Unfolding a model so it can be textured

[DrysonB]

I am involved with a group that designs Mods for a popular online game called Homeworld. The name of the mod is called HomeWorld Complex.

http://complex.mastertopforum.com/portal.php

I use Sketch Up to create my models for the mod. The problem is texturing them without having to recreate each panel in Gimp so that the textures can be applied.

Is there a way to unfold the 3D model so that all of the panels will lay flat on the Sketch Up Table so that each panel can then be textured?

Basically it would be awesome if a plugin was created that would first unfold the 3D model into a 2D panel system.

Each panel would then be selected and imported into Gimp so that it would retain overall size. Once texute would then be copied and pasted on the Sketch Up Panel for an exact fit.

Once the model had been textured the second function called Fold Up would rebuild the model to its original shape.

Are there any plugins available that would preform this action?

Also if anyone is interested the HomeWorld Complex Team is looking for more volunteers to assist in the HomeWorld Complex team.

Hopefully if we can get enough modelers together Relic will build the team to launch HomeWorld 3 from the Complex Team.

[numbthumb]

Hello and welcome,

Something like this?

http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?t=44501
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?t=23725

And you might also be interested in this: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=333&t=47572&start=0

[pilou]

And why not used the Unfold Sketchup tool itself?

Flattery by Jim Foltz

[iichiversii]

@unknownuser said:

And why not used the Unfold Sketchup tool itself?

Flattery by Jim Foltz

Iv tried that technic before, unfortunately that doesn't work so well as sometimes the mesh unfolds ontop of another mesh, I briefly remember someone posting something similar in the past, and i myself taught there would be a way to flatten your model in sketchup so to prepare a texture for unwrapping around the model before it was flattened, but that just doesn't happen in sketchup, I'm currently learning uv mapping for game dev models using roadkill and although it was confusing at first I am making fast progress, I also just downloaded sketchuv today at a very low price may I add and looking forward in learning this impressive tool, and both sketchuv and roadkill can work in conjunction with eachother, hope this helps but that's the route I'm taking with UV mapping at the moment