Auto UV plug-ins (maya)

Started by TheBadger, December 16, 2012, 06:23:06 PM

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TheBadger

Hello,

I have been fiddling with Auto Uv scripts and plug-ins for Maya.
Have any of you used the following? I would like some advice about where to invest my time.

http://www.unwrella.com/ Looks like hands down the best UV mapping plug-in for maya or max. But is currently only for Windows versions. Has anyone used this? Is it as pretty as it looks?

http://www.polygonal-design.fr/e_unfold/index.php just found it a sec ago. know nothing about it.

https://www.uvlayout.com/ seems to be one of the better known mappers. Any opinions out there?

http://www.pullin-shapes.co.uk/page8.htm people on the internets mention this one a lot too. Any thoughts?
http://www.roadkillpro.com/Roadkill_Professional_Maya_Manual.pdf Manual for above.

BONUS LINK: http://mmmmtools.celestinestudios.com/?p=3
Not sure what all this is yet, just found it. Looks like a bunch of helpful tools.

Thanks for any guidance.
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zaxxon

Hello TheBadger. I've used Roadkill and Unwrella, but uvlayout is my choice for uv unwrapping. I find the interface and and depth of the program can handle very complicated surface topologies. But, as always what other programs are part of your 'pipeline' and what your goals are kind of dictate your choices. I see you use Hexagon as a base modeler, so do I. Do you have Zbrush or Mudbox? Do you retopologize? Looks like you're a Maya guy on the Mac, so there are many options. AutoUV is a great thing, but in my experience doesn't always fill the deal; there's the whole area of 'edgeflow' to consider in your setup if the mesh is to be rigged, or if the surface requires extra finesse around difficult areas. I use uvlayout and Topogun with Mudbox to finish off the base mesh from Hex then to Max for rigging, animating, then rendering. Topogun is a real well designed production tool, and win/mac, you might consider that as well:

http://www.topogun.com/media/videos.htm

Another option might be 3DCoat. Voxel modeling, UV mapping, retopology, and Ptex capable. The price is reasonable and it's win/mac.

http://3d-coat.com/tutorial/free-tutorial/uv-mapping/

TheBadger

Thank you.

I realized everything costs a ton of cash. So I just went with the free script http://area.autodesk.com/blogs/stevenr/unwrap_uvs_tool_update_an_interactive_tool_for_automatically_unwrapping_uvs

Works rather well, pretty simple too. Took me a day or two to  really get used to mapping in Maya though. I really hate it!

By the way I don't use Hex anymore. But if they make an update with bug fixes I would go back. For basic shapes and forms I prefer HEx2 to Maya for the simplicity.

Thanks for reminding me about topogun. Its got a good price, and I may need to use it. I am working on my first Maya-Mudbox-TG2 scene now.
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TheBadger

Hey guys. I ended up buying the hobby/freelance version of Headus-UV layout for-OSX. I dont know if its the best or best value for the money. I was limited by what I could get for OSX.

But Having said that, I can tell you it is pretty great! After doing UVs by hand for nearly a year, layout is like a frigging dream. The only bad part about it is that no matter what, you still need to do UVs.

The pro version was to costly for me. THe hobby is basically the same, but lacks some time saving auto functions. But if your going from doing it by hand in Maya like me, to layout. Its a 1000 times better.

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Walli

Headus UV Layout is indeed great and for organic shapes I usually always do UV work in UV layout. I just would hope that they also would tackle hardsurface UV´s.

I think this is sometimes the most time consuming stuff.

TheBadger

#5
Quote from: Walli on June 02, 2013, 06:52:34 AM
Headus UV Layout is indeed great and for organic shapes I usually always do UV work in UV layout. I just would hope that they also would tackle hardsurface UV´s.

I think this is sometimes the most time consuming stuff.

Hi walli.
Do you mean that UVs in general or hard surface UVs specifically are the most time consuming?

If its the Hard surface part what makes you say that?
If its the hard surface part, what to you (walli) do about it in your work?

I noticed tonight that layout has not been updated in more than a year. I guess it works just fine as is. But you raised some interesting topics for me. Have you heard anything?
I wont be switching from layout anytime soon. So Im just curious if you have read anything interesting on this subject Any discussions about it?
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efflux

Quote from: TheBadger on December 20, 2012, 05:34:15 AM
Thank you.

By the way I don't use Hex anymore. But if they make an update with bug fixes I would go back.


I have that. It's one of the many had tremendous potential that never quite got there apps.

Walli

no, I haven´t heard any news concerning headus and uv-layout. UV work in general was a very time consuming task, but it got a lot easier. But all those clever algorithms don´t help much on hard surface UV work - there you have to do most of the stuff by hand.

TheBadger

Efflux I agree totally. It was a sad disappointment to find something that came so close, and then dropped dead at the finish. the bugs just kill the workflow. I am sad I recommended it to so many people before I fully understood the problems. Its still usable, but I would not risk using it on a cash job. Wings3D sounds like a great alternative for free soft. But Hex has a ton more tools. But again, a ton of bugs.

Walli.
Thanks.
Just wanted clarification. I don't want to miss an opportunity to learn from people.
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efflux

Yeah. I had the bugs. I haven't tried using it again for years. I did exactly what you did. I told everyone is was a great modeller, could be alternative to Modo at the time then it was flogged off by the original company and development went dead. Very poor show. The developers that were working on the code must be souled destroyed by this kind of thing.

efflux

Going off topic a bit here but I will say that UV mapping is something that needs to be killed off. I'm formost into creating art and this crap just puts me right off. We need Ptex. 3D Coat does Ptex. I can't comment on 3D Coat's UV mapping but I may have to use that. One thing I can say is that 3D Coats retopoligising tools are awesome.

As for Hexagon etc. That had some cool tools but the way I'm looking at this is, just get back to basic modelling but use a powerful app that gives you control without all the modifier stacks. Wings 3d is great for that. I'll use 3D Coat for sculpting where I can forget about polygons until later if the workflow is for organic stuff. Blender has quite a few modifiers so that's enough if the model requires the method.

To begin with, I'm going to try to maximise actually using TG2's textures for the type of stuff I'm intending.

TheBadger

Its not really off topic, since it would have solved the OP.
I requested Ptex for TG2. I think they will add it in time. But I understand why its not a priority, there are more important things to work on in TG2. Also, the rest of the industry is taking their own sweet time too. Mudbox has it built in. But finding information on using it in maya is ridiculous! At least up to 2013. 2014 just came out but haven't had time to check into it. Im not sure, but I think only renderman (?) fully supports Ptex. Despite that its open source for everyone now.

Its stupid. All of the mapping options of every program suck. Thats why there are 3rd party softs for it, like UV Layout for one.
Ptex is superior in every way I have seen to mapping. Mapping is fundamentally stupid. It was a clever solution to a real problem, but it can only ever be a bandaid on a gaping head wound. It often takes longer to map a complex object then it does to model one, and thats the stupid part that mapping can't overcome.

With out a doubt, I hate mapping. Its a destroyer of creativity no mater what tools you have. Its a complete waste of time that contributes nothing to the creative process. Just more work. I cant wait until its just an option that maybe you may need to use, or until its completely dead.

Dont want to insult the people who invented it. It is a solution, just a bad one.
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TheBadger

Hi Guys,

Just thought there would be some who would like to know that 'UVLayout' has upgraded to V. 2.08.01.
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