Escalight - 3ds Max tutorial, Photoshop, Flash, V-Ray, Blender, Free 3D models, etc

by Didik Wijaya
This tutorial needs you to understand basic use of 3dsmax.

In previous tutorial, A6M3 WW2 PlaneModeling, you have created low poly plane. Now, you will try to texture this plane using Unwrap UVW. Before we begin, you may want to look at previous tutorial describing 8 simple step using Unwrap UVW. That tutorial explain about basic concept, and now you are here to implement this concept by texturing more complex object. After you have followed this tutorial, you will notice that whatever object you have, the steps in texturing using Unwrap UVW is the same.

If you don't followed A6M3 modeling tutorial, you can download A6M3 model here

STEP 1: APPLY UNWRAP MODIFIER
We are going to texture body of the plane, so it is useful to unhide other object (propeller). Select plane's body in viewport. Then, in Command Panel, activate Modify tab. Choose Unwrap UVW from modifier list to apply to object.

STEP 2: GIVE NAME TO FACES
In modifier stack, click plus (+) sign on left of Unwrap UVW. Select Face row. Now select all cockpit faces. For easy selection, you can turn off Ignore Backfacing in Selection Parameters rollout and use region/window selection in Left viewport.

After that, fill a name on Named Selection Sets textbox on top of the screen. After you fill the name, don't forget to press Enter on keyboard.

Repeat the same process with other faces untill all faces are named. You will need to create 9 named selection sets (look at image below). Note: When selecting tail wing top, tail wing bottom, wing top, wing bottom, and front, you need to rotate view. When selecting more than one faces, hold Ctrl+click.

I provide 3dsmax file with finished selection sets. Download here (3dsmax ver 8, zipped).

STEP 3: DEFINE EACH FACES TO THEIR PROPER MAPPING TYPE
Make sure you are still in Face selection. On Named Selection Sets on top of the screen, select one of your previously named faces, for example 'body'. Then, in Map Parameters rollout uncheck Normalize Map. This is important. When Normalize Map is active, 3dsmax always force uvw coordinate to fit into rectangle, and coordinates may stretch. We don't want that, that's why make sure this option is inactive.

Click Cylindrical button and click Align Z. Map gizmo (yellow lines) should be adjusted like image below. Why Cylindrical? Clear enough, plane's body is like a cylinder.

Continue the same process with other named faces. Look at table below. It shows faces with corresponding map type and alignment needed.

STEP 4: MOVE AND SCALE PROJECTED FACES IN EDIT UVW'S WINDOW
Open Edit UVW's window. In rollout Parameters, click Edit button to open Edit UVW's window. You may wonder, where is the uvw coordinates? Relax, they are already there. Simply click Extent All button at the bottom right of window. Now, all coordinates will show up. It looks like uvw coordinates are very large. Of course you can resize them later.

But for now, let's move each coordinates cluster sof they don't intersect each other. Still in Faces selection, choose one of your face's name in Named Selection Set. Selected projected face will be highlighted in red color. Then using tools provided at top left of this window, separate all projected faces. Note: for rudder faces, I rotate -90.

Before we are going further. Let's fix body coordinates. Select some faces like image below. In main menu, choose Tools>Break. Move selected faces aside. Change selection to Edge. Select 7 edges like image below. Then, choose Stitch Selected. Now, you'll have more easy looking body coordinates. We did this, so you can draw texture easily later.

Next step, change selection to Face again. Select all faces (just region select them in Edit UVW window). Now, move and resize all of them to fit small rectangle at the bottom left of blue line.

Here's after all faces fit into small rectangle. You may need to move several faces to make sure all faces inside the rectangle.

STEP 5: RENDER UV TEMPLATE
After all projected faces are all in right position in Edit UVWs window, go to Tools>Render UV Template. Small dialog box will be opened. Set Width and Height then click Render UV Template Window. For example I use 512x512. Rendered template opened in different window. You can save as an image.

STEP 6: DRAW YOUR OWN TEXTURE
Open saved rendered uv template in graphic editor software, eq Photoshop. Use this image as reference for your drawing. Image below show simple texture created based on rendered uv template. This texture will be used as Diffuse Color map. Save your texture as bitmap image. For this tutorial, I only use Diffuse Color mapl. You may also add other map as well, like Bump, Specular etc.

STEP 7: CREATE AND APPLY MATERIAL
Back to 3dsmax. Open Material Editor (press M in keyboard). Our plane already has green color texture applied. Select this material. Name this material if necessary. In Blinn Basic Parameters, click small button right of Diffuse. Another window will appear. Click on Bitmap and choose your texture image. Click Go to Parent button once to go back to previous rollout. Don't forget to activate Show Map in Viewport if you want material appear in viewport.

STEP 8: ADJUST IF NECESSARY
Sometimes we need to adjust projected faces position in Edit UVWs window. If you follow all steps in this tutorial, you don't need to adjust any faces coordinates. If you need to do that, go to Edit UVWs window. Click on drop-down list on top right window. Choose Pick Texture than choose your bitmap texture as background. Now, you can easily move vertex or faces to fit the mapping cluster to image map.

Fo final touch, unhide propeller object. Then, I create another material for propeller. Just simple yellow color. Now, your plane is finished. Image below show final result.

Finished 3dsmax file can be downloaded here (zipped, 3dsmax 8 format)

Any question or comments regarding this tutorial should be sent to:
Didik Wijaya, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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