespace with the uvmapping.


The very early version of Lithunwrap is not suitable. - avoid

[Axem]

Same program as my modeller, Wings3D! It's pretty easy to use IMO (and free). It has an AutoUVer but the job it does is a bit so-so. I usually use it as a start, then modify it so I use the most space possible. Though the big downside is that the import into Wing3D usually kills parts of the model, so you'll have to make some repairs to it. But that's not usually a problem for me, since that's the only modelling program I use.

[Taristin]

I UV map in 3dmax's built in UV Mapping program, personally.

[Flipside]

I use Lightwaves built in mapper. It's a pretty powerful tool once you get used to it

[Vengence]

I use 3ds as well. But as an added twist, I use Render to Texture to create textures made in 3ds (combining noise, smoke, and marble maps ect). It has its disadvantages but it saves me the time uvw unwrapping and skinning a new texture.

[Scooby_Doo]

Only time I use render to texture is to bake something. Rendering to texture creates a nightmare to texture.

[Flipside]

That's why it's about 10 times harder to UVMap something after you have built it. The best results are always got by UV Mapping each part as you create it. It also means that if you UV Map a pipe before you bend it, you won't get splitting in the image, all you need to worry about is texture stretch.

I Bake a final version of the texture from the Colour/Shine/Bump maps for use in FSO at the moment, but I'd probably need to redo them once bump-mapping is introduced, as the pre-rendered shadowing would make things look odd.

[Scooby_Doo]

Agreed, but for me it's usually best to leave UV mapping till you've gotten things pretty much finished off.  Too many cuts, slicing, extruding, vertex target snapping and you'll end up spend more time repairing the uvmap.

[Nuke]

truespace 7 uv editor.

but back when i was using ts4 i came up with a trick. you can apply different materials to different sections of your mesh. you could then easily select theese groups using ctrl + click with the select face using freehand tool. doing so will select every face with that material, which you can use for projections. first youd need to do a uv projection, intentionally leaving the mesh just outside the projection plane. this clears the uv map, by moving all the pollies off of the main tile (an area equil to the size of the texture and what you see when you unwrap the texture, clearing this makes the job go faster). you can then apply materials to your sections to set up the uv groups. once thats done you can start projecting uvs to the main tile. youd need a uv unwrapper tsx, like unwrapper (duh) to view your results. what you do is select a group, then use the uv projection per face tool on that section, a projection plane will apear which coresponds with the texture space, one corner is denoted with a line down.  move that square so that the area youre mapping fits where you want it. unwrap to check your results. repeat this till everythings mapped. if somethings out of whack youl need to re-project it, ts4 wont let you edit your projection. this is where using materials to group uv groups comes in handy, as you can quickly reproject anything thats screwed up.

ts5 had a uv editor tsx, which was optional, ts6 and up had it installed by default.

[IPAndrews]

The very early version of Lithunwrap is not suitable. - avoid

I've only had the one problem with the version I linked in the Ship Creation Guide. The duplication of the same texture used on different submodels. A relatively minor issue. I've mapped all kinds of models with it. Some of them quite complex.

[Taristin]

I use that LithUnwrap program to create a template of the UV map for when I create the actual textures. Only thing I dont like is it will show all of the polies, regardless of if some are linked to different texture maps, individually......

[IPAndrews]

Select a texture in the right side window and it'll only show polies assigned to that texture.

[Colonol Dekker]

Must see screens, Show some reference shots............ I <3 Lithunwrap since HL1 modding days, But i havent touched it for about 4 years 

[IPAndrews]

The answer to all those questions is Lithunwrap.
FS-related tutorial and download link by IPAndrews

[aldo_14]

That's why it's about 10 times harder to UVMap something after you have built it. The best results are always got by UV Mapping each part as you create it.

?

[IPAndrews]

Flipside is right. In some cases. Depends upon the model. There hasn't been a model that I haven't been able to uvmap fully assembled. It is much easier to map the seperate components in some cases though, assemble, and then rejig the textures a bit to produce a finished product. I would have hated to have had to uvmap Babylon 5 fully assembled. It was much easier to map the cylindrical sections seperately and then not have to worry about them later.

[Scooby_Doo]

It also depends on how much editing you do to your model.  If its mostly apply modifiers and moving vertices around, then applying uv mapping before hand should be ok.  However if your like me that cut up and do a lot of dissecting, the uvmap gets so horrible mangled that its easier to start over.  Often times I also end up combining two or more objects so the uv map is totaly messed up by that point.  Also don't forget UVW Map can be your friend in certain situtations. 

Btw uv mapping the cylindrical sections on B5 shouldn't that much of a problem afterwards.  Select the polys that are part of this texture, apply a UVW map with cylindar, then uv unwrap it.

[aldo_14]

I've never had a problem mapping stuff-as-whole, myself.  Only really split it up if I want to use seperate maps for seperate bits ala the Damocles.