3dsmax: 2 UV channel problem (possible corrupt UVs :( )

[mikebart 1]

This is more of a 3dsmax question but thought this would be a good place to post it;

I've been trying to figure out how this works, but im a bit worried my UV's might have gotten corrupted somehow and im just going round in circles, either that or im just not getting the whole workflow for multiple UV maps and have made a complete mess of things.

Basically I want to have a diffuse map on UV1, and an ambient occlusion map on UV2, but I cant figure out the whole switching between UV's thing, it just doesn't seem to work properly.

Also, when i open them with the Unwrap UVW modifier, the editor shows a front projection of the uvwmap that doesn't correspond to the actual UVs you see in the 3d viewport (as shown in the first pic below), but when i open the UV's with renderhjs's TexTools, it opens them fine, pretty weird.

Standard Unwrap modifier:

TexTools Unwrap modifier

AO lightmap UV's

I'd really appreciate anyone having a look at it, you can download a sample here:

http://www.esnips.com/doc/e8bdd353-2bd6-43f8-9296-366017d882af/UV_Sample

I've tried copying the uv's from one mesh to another while changing the UV channel to 2 aswell but they just dont seem to work right, please try this if you have a look at the sample and see if it works for you.

thanks in advance,

mike

Edited November 20, 2009 by mikebart

[gms 0]

I could not open the file.

I try to tell as a multi uvw chennels works for me.

1. create an object.

2. create an UVW1 with a standart "unwrap uvw" modifier.

3. create a material and assign to the object.

4. use the "UVW Mapping add" modifier

5. use the "Unwrap UVW" modifier, change a channel map ID to 2, create an UVW2.

6. create material2 with Map Channel ID 2 in a texture coordinates parameters, assign and see as it works.

Use a blend material to get two or more materials works together.

In O2 just use 2 copy of the object with different uvw and merge uvws through the channels by copy-paste.

Best regards. gms.

Edited November 1, 2009 by gms

[mikebart 1]

thanks for checking it out gms, i should have mentioned that its a max 2009 file, cheers for writing down the steps, i think ive got my head around it now.

theres some more info about the subject here

[rocket 9]

Try having the object as a "Mesh" object rather than a "Poly". Sometimes, UV co-ords can be lost in conversion where you have UV's split across a single polygon in Max

[mikebart 1]

thanks for the reply rocket, do you mean have it as a mesh when you export or always when working with multiple UV's?.

[rocket 9]

thanks for the reply rocket, do you mean have it as a mesh when you export or always when working with multiple UV's?.

I just had a go doing what you're trying to, and I had the same problems.

Having said that, I do work in mesh prior to export to O2, otherwise use Soul_assassins 3ds Max toolset and then I haven't really worried.

I'll keep trying and see if I can figure it out... let us know if you do because this will be very useful!

[mikebart 1]

hey rocket, its pretty much solved now, head over to this link here

gms's posted steps pretty much explain the second UV process, I did however have to convert my object to mesh before I exported it using SA's .p3d exporter, but that was more due to it finding a +4 sided poly somewhere, I had a good look for it, I even did an STL check, but still couldnt find it, so i just converted it to mesh and exported it to .p3d no probs, 2 UV channels and all.

Maybe the 2 UV channels, were causing the 4 sided pop up?

Edited November 19, 2009 by mikebart

[rocket 9]

I'm not sure, but thanks for the link!

By the way, love the work you're doing. Any chance you're going to be putting some buildings together as a pack for the island makers?

[mikebart 1]

thanks!, yep, eventually ill be putting together a few buildings, and ill release the source .max file that allows people to customize their own building to a certain extent. I think the best thing I could do at the moment though is document what im doing, create a thread about it and release some sort of beta, hopefully getting some good ideas for scripting, ill try and look into that in the next few weeks.