Complex UV Layout in Maya
Over the last couple of years UV layout in Maya has changed for the better. In this course we're going to be taking a look at some of those changes as we UV map an entire character
# 16 31-12-2010 , 01:18 AM
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5. Im not sure about this one...if you want to delete a 'face' you have to be in face mode. If you want to delete and edge entirely with any unconnected verts on that line...'Edit mesh>Delete Edge/Vertex' this will delete all entities along that edge line.As far as I know Maya will not delete to anything smaller than a triangle, so you wont be able to delete that edge..it also doesnt delete border edges.

Well that's bad news. Blender cannot handle ngons, but besides from that it's standard mesh tools are far more powerful than what I've seen from Maya sofar. And hell it's way faster. Guess Maya's strength lies in when it comes to in depth modifications, but not for fast and efficient modeling. Well, I'll give it a chance nonetheless, maybe I just need some more practice. user added image

3. If you cant see your tools hit the '+,-' keys...they will increase/decrease in size, I dont know why they disappear though?? they shouldnt, Im not sure what you mean here?

3. +/- didn't help, the rotate manipulator for example seems to be only available in perspective view. Cannot rotate an object or geometry when in a straight view.

user added image

2. Depending on what version of Maya you have...hitting the 1, 2 , 3 keys will give you a smooth preview.

Yap, but it's just a preview. How can I add real subdivision smoothness to my mesh. Do I have to use that proxy thing or is there some kind of modifier?

THX,TDWuser added image


Last edited by TDW; 31-12-2010 at 01:22 AM.
# 17 31-12-2010 , 01:45 AM
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1, if your model does not have edges aligned to the middle axis then what you do is... (this may look long and seem like a lot of work, but you do it enough times to do this in a few seconds and skip some of the steps because it's already been done in some cases, alternatively, write a script to do it and you'll do it in less than a sec)
make sure your edges you want merged are aligned...
  • switch to vertex selection mode
  • grab the vertices you want aligned to the axis
  • hit w (the move tool)
  • hold w down, left click, and make sure world is selected, not object. if object is selected then the verts will keep their spacing between each other and will not align to an axis
  • hold x, and move along the axis you want to align to
  • this will snap all the verts to that axis you want to snap to.
  • move the verts to wherrever you need them
then align the model to an axis at the origin (0,0,0)
  • hit insert (if on windows) hit home (if on a non macbook), if you're on a macbook then i have no idea what the button is because apple is stingy with their keys
  • this will allow you to change the pivot point. grab the pivot point
  • hit w to select the move tool
  • hold down v and move it along an axis. it will snap to align to verts
  • align it to the verts that are aligned with each other
  • hit insert to get out of pivot point mode
  • now hold x and move the model to align to an axis thats at the origin
mirror the mesh and then select the two meshes. Mesh > Combine them and then select the border edges of both meshes and click Edit Mesh > Merge

the key thing is, you can change the pivot point and snap it to align with vertices. models snap their pivot point to whatever your trying to snap to. i'm sure you can figure out how that's useful and how to use that

2, do the tutorials that come with maya, you'll figure it out there. one of the first ones (the one that does a helmet i think) tells you what you are wanting to know
but the 1,2, and 3 keys are the 'smooth preview' keys. the 'artefacts' you saw was probably the original model in the same place as the proxy.

3, dunno about the manipulators. maybe a graphics card glitch. anything graphically flawed is a graphics card glitch (i just saw a thread that you might want to look at, it's named Maya 2010 (yeah, bad name for a thread) and someone is asking the same question as you)

4, undo and redo in maya is very detailed. if you select something and hit undo it'll unselect it. from maya 2009 upwards they did something clever that's been done in some other graphics programs for ages.. highlighting what you're going to select before you select it. of course, if you're not on 2009 or up you'll just have to hit undo whenever you click something accidentally.

5, huh? it looks like you might be trying to delete a border edge there? which obviously cant be done.
but if it's not a border edge then it does what it's suppose to. deletes the edge.
if you have a cube and delete an edge you get a face that has 6 edges. if you dont want that face then delete it... sometimes n-gons are useful (ctbram will tell you that!)




that's a "Ch" pronounced as a "K"

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Last edited by Chirone; 31-12-2010 at 02:12 AM.
# 18 31-12-2010 , 02:56 AM
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I agree chirone...the manip thing must be graphics orientated...I have never seen it. With the change pivot point I dont use insert anymore...just hold down D key and then also hold down V key...does the same thing....must be a default hot key?

All different softwares will have strengths and weakness mate....part of the world of variety LOL. I use 1 main one for Survey work but end up using 2-3 others when I need to...because of that reason.

