Learning about UV mapping today was a great opportunity as I always struggled texturing in 3D. We started by recapping the modelling of the fish that we did previously. Owen gave me a completed modelled of the fish and aquarium tank to UV map textures onto using the UV editor. Using the UV editor to unfold, cut & sew UV shells to make it easier to UV map a layout sheet. I used the UV create section to generate the best UV Map layouts for each model using Automatic, Cylindrical, Spherical, Planar, Camera Based buttons to create each UV map. For the rocks UV map, I was told to use the automatic layout button, but also told that using the automatic UV create button isn’t always the best way on every model. For the fish we had to use the planar create button to texture both sides of the model and then we turned the planar UV shells 90O on the Y axis. I found out with a little help that I could use the vertices on the UV shell to position the texture image on the object to perfectly align. After I was given an easier way to cut & sew UV shells using the 3D Cut & Sew UV Tool, to help speed up the process of making similar texture shells.
In the lecture, I learned UV Mapping technique to enable the use of texturing images onto a standard plain grey model to give them colour and depth.
This lecture was enjoyable, but I had previously learnt about UV Mapping from YouTube sourced tutorials as they didn’t give me the insight I needed; my knowledge was reduced. By going to this lecture, it reduced my confusion, and lead to a knowledgeable insight of this technique. I want to keep recapping over the UV Mapping technique in order to keep my skills active.
The UV Mapping technique helps towards the project of modelling a 3D environment for Virtual Reality because it gives the 3D objects such as campsite environment in my project a better aesthetics.
Having this skill adds to my portfolio of knowledge. This technique can apply to future 3D models that I may be asked to produce by future employer, studios, clients, etc.
