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UV Editor Guide

UV Editor​

The UV Editor is an editor that allows you to edit UVs used as texture coordinates in UModeler X.

UV Editor

The UV Editor allows you to create and edit UV elements (UV Vertex, UV Edge, UV Face).

Why create texture coordinates?​

The reason for creating texture coordinates is to properly represent the complex surfaces and bends of a 3D model in 2D space. This allows you to accurately apply textures, which are 2D images, to a 3D model.

Unfolding texture coordinates is similar to unfolding a shipping box to make it flat.

UV Editor Box 1

Although the box is a 3D shape, you can easily dress it in a 2D image by unfolding it to make it flat. If you want to put a label or sticker on each side of a parcel box, you need to unfold the box so that each side is flat.

This will ensure that the label or sticker is applied correctly to the box and will look natural.

UV Editor Box 2

Because the surface of a 3D model is made up of various curves and shapes, the process of representing it in 2D space can cause distortion.

The purpose of the Stretch Texture Coordinates operation is to minimize this distortion and make the texture look natural on the surface of the 3D model.

Texture coordinates and UV mapping​

Texture coordinates are coordinates for mapping textures to a 3D model.

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Mapping​

Mapping is the process of connecting or transforming information from one data set or space to another. It is used in many different forms in many different fields.

In 3D graphics, "Mapping" primarily refers to texture mapping, which is the process of "gluing" a 2D image (texture) to the surface of a 3D model. This allows you to represent a 2D image on a 3D model.

To make mapping a little easier to understand, let's use the example of a poster on a wall.

UV Editor Mapping 1

The idea of 'mapping' is that a poster (2D image) is attached to a wall (3D space), adding a new image to the wall.

UV Editor Mapping 3

However, in this case, in order for the poster to be correctly attached to the wall, the corners of the poster need to exactly match a specific location on the wall.

UV Editor Mapping 2

This process of fitting a 2D image into 3D space is what we call texture mapping.

The most common method of texture coordinates is UV mapping. UV mapping uses the texture's horizontal (U) and vertical (V) coordinates to map the texture to the 3D model.

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World Projection Mapping and Cancel Tool​

However, there are other mapping methods, some of which may be more appropriate than UV mapping in certain situations.

In addition to UV mapping, UModeler X also provides support for texture coordinates in world projection. If there are no unwrapped UVs, or if the selected UV element is initialized using the Cancel Tool in the UV Editor, the model will be world-projected.

One of the big advantages of world projection is that textures are mapped to a fixed location in the 3D world, so when the model is moved or rotated, the position of the texture does not change.

This characteristic is very useful because it allows you to freely edit the shape of your model, even with materials already applied, because the textures are mapped consistently even as the model is modified.

To understand texture coordinates and UV mapping, you first need to know something about 3D modeling and texturing.

3D modeling is the three-dimensional representation of real-world objects on a computer, and texturing is the process of applying colors, materials, etc. to the surface of these 3D models.

Among the texture coordinates used for UV mapping, UV coordinates are coordinates in 2D form that are assigned to each vertex vertex of a 3D model. They use two axes, 'U' and 'V', to represent the horizontal and vertical position of the texture.

The UV coordinates should be set to match the coordinates of the texture image. By doing so, there is a one-to-one mapping between the vertices in the 3D model and the pixels in the texture image, ensuring that the texture is accurately applied to the surface of the 3D model.

UV Editor Settings and Interface​

If you would like a detailed explanation of each feature of the UV Editor, from the UV Editor settings to the interface, in order to use the UV Editor effectively, please refer to the pages below.

Order to use the UV Editor.​

The approximate process for using the UV Editor is as follows.

  1. First, launch the UV Editor.
  2. Select a face and perform an unwrap operation.
  3. Place the unwrapped UVs in texture space.
  4. Make sure to place the UVs so that they do not overlap each other.
  5. Finally, apply the texture and see the results.

1. Launch the UV Editor​

As a first step to begin the texture mapping process, you will need to launch UModeler X's UV Editor in order to stretch out your UVs.

The UV Editor allows you to create and edit UV elements (UV Vertex, UV Edge, and UV Face).

There are two ways to launch the UV Editor

  1. go to Source Mesh>UV Editor
  2. select the object > select the open UV Editor tab.

1. Source Mesh > UV Editor Tool​

  1. Select the Source Mesh.
  2. Press the Editor button at the top right of the mode.
  3. Launch the UV Editor tool from the menu. UV Editor Button
  4. You can see the UV Editor. UV Editor

2. Select Object>Select Open UV Editor Tab​

  1. Select the UModelerX object.
  2. Click the UV Editor Tab among the open tabs to activate it. UV Editor Tab Click
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    If the UModeler X object is not selected, the UV editor will not be activated.

2. Select faces and proceed with unwrap​

Select each face in your model, and proceed to unwrap them. Unwrap is the process of "unfolding" the faces of a 3D model into 2D UV space. This process creates a mapping between the faces of the 3D model and the 2D textures.

Unwrap Group

In the UV Editor, unwrap is done with the tools in the Unwrap Group.

3. Place Unwrapped UV Elements in Texture Space​

Place the unwrapped UVs in 2D texture space. Here are some things to consider during this process

  • Location and orientation to make texturing easy to work with.
  • Sizing the UV elements based on importance.
  • Zoning based on material

If you have a pre-made texture, place each unwrapped UV in the appropriate position in the texture image.

4. Avoid overlapping when placing​

During the UV placement process, it is important to make sure that the UVs do not overlap each other. This is because if UVs overlap, the same texture image will appear on the faces of the model corresponding to the overlapping UVs.

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However, this is not always a problem. Sometimes you can intentionally overlap UVs to utilize texture space efficiently.

You can also create different visual effects this way. In these cases, overlapping UVs can actually be an advantage.

5. Applying and Checking the Texture​

Finally, we'll apply the texture and check the results. This process ensures that the texture is mapped correctly and that the desired result is achieved.

You can verify your texture by using the Material Tool in Modeling mode to apply a Material to your model that reflects the texture.

Material Tool

If you need to make additional edits to your UVs, you can edit them while the texture is already applied, allowing you to edit the UV with visual feedback.

This way, you can see how the texture changes with the UV in real time and edit the UV more accurately.