Tuesday, 4 March 2025

Blender School: UV Unwrapping Revision

 UV Unwrapping tips (Grant Abbot)

  1. When adding seams, you can use the shortest path.


  1. Multiple objects can share the same UV map. Useful for game assets/memory efficiency.

  2. Remember to apply scale. Blender’s unwrap system doesn’t account for object scale. If objects are not consistently scaled, UV map scales will be wrong.

  3. Use a generated texture when creating UV maps. ZenUV has one built in.

  4. Average Island scale to even out the size of object parts on the UV map.

  5. Dealing with UV stretching. Use UV Syn Selection (Arrows point at diagonals). Stretching can be problematic, but there is always a tension between removing stretching by adding more seams and keeping textures on the same island, where it’s easier to paint.

  6. Select overlap. Complex meshes can contain areas where the UV faces overlap each other. The Select Overlap option allows you to view these areas.

  7. Seams from islands. You can place seams on the existing UV islands by using Seams from islands.



4-Step Process (Josh Gambrell)


Automate Seam Placement

Start by letting Blender do the first round of seams.
Select edges by sharpness. 30-degree threshold


Four situations arise:

  • Chamfer seams: A one-segment bevel (chamfer) has a greater-than-30-degree edge. You can remove one of the seams on the chamfer.
  • Continuous sets of faces You only need one seam, so select and remove all others.
  • Rings. When an unwrap creates a ring, the form has been crushed flat instead of cut and flattened. Add a seam, just one.
  • Sneaky edge-markings. Sometimes the  threshold catches edges that don’t need seams. For example, an edge that’s just over 30 degrees. Remove the surplus seam.

If you follow these steps, you’ll nearly always have an optimal unwrap.


UV Mapping in 4 Steps (On Mars 3D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XleO7DBm1Us)


  1. Apply Scale

  2.  Project From View

  3. Mark Seams

  4. Unwrap

In overlays you can view UV Editing “Display Stetch” which shows stretching as a heat map.


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