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Multiple objects on one UV map?

ozzman1997 said:
Any word on Prepar3D and when they will be releasing support to Max 2013? ... And I know making payware with the student edition is forbidden, but is there any "water mark" within the .MDL file after compiling? :-]
Click to expand...

No, there is no watermark or any such silliness in a compiled model. As for support for Max 2013, the last I read at L-M's forum is that there are no immediate plans to update their toolset in the SDK... ;)
 
ozzman1997 said:
Any word on Prepar3D and when they will be releasing support to Max 2013? I think it's the only one you can buy (legally) from Autodesk at the moment.
Click to expand...

Having bought a full version of Max 2013 (or an upgrade to full) if you also buy a subscription you can have and legally use an older version of Max back to version 2010. Autodesk will send you your preferred version on request.

I've generally thought this a bit odd: pay more money to use an older version... :eek:


(If you already have an older version, a subscription is likely to irreversibly upgrade you to 2013 without a by-your-leave, so be warned. :mad:)
 
Tom,

You can choose not to upgrade, or run two versions side-by-side.

I still have Max 2008 installed (FSX SDK), and Max 2012 (P3D, haven't upgraded, no support for plugins yet)


Just like gMax, all versions of Max even allow for multiple objects on the same Material, ..... linking back to the OP!! :D
 
hcornea said:
Just like gMax, all versions of Max...
Click to expand...

Don't I know it! Seems a tut or wiki on Gmax/LithUnwrap here on FSDev might be an idea to pull more essentials together in the one place. We seem to have this same topic on the forum each winter around this time!
 
I posted a tutorial on using GMax and Lithunwrap at FFDS some years ago, but haven't been able to recover my login there since my last dev machine died... :(

Once set up, the workflow is remarkably simple and fast!
 
Yes, that is the one. Of course I can't see what if any images might be missing, since I "need to be logged it" to seem them at all! :rotfl:
 
So for 3ds Max is the only way to map multiple object together on one UV map by attaching the objects into a single object? This would be fine except if it weren't for the pivots that were painstakingly set for the control surfaces (flaps, ailerons, etc) already. In fact I already UV mapped all objects. If attaching is the only way then I suppose my approach will be to save another .max file used just for UV mapping and attach all objects together (destroying local object pivots) and UV map the whole, single object. I believe the UV maps will stay in tact for each object since I already mapped every object separately. The remaining task would be to pack the UVs into the single space.
I have to believe that there is another way, though, that preserves individual object pivots.


EDIT: I found another suggestion which was intriguing. Copy all objects and place them into a separate layer. Working from that layer, attach all objects together that will share a single UV map texture. Individual pivots are destroyed on the copied objects at this point but that's ok. UV unwrap and layout the texture. Then under the Hierachy<pivot<affect pivot only, select the copied object you what to change the alignment and click on the object that matches it (the original object).
 
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Are you using 3ds Max 2008 or newer? If so, you can select all the objects you want mapped on a single texture sheet and UVW Unwrap the lot at once. No need to attach objects together. If you have Max 9 or earlier then you have my sympathy...

Unwrapping multiple objects in Max 20xx

edit: just checked back, Max 2012? No problem...
 
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hairyspin said:
Are you using 3ds Max 2008 or newer? If so, you can select all the objects you want mapped on a single texture sheet and UVW Unwrap the lot at once. No need to attach objects together. If you have Max 9 or earlier then you have my sympathy...

Unwrapping multiple objects in Max 20xx

edit: just checked back, Max 2012? No problem...
Click to expand...
I am using Max 2012 and I tried that part way but stopped when I saw the stack was empty before applying the UV unwrap. I thought the stack had to have something there to spply the modifier to. I will try again. Sure would save steps if this works.
 
When multiple objects are selected there is initially nothing in the stack.

Once a modifier is applied the stack will appear, with the base layer in italics.
 
I have not completed the whole laying out of the pieces but your suggestions (hairspin and hcornea) worked fine. Thanks so much.
 
Hi guys, I was in the same problem days ago, and by finding this post and some other stuff I could find also another way you might appreciate to make life easier on UVs :)
regards :)
 
hairyspin said:
...Seems a tut or wiki on Gmax/LithUnwrap here on FSDev might be an idea to pull more essentials together in the one place. We seem to have this same topic on the forum each winter around this time!
Click to expand...

HGC125 said:
Hi guys, I was in the same problem days ago..
Click to expand...

Hello HGC125, I've since followed my own suggestion and posted a tut series on mapping to the Wiki here. It's aimed at Gmax but is equally applicable to 3ds Max.

UVW Mapping in Gmax
 
Hey thanks for putting in the time for that, hairyspin. As for me we finally hired a modeler so I am back to programming exclusively. But I know I'll get the "modeling itch" so I am bookmarking this thread. Because of your help I was able to create one huge texture for the whole model that contained many sub parts. It all worked nicely. (however I did give my work over to the modeler who chuckled at first but then gave me an "atta-boy" for a great first attempt at this complex model :) )
 
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