# UV mapping overview UVs are the two-dimensional coordinates that wrap around your object and that tell the system how to apply materials and textures. A UV map is a 2D version of your object stretched out and flattened. You can [[painting your textures|paint and draw on the 2D map to build your textures and then apply it back to the 3D object]]. ![[UVmap.png]] --- ## the 4 step process There are four steps to the UV mapping process. Think of this as a reverse-process for making clothes from a sewing pattern. You are breaking the garment into pieces and laying those pieces out to build the clothing pattern. ![[Pasted image 20230313093053.png]] 1\. **[[UV mapping - projection|Projection]]** - how the map is applied to your object. This just gets the process going. You can apply different maps to different portions of your mesh. Choose the portion and change the projection type. 2\. **[[UV mapping - cutting, unfolding, sewing#cutting|Cutting]]** - breaking the map into pieces so it is easier to flatten the different sections. You may need to separate and reattach sections several times to get it working. You define the seams for where to cut. 3\. **[[UV mapping - cutting, unfolding, sewing#unfolding|Unfolding]]** - taking the cut sections and flattening them into 2D. There are both automatic and manual processes to unfold your maps. 4\. **[[UV mapping - packing|Packing]]** - rearranging the flattened sections into the 0 to 1 portion of the UV Editor graph. Think of this as arranging the elements to fit on one piece of paper. Once you have a functional UV map, you can work on [[painting your textures]] in Photoshop. --- ## workspace setup Access your interface using pull-down menus for **UV > UV Editor**. A better choice is to use a Workspace (upper-right corner) **Workspace > UV Editing**. Nice layout with model view, UV Editor, UV Toolkit arranged for you. ![[Pasted image 20230313120357.png]] ### UV Editor Pick an object and you will see the flattened UV map in the UV Editor. You can change different views using the icons at the top of the UV Editor to see borders, fills, and other important information. ![[Pasted image 20230313120014.png]] ### UV toolkit The UV Toolkit is a set of tools for creating and manipulating your UV maps. ![[Pasted image 20230313120556.png]] ### checker map is your friend Choose the **Checker Map icon** and you will see a grid texture laid over your model in both the model view and the UV Editor. This helps you to envision how the UV is being applied. You can see distortions and other errors this way. In theory, you want the grey and white squares to be as close to actual squares as possible. Adjust your UV map scale as needed. --- ## prep your mesh before mapping When you resize or modify your object, the mapping will need to be updated. So, really, you want to wait on your mapping until the modeling is finished. Then do a quick routine to prep your mesh for mapping. Once you have the modeling done… - Delete History by going using pull-down menus for **Edit > Delete by Type > History** - Freeze Transformation by using pull-down menus for **Modify > Freeze Transformations** Now you are ready to start UV mapping your mesh. The first step is [[UV mapping - projection|Projection]]. --- Learn more… - [UVs from Autodesk Help](https://help.autodesk.com/view/MAYAUL/2023/ENU/?guid=GUID-FDCD0C68-2496-4405-A785-3AA93E9A3B25) - [UV Editor Overview from Autodesk Help](https://help.autodesk.com/view/MAYAUL/2023/ENU/?guid=GUID-73BF7546-3BF2-44F3-9192-15A024CEC173) - [UV Mapping for Beginners from Creative Bloq](https://www.creativebloq.com/features/uv-mapping-for-beginners) - Academic Phoenix Plus YouTube videos on UV Mapping [part 1](https://youtu.be/YjwtQRsFe1g), [part 2](https://youtu.be/CcdbCDeetos), [part 3](https://youtu.be/LuKWbDweFY8) --- tags: #3d #maya #resources home: [[! 3d modeling- maya]]