[Plugin] SketchUV - now free

agamemnus · 10 Apr 2012, 15:16

I just got the newsletter. No visible link to the review.

I can't find the review via google. (try putting "sketchuv" on there... no hits)

http://news.sketchucation.com/ is a horrible indecipherable mess.

Gaieus · 10 Apr 2012, 16:38

Here is the announcement, Agamemnus:
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=44500

The links are in big, fat letters at the bottom of the first post.

agamemnus · 10 Apr 2012, 17:42

Thanks.

That soldier example was very impressive...

numerobis · 10 Apr 2012, 17:51

@solo said:

really? you do not have Artisan? I'd suggest you get that too.

i have tested the free demo but found it to be too slow and lagging for intuitive sculpting and it's still no subD-modeling so the geometry gets broken and the model becomes very large and unhandy... - i prefer subD-modeling in max and export it to sketchup or merge the geometry before rendering.
Real SubD-modeling in sketchup would be incredible!!! Hope dies last...

(maybe i'll integrate silo or voidworld into my workflow - quite nice little modeling apps, but this would be one import/export step more... which holds me back for now)

Whaat · 10 Apr 2012, 19:33

@moghamdi said:

I tried to use it on my sofa, but I could not get the result that I am looking for.

I used Box map and planner map, but it did not work.

Can you please help me with this?
I attached SKP file.

Thank you.

Hello,

Box mapping will show seams at curving surfaces so it is not ideal for that part of the couch. I recommend using the exact same technique that I used in the tutorial video attached to the first post of this thread (first part of the video):

Separate the surface into smaller surfaces using the Path Select Tool
Use planar projections on each surface
Align them using the UV transformation tools

In the attached video, I actually began with box mapping, and then used the seams as a guide to separate the surfaces. I didn't have to switch the material to the UV Texture but I thought it would help with the alignment.

[flash=560,315:34f1096s]http://www.youtube.com/v/MKH7AkTq-f0[/flash:34f1096s]

Gaieus · 10 Apr 2012, 19:37

This is still magic to me.

Whaat · 10 Apr 2012, 19:44

@krisidious said:

will this work for mapping cars? and will the maps transfer over to other programs well like Max?

can you optimize UVW maps with it? using all the area on a map for more than one piece of geometry?

Hi Kris,

You can map cars by dividing the surfaces into separate panels and applying planar projections to it. I expect it would work very well. Any surfaces that were especially tricky could be easily unwrapped using Roadkill (a free UV unwrapping app) that you can export and import UVs with using SketchUV.

You can not optimize maps with it directly. However, by exporting to another app, that can be done. Again, using Roadkill, the maps are automatically optimized by default as you unwrap the mesh. See this tutorial:

[flash=560,315:mq6wro7c]http://www.youtube.com/v/NXS6_WdXZ3s[/flash:mq6wro7c]

The maps should transfer perfectly to Max as long as you first use the triangulation function prior to 3DS export. This is explained in this tutorial:

[flash=560,315:mq6wro7c]http://www.youtube.com/v/baQwxL6mgMQ[/flash:mq6wro7c]

numbthumb · 10 Apr 2012, 19:46

A kind of magic I´m willing to learn.
And how did you make your signature dissapear Gaieus?

Gaieus · 10 Apr 2012, 20:15

@whaat said:

...The maps should transfer perfectly to Max as long as you first use the triangulation function prior to 3DS export...

Well, I do not know about Max itself (although why would it be different) but have tried a couple of 3rd party apps and indeed, with triangulation on, it exports perfectly.
And Dale, you need to make a new video for this feature. This one shows the UV maps a bit distorted but the plugin does not distort them (any longer).

[off:2c139be9]
@numbthumb said:

And how did you make your signature dissapear Gaieus?

It's there...
http://forums.sketchucation.com/ucp.php?i=profile&mode=signature [/off:2c139be9]

Krisidious · 10 Apr 2012, 20:48

awesome... Thanks Whaat.

jorge2011 · 10 Apr 2012, 21:12

beautiful coincidence.
This new plugin comes with excellent new fredo tool for manipulating textures

[flash=853,505:2ik15ks3]http://www.youtube.com/v/l2QjLlUQVrY&fs=1[/flash:2ik15ks3]

thank you very much whaat

pilou · 10 Apr 2012, 22:05

Very complementary!

McGyver · 11 Apr 2012, 16:19

Super impressive!!
I have a question in regards to exporting a finished model (to OBJ or DAE)...
With some plugins that allow you to modify, or reposition a texture, when the finished model is exported, multiple copies of the texture image are generated (or in some cases, copies of parts of the image)... does this occur with SketchUV?
Thank you in advance for any info.

Whaat · 11 Apr 2012, 17:00

@unknownuser said:

Super impressive!!
I have a question in regards to exporting a finished model (to OBJ or DAE)...
With some plugins that allow you to modify, or reposition a texture, when the finished model is exported, multiple copies of the texture image are generated (or in some cases, copies of parts of the image)... does this occur with SketchUV?
Thank you in advance for any info.

Hi. Your question is answered in this tutorial:

[flash=560,315:2f18ixq5]http://www.youtube.com/v/baQwxL6mgMQ[/flash:2f18ixq5]

McGyver · 11 Apr 2012, 17:28

That is great!! Thank you Whaat for replying so quickly and providing a link to the video! Once again another great plugin for SU! Thanks!... And THANKS for making it affordable for those of us on a budget!

Whaat · 12 Apr 2012, 17:16

I had a support question about how to map a curving deformed tube-like shape composed of triangles so I created a quick video showing how I would do it. (I could have saved some time by not exporting the cap faces but you get the idea)

[flash=560,315:9c6bzvk2]http://www.youtube.com/v/U-Gb1_Ibi0k[/flash:9c6bzvk2]

rv1974 · 16 Apr 2012, 13:05

Whaat, this is amazing tool. Thank you!
The only thing I could complain about are the shortcuts. My U,V and arrows keys set for other tools.
Was it hard to make a temporary shortcuts override?

Whaat · 16 Apr 2012, 15:01

@rv1974 said:

Whaat, this is amazing tool. Thank you!
The only thing I could complain about are the shortcuts. My U,V and arrows keys set for other tools.
Was it hard to make a temporary shortcuts override?

Thanks! Unfortunately, you can't override the shortcuts (AFAIK). Maybe I can come up with a solution in a future update...

fredo6 · 16 Apr 2012, 17:53

@whaat said:

Thanks! Unfortunately, you can't override the shortcuts (AFAIK). Maybe I can come up with a solution in a future update...

Whaat,

For info, I have logged a bug to Google on that, asking them to let all alpha characters be captured by the VCB after a valid character (digit, (, +, -, ...) is entered. They do it for some charcaters like 's', 'm', 'x', etc...
Let's see if they listen or hear!

Fredo

Whaat · 16 Apr 2012, 18:03

@unknownuser said:

@whaat said:

Thanks! Unfortunately, you can't override the shortcuts (AFAIK). Maybe I can come up with a solution in a future update...

Whaat,

For info, I have logged a bug to Google on that, asking them to let all alpha characters be captured by the VCB after a valid character (digit, (, +, -, ...) is entered. They do it for some charcaters like 's', 'm', 'x', etc...
Let's see if they listen or hear!

Fredo

Thanks Fredo!