12 - Maya 2015 - Projection Mapping and Unfold
After having used Automatic Mapping and having discovered some of the issues that arise we will begin to take a look at how we can use Projection Mapping to more accurately define our UV map. Projection Mapping works to project the angle of faces based on a specific axis so that they are laid out flat in the UV based on the X, Y, or Z axis. The idea behind Projection Mapping is that it can be used to sort of take a picture of the faces on the object from a specific angle. The axis is chosen based on which angle the faces are mostly pointing towards. We will be exploring both Legacy Projection Mapping and 3D Projection Mapping.
Once having projected the faces of an object onto the UV map based on a specific axis you can then make use of unfold. Many times you will need to lay out the faces of an object that are not necessarily pointing towards a specific direction. For instance, a cylinder would have faces pointing in a complete circle around it. In order to UV map such a set of faces first you would use Projection Mapping to capture the faces initial shape into the UV map. Then you would simply cut edges along one side and use Unfold to unfold the UV so that it is completely flat. The entire process, while sounds complex and hard to grasp, is very easy to do and takes only a matter of seconds to accomplish.
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