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Trackdancer — PMD UV Mapping Primer - a more indepth discussion
Published: 2014-05-22 02:47:22 +0000 UTC; Views: 8054; Favourites: 138; Downloads: 163
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Description
This is a follow-up to this tutorial that I wrote awhile back: fav.me/d6icvahPeople keep contacting me for more info on this topic, so I put the common strands of questioning together and made this tutorial to answer most of these questions. As before, due to this tutorial's format, the explanation is necessarily brief. UV mapping is complex and there is no universal 'fit all' solution; still I hope this tutorial will give you more insight into what is involved and how to use the PMD UV Mapping plug-in to at least handle the simpler UV mapping needs.
Credits are in the panel. If you need the UV Mapping plug-in, please refer to the link given in the old tutorial. Absolutely DO NOT ask for model links.
Cass Fox is listed on Xoriu 's blog if you want her. She is an R-15/R-18 model so is not recommended for minors.
Update 05-13-2017:
English version of the UV Editor available here:
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Comments: 49
Link is in the description.
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I tried it it still wouldnt work i dont know how to install the plugin propperly
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These comic style tutorials were not designed to be read on mobile devices. At the time these were done, I never even thought about how they would look on a device like a smartphone.
They should look fine on a large tablet or conventional size laptop or PC.
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Is it possible to join uv maps? I wonder if this is a weird question. I'm a complete stranger to these stuff. Actually I need only 1 texture file per model and I guess I need to join uv maps first to join the textures? :/
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Yes, it is possible to join UV maps. I do this often to rationalize the number of texture maps needed for some of my edits. Putting all of the "little bits" from different large texture maps onto a single texture makes a lot more sense than having them spread over numerous large maps which only a small portion of which is used is both stupid and inefficient.
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So it's possible to join uv maps! Ok then.... 1 more question. Can you please teach me how to do it? I searched all over the internet but still couldn't do it. I'm using a certain game engine that needs only 1 texture file per model. I can't join the textures no matter what I do.
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In a nutshell:
1. Combine all the texture bits you need on to a single large tex map. Preferably 1024x1024 or larger. Some game engines may force you to use 512x512 but that's rare these days. You will need to use a good graphics editor like Photoshop or Gimp to do this. Squeeze everything in as best as you can into the new map; rationalize if possible; resize where feasible. An efficient texture map is where almost every usable area on the map is used.
2. Using the UVEditor plugin; transfer the mapping from the original texture map to your new combined texture map. This is as simple as just selecting the area you're working on; transferring that over to your new combined texture map and then shifting/resizing the mapping coords just using the UVEditor plugin.
Note that the plugin does not allow you to change texture maps; this is done via the material spec in the main PMD/PMX field in the material tab. Simply assign the new texture map to the part you're working on. Since the UV plugins basic functions allows you to easily resize and shift entire sets of mapping coords, it then becomes a simple exercising of shifting/resizing the mapping coords to the correct area on the new texture map.
However, it is not a good tool for precise mapping from scratch; it's not set up for this kind of work.
Note also, since you can selectively choose parts directly from the UVEditor, it makes sense to assign every material to the new texture map. Then the process is simply selecting each part's mapping coords and then assigning it to the correct area on the new texture map.
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Now all that said, if you understand exactly what I wrote above, it is simply a somewhat tedious but relatively straight forward exercise. If on the other hand, you have no idea what I wrote above, you're going to have to gain a better understanding of the entire mapping process and knowledge on how to use the different tools required. That can't be done here as it will be too hard to read and convey in words alone.
But the general principle is that it can be done; it's simple to do if somewhat tedious, but only if you know exactly what you're doing.
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Im running into a problem. How do I resize the uv? It's way bigger than my combined texture file now. I tried messing with the numbers and buttons but nothing happens and it's in japanese so I can't understand which option is for what.
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This is a more current explanation of the plugin UI which includes functions not included in the version I originally based my tutorials on. The current version of the plugin does include a toggle for moving/resizing vertex mapping groups which is what you will need for your project.
Note also that there is an English version of the plugin available. This is noted in the comments section above.
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Thanks! I got it to work :S
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Thanks for letting me know how to do it. I'm so shocked. This really makes sense. I'm so stupid I didn't think about it before -_- I was trying to join the uv maps and using only 1 part for 1 texture. The simple idea of using 1 texture for multiple parts didn't even come to my mind lol. I understand what you're trying to say... at least I think I do. Now I have to try it practically. Thanks again
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..Excuse me, but, do you happen to know if it's possible to copy a UV-Map from something and paste it to something else, for example... Hair? Let's say i want the textures from a hair to look exactly the same at another hair, how could i do this? Also, there are many textures around Deviant-ART which have their proper UV - Maps, how could i possibly fit those into other hairs?
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No, in general you cannot copy/paste a set of UV mapping coordinates. However, once an item has been mapped, the model to which the coordinates are mapped retains the coordinates and they can be used on another texture map. The fact that this is true, allows you to easily change dress fabrics for a dress, for example.
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Oh i know about this, the thing is... How do i fit another texture map within those same coordinates? Lol I'm sorry i'm clueless lmao.
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Simply change the name of the referenced texture map to the name of the texture map you want to use in the correct fields under the materials tab.
