GMAX UVW Map Modifier problem

[Guest flint008]

Dear All:I have a problem with a building I am trying to design in GMAX. The building is cylindrical. I typically use the unwrap UVM technique to put textures onto cylinders, however since this technique is more suitable for flat planes the textures end up squished on the sides of the cylinder. So I figure to make the object look more realistic, I would use UVM map modifier and then place a crop image on each face of the cylinder. The object looks fine in GMAX, however when I export it to FS9 each face of the cylinder contains the entire bitmap and not the cropped image. Has anyone else encountered this problem? If so, please tell me how you were able to resolve it.Kind regards,David

[Guest Larrycx]

Hi David, I tried a similar method for a fairly large water tank. I havn't proved it yet but I believe that you need a texture bmp as wide as the cylinder's circumfenrence to start with. I use 12 segments, rounded for my tank. I then use uvw map, check cylinder and then use uvw unwrap to paint 1/12th of the bmp on the segment that has the handles around the map pointing to. Then the next face gets the next 1/12th and so on. I havn't tried for any great detail so I'm not sure this is the answer to your question. I will subscribe to this topic in case someone sugests a better way.Larry Costa

[n4gix 4,947]

Indeed, mapping a cylinder using a "cylindrical mapping" is exactly correct! Just be sure to use the UVW Map "gizmo" to rotate the mapping such that the green edge lines up with one of the intersections of two adjoining polygons. This way, when you apply UVW Unwrap to the stack and look in the UVW Editor, the left/right sides of the mapping will be coincident at the junction.Either zoom in and adjust the map in the UVW Editor window and take a "screen shot," paste into your paint program and crop/resize...-or even easier -export the mapping to .md3, load LithUnwrap, load the .md3 into into LithUnwrap and save the file as a .bmp file of the appropriate size (hint: use "colors" to clearly be able to ID the different faces of your map.

[Guest flint008]

>Indeed, mapping a cylinder using a "cylindrical mapping" is>exactly correct! Just be sure to use the UVW Map "gizmo" to>rotate the mapping such that the green edge lines up with one>of the intersections of two adjoining polygons. This way,>when you apply UVW Unwrap to the stack and look in the UVW>Editor, the left/right sides of the mapping will be coincident>at the junction.>>Either zoom in and adjust the map in the UVW Editor window and>take a "screen shot," paste into your paint program and>crop/resize...>>-or even easier ->>export the mapping to .md3, load LithUnwrap, load the .md3>into into LithUnwrap and save the file as a .bmp file of the>appropriate size (hint: use "colors" to clearly be able to ID>the different faces of your map. I will try your suggestion. Cheers. David

[Guest Larrycx]

Hi David, I guess I'm not aware of using the gizmo in uvwmap. Could you clarify how its used? Perhaps it has to do with some of my building maps carried into uvw unwrap when the handles for a face are way off target. Sometimes I have to zoom way out to even find them in the editor window. I'm talking 256 x 265 bmps here. Gmax is a dog to learn. I don't have LithUnwrap to play with. Do I really need it? I use Paint Shop Pro.Larry