UVW Mapping number/color grids

[TomD_Arch]

I am working through tutorials on UVW mapping and have found quite a few of them utilize grids that are laid-out with either numbers, gradient colors or both. I understand the purpose of these as helping to align and visualize where the map you are applying will fall on the object.

 

My question is where do these grids come from? Are they homemade? Is there a rhyme and reason to them or just user preference?

 

I can see how it may be useful to be able to customize a grid for a particular scale, object or project. Is this something that is done and when might it be desirable to do so?

[CJI]

As far as im aware they are merely used so you can see how the texture is applied to the surface so you can isolate in stretching and distortion in your mapping coordinates. Alot of them are just home made. Some people allow you to download them for use in their tutorials. Im sure some texture archive will have one. I tend to just use a checker map for this but its whatever feels comfortable for you.