Texturing complicated organic shapes

Aerilius

I modelled a quite difficult rock formation, which needed to be textured:
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=d7801c562346005eb05fa4413d74cff0

I tried external applications that unfold the model and apply UV coordinates for the texture image. Unwrap3d (commercial, no export in free version) and Blender would have taken me to much time to learn and the first results were a chaos of vertices because the shape is to complex.

So I used projected textures in Sketchup:

Use View > Parallel Projection.
Place rectangles in the air that are roughly parallel to each side of the model.
Select each and click right > Align View and save the View as a new Scene.

2. Make Screenshots (Alt+Print) of each Scene, cut them and import them as new textures.

2./3. Optional: assigning colors to the boundary edges for each texture can be helpful.

4. Place the textures on the rectangles and adjust them untill they match the geometry behind (hidden geometry on is helpful). Thus they match exactly to the view from where they where taken. Then right click -> texture -> projected. Use the [alt]+paint bucket to project the textures on the model. The projected textures will fit perfectly because they were taken from parallel perspective.

5. Now you can edit each texture in your graphics editor and overlay photos over the outlines of the textures. You only have to consider that the textures are fitting along the red lines. You may have to distort/paint on them until the model is seamless textured. Reload the texture images in Sketchup several times untill you are satisfied.

Gaieus

This is great, Tom, thanks.
I know it's a bit meticulous but texturing such shapes in SU always are.

Have you tried UVTools BTW?

MALAISE

Thanks Tom for this clear explanation about complex texturing.

MALAISE

remus

Good tut, texturing complicated shapes has always been a bit of a grey area to me so cool to see a working method.

l.frisken

great tutorial, thankyou!