Good Luck


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# 19 31-12-2010 , 12:27 PM
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@Chirone: Thx for the detailed instructions!!! I did Maya tutorials til 4am this night, some of them describing same method. Think I figured it now. user added image

You should be also right bout the grafic card issue. I have to work on an old laptop at the moment cause my PC gave up lately and that stupid laptop cannot even run pac man without giving me a grafics card error.

@bullet1968: I agree with what you say. I'm using various 3D software for different tasks aswell. I was just a bit impatient, because Maya wouldn't let me do all what I was used from Blender. You know I tried to get that border edge deleted for 3 hours, almost drove me insane!!!user added image


TDWuser added image

# 20 31-12-2010 , 01:20 PM
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bahahahaha been there done that....try opening a file sent to you to map out...takes 3 - 5 hours to get the damn thing open and then realise that the fool (not me) saved a 12D file with 100 000 points!! when the job could easily have kept its integrity with 15 000 points LOL...I feel your pain..and I used 3 CAD programs to try and get the damn thing running.

cheers bullet


bullet1968

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# 21 01-01-2011 , 01:04 PM
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Happy new year!!! Just wanted to let you guys know that I was able to fix the issue with the misssing manipulator tool by updating my vga driver. Now all is fine!!!


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# 22 01-01-2011 , 01:38 PM
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Good start to the new year!! LOL


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# 23 07-01-2011 , 01:44 AM
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Hi guys, I watched some tutorials about UV mapping, in which all kinda unwrap methods were explained, but none of it was showing how to make seams manually. I mean deciding by yourself along which edges the model shall be cut and unfolded. Doesn't Maya have such a feature?


Greets, TDW!!! user added image

# 24 07-01-2011 , 01:53 AM
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you can open the UV editor and select edges and click the button with scissors on it and it cuts a seam into that edge.




that's a "Ch" pronounced as a "K"

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# 25 07-01-2011 , 02:19 AM
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Not sure, but I guess, we're talking about a different thing. user added image I mean not cutting the existing UVs, but defining seams by myself and after that do the unwrapping. Is that possible in Maya or can u use only the preset unwrap methods?

Here's a screen from Blender to visualize it:

user added image


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# 26 07-01-2011 , 04:31 AM
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Thats exactly what chirone meant mate, you have to be in the UV editor panel for this of course.

RMB and select edge mode (UV is default). If you double click along an edge or 3 (I do this in persp panel)...then go and cut them (scissors on a chequreboard top left in UV editor), or in UV editor go 'polygons>Cut UV edges. You can then select any 1 UV point on the now cut section...then hold down RMB a pop up menu will appear...then 'select>select shell' this will then selsct all the UV points on the shell you want. Then just move it out of the way and start doing your thing mate.

The UV tools have a few ways of creating the shapes in the UV space..try them out before you do it all by hand...sometimes they dont do it all but half done automatically saves time...and you can still modify it manually from there as well.

Hope I havent confused you mate?

cheers bullet


bullet1968

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# 27 07-01-2011 , 05:04 AM
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Currently, I only know the manual way, I havn't seen any automatic ways yet..but now I'll be searching, you can be sure of that, hahahaha. Anyway, I'm guessing bullet and Chirone answered your question but just in case it's not what you meant...I'm assuming you are selecting the whole model and then doing the auto unwrap thingy. If so, I'm thinking you could just select the faces of the parts of the model you want, then unwrap. That way it only unwraps the part of the model that you had selected. Then select the faces of another part of the model and repeat, etc. I don't know what unwrapping is yet, but it seems like it should be able to work that way.


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# 28 07-01-2011 , 08:20 AM
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yeh perfecto...I think I know what TDW meant..though I dont know why you would bother...depending on your version of Maya..there is also the 'smooth' tool in the UV editor, and relax tool as well...under tool of course.

Yes you can select faces and do it that way...and you can still select the edges you want to seperate. Nilla has mentioned 'Unwrella' ??? maybe this would be the tool you want TDW.

cheers bullet


bullet1968

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# 29 07-01-2011 , 01:46 PM
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Sry guys, but somehow I still don't get it. So I've created a primitive cylinder and deleted the UVs, so I can make it again from scatch. I've selected the edges along which I want to cut the seams for the UV layout. I cannot really figure out a scissors symbol in the UV editor, maybe I'm just blind. When I try "Cut UV Edges" nothing happens at all.

user added image


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# 30 07-01-2011 , 02:18 PM
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Last edited by bullet1968; 07-01-2011 at 02:32 PM.
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