Early-model RPD machine gun

[ThreeHams]

Working on an obsolete 1940-1950 RPD light machine gun, in a world that takes place in an alternate-history 1980s Bulgaria. This means no dust cover, and no foldable charging handle (I actually need to change on the model). The focus is on first-person view, but because of the intended use, it needs to look good along both sides, and have some very basic detail on the bottom and front.

Tri count is a little under 6000. Texture size will be 2048x2048, but should still look good at 1/2 and 1/4 sizes.

Working on the UVs this weekend. I'm being very cautious on this model, because of problems with normal mapping and under-detailed models in the past. Regarding this, is there any way to speed up the UV process for a hard-surface model, similar to pelt mapping? Even with keyboard shortcuts for everything, it still feels like it takes longer than it should.

[TinyFly]

Well if you are using 3d studio max.. i dont know
I used modo and UV mapping is a BREEZE man , so damn fast its not funny.
I think modo has the best UV features of most applications
I used to use 3dsmax but I went to modo for that very reason , and then I also found modelling to be alot faster as well with the unique transform tools

[Philly13]

You could always try Headus UV, that's a pretty swish app.

[Ghostscape]

If you grab TexTools TexTools the Iron Tool is a pretty nice flatten+relax function that combines nicely with select planar to help manually unwrap stuff.

Usually I just do a flatten map on the whole thing with a 40-50 degree break, and then just start stitching things together.

The real issue you'll have with a hard-surface unwrap is that you'll want to make each UV island its own smoothing group so you get better edge bleeding and hide seams at your hard edges. This can be done relatively quickly by doing your unwrap, then using Tex-Tools UV->3d function to convert your UVs to an edit poly, which you can use to set your smoothing groups easily, and then use the function again to get your model back with good smoothing groups/UVs.

[OriginalAdric]

Roadkill isn't as good as Headus UVLayout (which is an excellent program), but you can pick up a free version here. You can choose between plugins for Maya, Max, or a standalone which will import OBJ files.

[ThreeHams]

Thanks for all the recommendations, everyone. I'll hopefully have more time to go back to this project this weekend.

[ThreeHams]

Unemployment means lots of free time! All colors and textures are completely temporary, and there to see whether or not some minor glitches will even show on the final texture.







Textools is incredibly useful - the only thing I wish it had is a +1 / -1 UV offset (I can probably figure out how to write a quick script for this).

[Ghostscape]

if you click the [+] looking thing in the UV window to the left of the coordinate type-in boxes it switches it to offset mode or whatever so it will move your selection by whatever you type in, instead of setting everything in the selection to what you type in (like normal).

Looking back at the high poly/low poly I'm not really sold on the depth of the hole in the wooden grip/whatever in the front - modeling that into the low will help it read better. Some shadowing in the hole might deepen it up too, but right now its not reading very well in the normal - have you baked AO to overlay on your diffuse/spec?

The post with the finger screw thing on the right side (I have no idea what this is) would benefit from modeling the finger screw grip bit as a second cylinder, its losing definition and not reading well in the normal mapped version. It's pretty important silhouette too.

The textured grip-looking area on the rear of the receiver by the eye doesn't read well in the low poly at all, either - again a place where you'll probably want to do some serious enhancing in the diffuse/spec with some strong/enhanced AO to really deepen the crevices.

[ThreeHams]

I've been using offset mode, but it has some real annoyances - it tends to keep focus when it shouldn't, and when using the scroll wheel to zoom, it'll get stuck in an increment loop until the unwrap window is opened and closed. There are a few other annoying things I can't remember right now. Plus, I use it so often that it ends up being a lot of extra clicks.

Anyway, it's a really simple script - the macro recorder just doesn't match the command needed, so it took a little extra searching. If anyone wants them with icons:

http://www.2kx2k.com/scripts/ThreeHams-PlusOne.mcr
http://www.2kx2k.com/scripts/ThreeHams-MinusOne.mcr

Update on the model later today. You pointed out a bunch of stuff I was trying to be lazy about.

[Ghostscape]

lazy is fine on the front of the gun, not the back