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Oh.... So that's the only way? If i wanted to correctly and decently fit the texture within the hair model or clothes, or whatever, then that means i should mess with the texture maps coordinates manually...?
Damm...
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I think you would benefit from learning more about how UV mapping works with MMD before messing with it. It is a little hard to explain but really easy to do if you fully understand how it all works.
You should not mess with the map coords manually unless you fully understand what you're doing as a mistake will ruin the model. In any case, the UV plug in shouldn't be confused as a substitute for the major mapping tools available in programs like Blender.
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Oh well, as i told you before i'm quite clueless lol, depending on the texture and the UV mapping of certain items, i can manage to fit them decently... But i can't say that i know what i'm doing at all lol. And, is it possible to change blender to metasequoia? I mean, i have seen a few videos about UV mapping and they were using META instead of blender, and since i'm a noob at this kind of stuff, i find META quite userfriendly to do stuff. But what do you think? Which one is better?
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Use the one that you're most comfortable with. I like Blender as it is really powerful, but Blender is not user friendly until you get some real hours working with it.
UV mapping isn't hard once you got your head wrapped around the concepts (which in themselves isn't that hard either). So it's worth learning enough about it so that you can comfortably do whatever it is that you want.
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I'll just leave this here.. since it's relevant..
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I translated the uv editor program to english.
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You need to state the "obvious", especially for those of us that aren't exactly awake during the weekends...
I featured your original post to help draw people's attention to it, plus added a direct link in the description above.
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i was going for the sudden surprise / wow effect
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surprise / wow effects don't work on people who are brain dead on weekends...
But I talked to the folks on LearnMMD.com about your translated version. They might do something more with it.
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I have Kagamine Rin Future Style from PDF 2nd and I wanna know, is it possible to edit her outfit colors in Blender? Because by de-selecting certain boxes, only certain parts of the model disappear. Also, only certain parts change color when I try to edit her colors in PMX Editor (in this case, I wanna make her outfit black and white; only problem is that all or most parts of her dress and skirt turn black and white). I wanna change her eyes from blue to red, because I'm making her into a "Future Style Haine Lin". Also, will importing the PDF 2nd Future style Rin erase all the bones? Because as soon as I'm done editing the colors of her dress, eyes and hair, I wanna re-import it back into PMX Editor. Only, I don't wanna re-add all the bones to make her work again.
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The current version of Blender is not compatible with the PMD/PMX export/import plugin which was written for an earlier version of Blender, so I wouldn't recommend going the route you are suggesting unless you really know what you're doing.
I use Blender to make custom parts for model edits and export these to the PMDe for final fitting. Also I use Blender to UV map complex parts which once again are reassembled in the PMDe. However, I do export a version of the model to Blender as an .obj file for the purposes of positioning and sizing, but this is used purely as a reference object.
If all you are doing in recoloring, do it the easy way. Stay with a single editing program - ie. the PMDe or PMXe.
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Well, how about Metasequoia 3.1? I have that version of Metasequoia and I simply want to edit the color of her shirt, skirt and sleeves to make her a future style Haine Lin. But I'm worried if I import to/export from Metasequoia, it might delete the bones of the MMD model.
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LOL, why do you need to do a recoloring the hard way? Just change the colors in the PMD/PMXe.
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Because there is no like "paintbrush" tool in PMX Editor. I need to paint specific parts of the model. (To be honest, I'm still new to the PMX Editor.) In Metasequoia, once you made the model, theres a paintbrush sort of tool that allows you to color the model however you like. (I'm also a bit new to 3d models and animation.) But everytime I check a certain part of the PDF 2nd model, it doesn't seem to get the colors right. Like, when I find Rin's shirt box, I click (uncheck) it to make it disappear, but her skirt is also connected to her shirt. THATS where I hit the snag.
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You don't normally use a paintbrush to paint 3D models but if this is the route you want to go, check with someone who uses Metasequoia for the exact method. You will need to be able to import the model in its entirety to Meta to paint it and then export it back out again in it's entirety and as I understand it, the current version of Meta doesn't allow you to do that unless you use the payware version.
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I discovered some things that I don't know if you know/added to a later UV Plugin tutorial, so I made my own here: fav.me/d8qo6ih
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Seems like the button that occasionally crashes your PMDe is good for making new morphs using old ones as a base, but I wonder if it can combine morphs too?
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Yes you can combine morphs.
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Sucks for me that I can't have Photoshop because no money for me!
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Hey, I downloaded it, put it in the correct folders...How do I open the plugin? I don't see it in the edit > plugin section...
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Edit > Plugin > Launcher > click on the only option then search for it in the list that pops up and select it from there or
Edit > Plugin > System - or if you put it into the user folder
Edit > Plugin > User
But if you don't see the UV mapping plugin at all, it wasn't installed properly.
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I can't seem to access the other ones.
I can only go to user plugins, which just contains my skirt and bones plug ins...
Ver. 0137e
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The plugin requires PMD ver 0.1.3.8 minimum. Upgrade your PMD to version 0.1.3.9. There's a link to the English version somewhere in my favorites gallery (or do a DA search as it's hosted on DA).
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Could I just have a link? ;w;
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No ... I'm like you, too lazy to do a search on a Sunday evening.
Just look in my favs gallery, why I have it there.
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;A; dammit, trackdancer...
Making me click thinggsss
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