Asset Creation: Maya Scenography UV Mapping - Creating Games with Unity and Maya - page 42

Mapping does create UVs for all the geometry we have, and once we have
those UVs we can fix the map into what we need.
Step 9: Use Automatic Mapping on the column. With the column
selected, choose Polygons>Create UVs>Automatic Mapping
( Figure 3.5 ). In the UV Texture Editor window, choose Image>Display
Image (to turn off the checkerboard), and see the shapes that
represent the column.
Figure 3.5 Results of Automatic Mapping.
Why?
At first glance all is well—that was amazingly easy. But take a look at
the UV Texture Editor (Window>UV Texture Editor) and you'll notice a
couple of important things. In the UV Texture Editor window choose
Image>Display Image (to turn the background checkerboard off ), and
see the shapes that represent the faces of the column. First, notice that
there is a lot of the texture space that we are not making use of. In the
game, we are paying for that space whether we use it or not, and it's very
inefficient to leave so much of that texture space unused. Second, notice
that each of the sides of the column are separate. This means that the
texture won't crawl around the corners or the column—there will be a
seam across every corner of our form.
Seams are inevitable. If a form is to be unwrapped, there has to be a
seam somewhere, but we want to minimize those. To do this, we will
be cutting up some of this map and reassembling (via sewing)
other parts.
Step 10: Cut the heads off the columns. In the UV Texture Editor, right-
click and choose Edge from the hotbox. Select the edges (there are really
three there, although they are all in a line) shown in Figure 3.6 . In the