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Old 7th May 2012, 12:11 PM   #12
Stiglr
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Portland, OR
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Default Re: AC3D Texture mapping

How'd I get that view? I created it from cut up copies of your model (copies, so I don't destroy the original). I arrange them in another visual area of the modeling space and then take a screen shot of the results. To be more complete:

1) Figure out a way to display the object(s) such that you can view as many faces as close to "straight on" without visual distortion. For a cylinder, four quarters of the object should enable you to get the job done. For aircraft fuselages, the rather apt object you alluded to earlier, that's exactly what I do: create a left, bottom, right, top arrangement along the aircraft's axis.

In Surface Select Mode, select one, 1/4 section of the object. COPY & PASTE those surfaces as a new object, then drag it somewhere away from the original. Doesn't matter where, just out of the way so you don't get confused about what you're looking at in any of the viewports.

Using the rotate tool, rotate the "1/4 object" until it faces the viewport you'll use to take your screen grab: being 1/4 of the part, that will likely be in 45 degree increments. 45, 90, 135, 180, 270. Watch the numerical readout as you do the rotation to make sure you rotate exactly. You may need to set your preferences to get the proper granularity you want to help you rotate easily. You may also need to make your object 2-sided, in case it seems to 'disappear' in the viewport.

Select and repeat the process with the other 3 quadrants, making sure to carefully align the sides of the object that do NOT "separate" like the banana, near the vertical center of the object.

If you decide that the best way to do the nose cone is to shoot it from above, you can use the same method, albeit in the top view, to make a copy of the nose cone, then rotate it, so that it faces straight on from the view you're using to assemble the body. Take care to orient the view so that you can tell which side will eventually align with the rest of the body.

Finally, if your final destination (game, as an example) requires square or power-of-2-sized graphics for its textures, I'd create a perfect square that can enclose all the objects. Place it in position and then "Lock" it, such that it does not obscure the view, but the outline of the square is visible.

Then, once you've arranged all your graphics (you'll likely want copies of the fins, right?) and put them in the square.... turn the grid off in that viewport, and use a screen grab utility (if you're on Windows 7, Snipping Tool works wonders) and grab the outline of your square to create your graphics guide. Make sure to resize it to a size that will work for you (ex., 512 pixels square, 1024 pixels square, 512 x 256, etc., depending on the requirements of your project's graphic req's).

As I said, if none of this makes sense PM me and I'll be glad to arrange a time to demo it for you on Skype.
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