Help with UVs and Mental Ray Studio Setup

[Tsukiyono]

Figure would just post both questions here instead of tracking two different threads with questions.

 

Anyway, I have been modeling some individual pieces just trying to get to grips with using splines for modeling purposes and learning to create the UVs for them as well. Anyway, I have reached a question on how to best proceed with creating the UVs.

 

I got the uv's mostly how I wish them to be. But I am unsure what to do with the top part here.

[ATTACH]39642[/ATTACH]

 

I know its an overall small area, so should I just leave it as is? all in its wonderful crapness. Or how should I detach the cap and uv that seperatly then reattach? I know the cap is only one poly I believe so perhaps I would need to break it up a bit...

 

Also, I have been trying to create a simple setup to render out the objects to where the look nice for display purposes. I guess it would be a standard studio setup and what not. I have a decent look, but I wish to improve it alot as I would also wish to learn how to better texture my models and all that as well. here is my simple setup below, was hoping someone could give me some pointers, or even point me to a good resource to help me out. I have also posted a simple grey render of how it looks when rendered out in mental ray. Forgot to mention I only have mental ray and dont have access to Vray right now.

[ATTACH]39643[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]39644[/ATTACH]

[Professor]

For the mapping, should use "Unwrap UVW". Go through tutorials in Max for learning how to do this.

 

Your studio set-up looks fine to me. That is how I set mine up as well. Maybe make your background radius a little bigger and probably disable AO for the background so you don't get that dark line around the bottom, unless that is what you are after.