Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
FIG. 3.26
A base bust with three materials applied.
FIG. 3.27
A UV map, texture art, and i nal character created by Antony Ward.
To start, it's important to know what UV stands for and why UV tools are
important. The letters U and V represent the two axes in a two-dimensional
view of the polygons that make up a 3D model. This 2D representation or
UV map contains a l attened-out version of all of the polygons, broken along
seams into groups. The map is used as a template to create detailed textures
for a model, a process that happens outside of Silo in a painting program. The
textures are then imported into Silo and wrapped around the model, much
like fabric or skin, according to the map.
Perhaps the best way to get a sense of how this works is to see a i nal UV and
painted texture. In Figure 3.27a, it might be hard to tell at i rst, but what you
are seeing is a model of a female character that has been l attened for UV
work. The head was cut down the back and was laid out in two halves along
with a mid section and other parts of the character's body. This map was then
exported from Silo for painting (Figure 3.27b) and reimported for use on the
model (Figure 3.27c). For now we won't try to produce anything this complex
(more to come in Chapter 13), but we will look at how the tools can work on
some basic models.
UV tools fall into a few categories: seam creation tools, UV unwrapping and
placement tools, and UV manipulation tools. In this chapter, we walk through
