What's the preferred method for mapping?

[Greyfish]

I still consider myself a novice w/ Max even though I've been dabling for a few years now but never really sunk my teeth in the way I am now.

 

Question: When texturing, whats the preferred method? I know projection maps can be easy on simple objects but my thought is if you unwrap the uv's and bring them into PS then it seems pretty straight forward w/o a lot of tinkering...well, not as much tinkering.

 

Any response would be helpfull...maybe. ;}

 

Thanks and advance.

[CJI]

What technique you use very much depends on the time you have to do it and how much forward thinking you have put in to it.

 

In an ideal world everything would be custom mapped, unfortunatley this is just not possible as it would take far too long and depending on the object is often pointless.

 

When building a model of something the key is to think. "how am i going to texture this" while you are building it. Many of the problems come from modelling something and then trying to texture retrospectively where you are almost always get stuck with projection problems or having to unwrap it which is as you know time consuming especially where the object is complex. Don't get me wrong sometimes its necessary to unwrap but why do more than you need to.

 

Also you must ask how important is the object. If its going to be a distance from the camera do you really need perfect UVs, can you get off with something quicker. Again this is written from the point of view that your time is finite. Sorry if this is not the case.

 

This is usually the way i approach it anyway. I find UV mapping to be the most dull exercise that we do as CG artists. Mean to an end though..right.

[AubreyM]

I mostly agree with Curtis. With me it mostly depends on the LOD of the model and the textures. For example new lloking simple wood furniture and cabinets I would not unwrap no matter what, there is no need. OTOH if I had a simple wood chair that was the focus and it needs to be weathered and scratched with a lot of detail in the texture I would unwrap it.

Unwrapping a model can give you a LOD that UV mapping can't.

 

Where I disagree with Curtis is that I don't find the texturing process to be dull. Either UV mapping or unwrapping, the process brings your model alive and I don't find it dull.

 

So in a nutshell, it's a balancing act between time and detail. It's not a question of which one is better it's a question of which one is better for the situation.

[CJI]

You have detailed exactly what i failed too properly. Its a level of detail thing.

 

Although if i can clarify for posterity, its not the texturing process i find dull, I actually really enjoy painting my own textures, but rather the physical UV unwrap that i find tedious. Mostly becuase i can never get it to work smoothly. There is always some problem (on most occasions this is likely user error..oops). I always get it done but it can be a fight sometimes.

[AubreyM]

I actually really enjoy painting my own textures, but rather the physical UV unwrap that i find tedious.

That I can agree with. Unwrapping a model is not my favorite part either.