2 - Novice Generic Asset Workflow (Model, Unwrap, Texture)

[moonsense715]

Author: moonsense715

Skill level: 2

 

 

Ever wondered how to connect modeling, unwrapping and texturing together? How an unwrap gets into photo editors and then comes back to the modeling software? Then this tutorial is for you.

 

 

1. Create your model

To keep this tutorial simple, I will demonstrate the workflow on (you guessed it) a box, but it works for almost anything.

 

So in 3ds Max, get your model complete, here's my box (size: 3.5 x 4.0 x 3.0):

 

 

2. Unwrap your model

The next step is, unwrapping your model.

Apply the UVW Unwrap modifier onto your model (make sure it is selected):

 

Now on the right side panel, you will see "Parameters" and under that a big "Edit" button. Click that and the Edit UVWs window will pop up:

 

Now on the right panel, expand Unwrap UVW and select Face. Hit CTRL + A to select all the faces.

On the Edit UVWs window, click Mapping and choose Flatten Mapping.

On the popup window, just hit OK.

 

The unwrapping for this box is complete as it is a very simple model. For more complicated models, the unwrap will most likely look very unoptimized and scattered all around. You can learn more about unwrapping HERE.

For now, let's continue using the unwrap in the texturing phase.

 

 

3. Get your unwrap ready for an image editor

Before you close the Edit UVWs window, we need it for one more thing.

 

Click Tools and select "Render UVW Template". The following dialog should appear:

Play around with the settings if you like or leave it as default and hit "Render UV Template".

 

An unwrap image will render.

Click the save icon save it as a PNG or TGA filetype, whichever you can open with your image editor software such as Photoshop, Gimp or even MS Paint if you just want to try out this tutorial.

 

 

4. Use the unwrap in the image editor

Open the picture you rendered with an image editor software.

Edit it to your liking, the unwrap lines help you as they show where to draw on the image.

If you are unsure which part of the unwrap is which, you can check it on your Edit UVWs window. Select a face and it will be highlighted in all your open camera views.

 

This is an example I came up with:

Save the image.

 

 

5. Apply the new texture to your model

Back in 3ds Max 8, open your material editor by hitting "M".

Select any material slot (big grey ball) and click Standard. Change it to W3D and hit OK.

 

Under Pass 1, switch to the Textures tab. Tick Stage 0 Texture and click on None. Browse for the texture file you just created and hit OK. Click Display and Assign Material Selection on your selected model.

The texture should appear on it.

 

 

6. Export the model and finish

In normal cases, you should tick Physical, Projectile and Camera collisions on your mesh on the Utilities (hammer) tab under W3D Tools so you can collide with it, shoot it and your camera will not go through it.

This does not apply to characters and vehicles in W3D, you need to rig those in a special way. See the other tutorials for them.

 

As for this box model tutorial, now click File -> Export.

Filetype should be W3D Asset, give it any name.

On the export options, choose Hierarchical Model and change nothing else.

 

 

Now your asset is ready to be used in the W3D engine. Open it with W3D View to look at it or add it as a preset in Level Edit to use it.

 

 

Tutorial source files

Here are the files used by this tutorial, feel free to look at it to check as reference:

GenericAssetWorkflow.zip