I hate UV mapping. is there a way around this or some way to automate the process?

I find UV-mapping fairly stress-free and don't mind doing it.

If you don't already have them, Chuggnut's UV unwrap tools help, and also UVHelp UV relax maxscript is very useful for automatically removing distortion.

Currently you wouldn't want to completely automate the process as you'd end up with fairly unworkable UV-maps.

www.chuggnut.com
www.microcan.nl

Ummm...no.

There's tools that can make it easier; third party plugins and such, but I have yet to see the "unwrap model and efficiently layout Uvs in texture space" button. If you're having trouble with specific areas, post some examples and I'm sure people will give you pointers.

Wings3d has a very nice an intuitive UV mapping feature, you could try. It speeds things up quite a bit, and is almost a pleasure to use [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Blender has a radmad LSCM unwrapping feature I often abuse

What program are you using? If Max, then there's a script called "uvHelp" that is one of those "can't live without" tools. I wouldn't even attempt to unwrap a model without it now, and it's free. Look it up on Scriptspot.com, or the Max Plugins thread.

max will have a crack at it via the "render to texture" function. Not worth trying though.

UV Unwrapping is like math, either you don't mind it, or you do. I have been doing it for years with reasonable if inefficient results, and I still hate it.

I did see Max's "Pelt Mapping" demo at E3, and that looked to be about the only"quick" way of UV mapping characters, like the whole character, minimal stretching in 20 -30 minutes, rather than the full day it takes me now.

Scott

UV mapping is easy. It really is. Some software does it better than others, but since version 5 of max it's been painless.

max8 has the best uv tools i have ever seen, quick and painless, i use them on envirometn stuff at work, and kman has came over an borrowed my pc to unwrap 2 characters (rather complex ones) and did each char in well under an hour its about as close to auto unwrapping as you can get i think

Yeah, the improved UnwrapUVW modifier in Max 8 is hot. You'll easily be cutting your unwrapping times in half, and usually more. It's the closest to "fun" unwrapping gets. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Yes you have to do it and no it never gets fun, its rewarding when its done but it never is fun.

I dont know anything about max8's uv tools, but modo 201s look s AWESOMETASTIC.
Check out the uv video on this page:http://www.luxology.com/modo/201/media.aspx

The Modo video where it unwraps the head automatically is the same as Max's new pelt mapping tool. Although, Modo's looks like it's easier to use. Max often times sacrifices usability by adding more control, but sometimes more control than you really need.

That's really fucking cool!!!

from what i've seen max8's uv tools are based on LSCM just like blenders implementation, so you have to select the desired seams and let it do the unwrapping for you?

if so, then blender makes for a nice stand-in uv mapper for the time being.

I don't mind UV mapping really, but then again I only do enviornment and prop art [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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from what i've seen max8's uv tools are based on LSCM just like blenders implementation, so you have to select the desired seams and let it do the unwrapping for you?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, the pelt mapping lets you select the seams where you want the uv's to unfold from, and then pulls them apart and flattens them.

Personally, I think the pelt mapping is overkill. But it looks cool in action so there's a high wow factor. Also included in the new tools are new Relax algorithms that work just like the uvHelp script. And I think that's much quicker and more intuitive than messing with the pelt controls.

FA the way i use max 8 is use pelt mappings function that lets you select your seams via edges on the model, i select all the seams, and just click the pelt button once, it will take and expand out one of the many chunks you have selected, but more importantly even if it does not pelt out al the other chunks, it does break them apart, as soon as i do that, i select all the chunks, and break out the relax tools, and all is done, just place them and you are golden like a twinkie

Cool, I've always wanted to be twinkie golden [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Yeah, I've got to give the pelt more of a shot, I haven't really given it a full test yet. The relax tools are just so good I feel like I don't even need pelting.

I used to hate it, but now i look fwd to it. I think Rick said tyhat once on polycount and i scoffed at him, now i'm a believer.

UV mapping is like a puzzle. You cant get a nice paint job withiout a UV map so...it' s vital to learn to like it.

-R

When is this fabled Max 8 release?
I'm a subscriber, so I should get the upgrade free, but it just says "fall 2005". Kinda vague.

from what i last heard, oct ,

I'm weird, I really like UV mapping

It's fun being crafty with UV layouts.

It's kind of like playing tetris.