Hello all. I dont rate myself as the most intelligent individual but I am far from stupid. This Uvw Unwrap never works the way I would expect. Ive read the tutorial and the help file numerous times but still dont get it. Simply mapping an inset conical selection of faces is completley confusing. All I want to do is flatten the darned thing so I can make a pattern in PS to apply to it and straighten the curves so that I may get the graphic printed without distortion. See attached images.... if it works.....
I also want to flatten the selection so I can cut it out of a flat sheet of lexan on a cnc machine and apply the printed graphic to it. I would like the render to show the graphic as it would in real life , without weird gizmo distortion.
I am completely lost with this tool and cannot find a tuorial for ‘absolute & complete idots’, to help. Can someone please help with this or point me to a tut that might even slightly make this tool clearer than mud.
Thanks
(embarrassed)
Andy

3ds max 2010 sp1
Windows XP Pro x64 edition Version 2003 SP2
Intel Xeon CPU x 4
E5420 @ 2.50 GHz
2.49 GHz, 6.00 GB of ram
Quadro FX 1700 x 2 w/ 512mb on board
DirextX 9.0

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It took me over 2 months to finally been able to unwrap successfully a character and will have to go back at it soonish for another 2 models. I will probably refine my other characters as well once I get the hang of it. Its not easy at first but keep trying!

Try The Modeling of Chaos by Kostas Y. Macfarlane or Eat 3D tutorials texturing. It took me a few try to get it semi right but keep trying and looking for new tutorials is the best help I can give you… Every Pieces of the puzzle will eventually come together if you keep gathering information.

I hope I’m understanding your problem correctly.  Are you trying to ‘flatten’ the selected area into a rectangle (as opposed to a windshield-type shape)?  If so, the steps I would take are:

1. Apply a planer mapping to the area using something like best fit.
2. Click ‘Edit...’ under the Parameters rollout.
3. Select vertex mode.
4. Select the vertices on the top edge and click the Align Horizontal button (appears as a double arrow).  This will ‘straighten’ those vertices.
5. Do the same for the bottom edge.
6. Select the right edge verts and click Align Vertical, and repeat for the left edge.
7. This step is optional when you have vertices in the middle that need to be readjusted.  Open the relax dialog under tools.  Check the “Keep Boundary points fixed” option and relax the area.

If you need clarification on any of the steps, let me know.  I was writing this from memory. :P

Hope that helps, cheers.

3DS Max 7, 8, 2010
Windows Vista 32 bit.
Intel Quad Core

Another method - select those faces you have shown and within the Unwrap Editor choose “Mapping” --> “Unfold Mapping” and “Ok”.

3ds Max 2012, Maya 2012
Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Bit
Core i7, 12GB RAM
Nvidia Quadro FX 3700 (Driver 267.17)

Im sorry all Ive Been busy for a little while. Thank you so much for the helpful advice! I will most definatley look into all of the options presented. You guys ROCK!
:) Andy (:

3ds max 2010 sp1
Windows XP Pro x64 edition Version 2003 SP2
Intel Xeon CPU x 4
E5420 @ 2.50 GHz
2.49 GHz, 6.00 GB of ram
Quadro FX 1700 x 2 w/ 512mb on board
DirextX 9.0

Since the plane is conical curve shape, the unfolded geometry would like look the unfolded cup mentioned above. If you build your graphic file based using the exported flattened .ai or .dwg shape as a template, the rendering and the full-size print should match up perfectly. Let us know how it turns out.

Andy,
I’m not sure precisely what you are after, but if this (see the attached image) can do the job, the Edit UVWs windows have to look like that. The surface is mapped planar, the edges ate straightened and moved into the appropriate positions. There is still some small stretching but it can be refined through scaling any of the loops a bit vertically beginning with the shorter one.

ivan

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Here’s a quick test I did of a similar shape using the methods described by the posters above.

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