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010rendering Lab Manual-Part III

The document describes how to do UV mapping in Blender by separating parts of a 3D model and assigning customized textures to each part. It includes steps to mask seams, unwrap UV maps, export and import textures, create materials, and export models. The overall process allows customizing textures on 3D models by mapping image files to different sections.

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25 views

010rendering Lab Manual-Part III

The document describes how to do UV mapping in Blender by separating parts of a 3D model and assigning customized textures to each part. It includes steps to mask seams, unwrap UV maps, export and import textures, create materials, and export models. The overall process allows customizing textures on 3D models by mapping image files to different sections.

Uploaded by

iimsheung
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Digital Design - Rendering Lab III

– UV Mapping in Blender

Introduction
In Part II, we use Unity to create simple model and do the UV mapping using ProBuilder.

This lab uses Blender to make UV Mapping for a complex 3D object and attach a customized image
texture to UV mapping.

After this lab, you will know how to:

1. Make UV mapping for a 3D object


2. Separate parts for UV mapping
3. Create and attach an image texture according to the UV map.

This lab will use Blender, you can download it from official website beforehand:
https://www.blender.org/download/.

1.Prepare Materials
For your convenience, we prepare a head model for this lab. Download compressed file “Head
Blender.zip” and unzip it in any place you want to work. You can directly open blender file “face.blend”
under folder “Head Blender”. And you can see a head model.

Figure 1.1 Head model in Blender


2. UV Mapping
To have a better UV mapping for a complex object with numerous vertices, we need to unwrap areas
from the object. For example, we can unwrap neck, ears, nose, mouth from the head.

2.1. Mask Seam


Change to Edit Mode. And select “Edge”.

Figure 2.1.1 Change to Edit Mode

Let’s separate the neck first. Select the boundary loop edges of the neck (orange line). Using shortcut to
select “Ctrl+Shift” to quicker select the loop (the orange edges in Figure 2.1.2).

Figure 2.1.2 Boundary loop (orange loop line in the neck)


After select the loop, seam the mask: Ctrl+E → Mask Seam (Figure 2.1.5 left). And Loop will turn red
(Figure 2.1.5 right).

Figure 2.1.3 After “Mask Seam”, the boundary turns red

Repeat the step to seam the bottom boundary, select boundary → Mask Seam. And now we can have
two boundaries for the neck (Figure 2.1.4).

Figure 2.1.4 Two seamed boundaries


Repeat the step, select edges → Mask Seam. Now we add a split line for the neck, thus making UV map
of the neck can be spread (not a collar but a plane, see Figure 2.2.4).

Figure 2.1.5 Add a split line such that the UV can be spread

2.2. UV Unwrap
Select seamed area: select something in seamed area, press “L”.

Figure 2.2.1 Select seamed area


Unwrap the area (neck). Right click → “UV Unwrap Faces”→ “Unwarp” (Figure 2.2.2), or on the top
select “UV” button → “Unwarp” (Figure 2.2.3).

Figure 2.2.2 Unwrap the selected area via right click

Figure 2.2.3 Unwrap the selected area via UV menu

Open UV Editing window, and now we can see the UV mapping of the neck we seamed and unwrapped
just now.

Figure 2.2.4 Neck’s UV mapping


We can select “View”→ “Overlays”→ check “Stretching”. UV maps now have blue color, usually blue
indicates a good mapping (according to angles).

Figure 2.2.5 UV display stretching

2.3. UV Mapping for All Areas


Now we can continue our work on other areas. We can repeat the steps: select edges → Mask Seam →
UV Unwrap. Let’s sperate ears first.

Figure 2.3.1 Select the boundary for ear


Select both ears areas and unwarp.

Figure 2.3.2 Unwrap the areas

Figure 2.3.3 UV mapping of two ears


See closer to the UV maps, some areas are too small to see faces, you can utilize the tools in UV editing
window to move, rotate and scale the UVs (see Figure 2.3.4).

Figure 2.3.4 UV Editing window tools

If you are NOT satisfied the UV result, you can keep splitting the seamed mask. Add a new split curve
edges (orange edge in Figure 2.3.3) and do a new mask seaming: Ctrl+E → mask seam (see Figure 2.3.4).

Figure 2.3.3 Add a split line for the ear


Select these splitted ear areas, and UV → Unwarp (Figure 2.3.4 right), we can see the new UV results
with two parts (ear back and ear front faces, see Figure 2.3.4 left).

Figure 2.3.4 Split ear into two parts of UV maps

Now let’s split the face for better UV mapping (see orange edges from neck to forehead in Figure 2.3.5).

Figure 2.3.5 Split ear into two parts of UV maps (left: back side, right: front side)
Ctrl+E → Mask Seam.

Figure 2.3.6 Mask seam for head split line

Unwarp the head.

Figure 2.3.7 Unwrap head area


Figure 2.3.7 Head UV map
We can separate the mouth, nose for further texturing, by repeat the steps “add boundary”, “Mask
Seam”, and “UV Unwrap”.

Figure 2.3.8 Separate mouth and nose


2.4. Rearrange and Export UVs
Using the tools in UV Editing window, move, resize, and rotate the UVs within the quad image, such that
each component will be overlapped. (Hints: remember the parts and corresponding positions you put,
e.g. here mouth is put on left top corner.)

Figure 2.4.1 Relocate the UV maps in the UV quad (left)

Export UV layout(Figure 2.4.2). And name it like “face_uv.png”(Figure 2.4.3).

Figure 2.4.2 Export UV layout


Figure 2.4.3 Export UV layout as an image

The exported UVs will be like (this Figure 2.4.4).

Figure 2.4.3 UV layout


3. Texture Customization
3.1. Create a Texture
Open Photoshop or any other photo editor and open the UV layout image.

Now we can create a customized texture for the head according to the UVs. Or edit an existing image,
e.g. a real face image.

Figure 3.1.1 Import UV layout into photo editor, and create a corresponding texture

Hide the UV layout and export the texture “face_uv_texure.png” with transparent background.

Figure 3.1.2 Export texture image with transparent background


Figure 3.1.3 Texture in terms of the UV layout

3.2. Create a Material


In Blender, change back to “Global Mode”. Select the model “guy” and create a fuse default material.
Select last but one property and create a new material.

Figure 3.2.1 Create a Material for the head model


Select last property (Texture) and create a new image texture.

Figure 3.2.2 Import texture

Open the prepared customized texture “face_uv_texure.png”.

Figure 3.2.3 Import texture created in Section 3.1

Figure 3.2.4 Imported texture


In material properties, change “Surface Color” to “Image Texture” and select the texture we created just
now “face_uv_texture.png.001”.

Figure 3.2.5 Assign texture to material

And confirm in “Viewport Shading”→ “Color”, select “Texture”.

Figure 3.2.6 Change Viewport Shading’s color to Texture


Now we can see the texture attached to the face according to the UVs.

Figure 3.2.7 Final shading result with customized texture

Open the UV Editing window again, we can see the image change to the texture.

Figure 3.2.8 Check out texture on UV maps


You can feel free the change the UVs positions, sizes, angles to change the UV mappings.

Figure 3.2.9 Tune UV maps’ positions towards texture

4. Export Model
When you are satisfied the model, export it for our further use.

Figure 4.1 Export the model as fbx file


Figure 4.2 Export the model as fbx file

5. Practice
Import a model you like to Blender, change the texture or customize a texture for it. And then import it
to Unity for further lighting configuration.

You can also import a rigged model and do the animation with new texture in Unity.

Reference:
https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/modeling/meshes/editing/uv/applying_image.html

https://download.blender.org/documentation/BlenderHotkeyReference.pdf

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