Need Help Mapping a Sphere...

[Michael J. Brown]

Well, actually it's a bit more than just mapping a sphere. I need to create maps (of different non-repeating patterns) that wrap completely around spheres with (virtually) no visible seams.

 

How can this be done? Is it some combination of using the UVW Unmap modfier and something else to render out a flattened 'skin'?

 

Furthermore, once the flattened map is painted (in Photoshop) and re-applied in Max, do I use spherical mapping on it?

 

Thanks.

[Fran]

Hi Michael,

 

Use the Unwrap UVW modifier (I'm no expert on that). You can then use the UVW Xform modifier to control tiling, rotation, flipping and offset of your texture map.

[datacrasher]

have you tried using a multi/sub-object material? you can set a number of maps/colors this is good if you want to put a number of maps onto one object

[Michael J. Brown]

Thanks guys, but I still haven't found a solution that will work for me.

 

Here's what I am trying to do. I need a way to map a piece of non-repeating artwork onto a sphere without any visible seams. I haven't yet drawn the artwork because I don't know if it will be abnormally stretched / pinched by wraping a plain rectangularly proportioned map onto the sphere.

 

It seems that there should be a way to "un wrap" a shpere and then render that unwrapped map pattern out so that I can then draw my artwork on it in Photoshop.

[Tommy L]

How you draw your seams for the UVW nwrap will depend on your artwork. Make sure to use a geodesic sphere. This isnt too bad a task actually, sounds worse than it is. Apply the UVW Unwrap then select the edges you would like to be seams. Make sure different sections are completely closed by seams. Then select each of the pieces and flatten in the UV editor. take a screen gra of your UV editor winow and draw your art over the flattened geometry.

[Ismael]

Maybe this useful?

http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=69961

[Michael J. Brown]

Thanks guys.

[Ashleymatthews]

If you use a muti sub material it will let you add different materials to parts of the sphere. Also add a uvw map afterwards

[Boris Horosavin]

Well, the way I see it, you'll need to bake this map for yourself: Do the UVW Unwrap, than save the grid you get and use it as a background scheme to produce your own. seamless texture over it, in Photoshop or some similar app (using offset, heal, clone tools...). You can find some online tutorials that thoroughly explain this procedure.