WRAPPING & MAPPING TEXTURES ONTO 3D OBJECTS
We want to get a texture skin mapped correctly onto the can.
Whether the skins are created before the object or the object is created first will probably change from project to project. At this point in our online lesson, we already have a skin - can.jpg - so we want to make sure the can will unwrap to match the skin. This isn't a problem in this case. It may be a problem with other projects though, so be aware of that possibility.
1. Download and launch UVMapper.exe.
2. Maximize the window when it opens.
3. Find the file, can.obj, and open it in UVMapper.
4. You will see an alert, listing some statistics about the object. Click OK.
5. You will see a bunch of triangles fill your window. Ignore them for the moment.
6. Choose Edit, New UV Map, Cylinder Cap. You will get a Cylinder Cap Mapping dialog box.
7. Click OK. You will then get a layout of the can's triangles with a rectangular block of triangles across the middle and a circle of triangles at both top and bottom.
8. Choose File, Save Model. The OBJ Export Options dialog box then appears.
9. Set the options boxes as shown here:
UVMapper OBJ Export Options Values
| Value | Option |
| clear | Export As Single Group |
| set | Export Normals |
| set | Export UV Coordinates |
| clear | Flip Texture (UV) Coordinates Vertically |
| clear | Flip Texture (UV) Coordinates Horizontally |
| clear | Reverse Winding Order |
| clear | Invert Normals |
| clear | Swap Coordinates Y and Z |
| set | Export Materials |
| set | Export UVMapper Regions |
| clear | Export Using Rotation Settings |
| clear | Don't Export Linefeeds |
| clear | Don't Compress Texture Coordinates |
UVMapper BMP Export Options Values
| Value | Option |
| 512 | Bitmap Size - Width |
| 512 | Bitmap Size - Height |
| clear | Flip Texture Map Vertically |
| clear | Flip Texture Map Horizontally |
| clear | Exclude Hidden Faces |
10. Replace the OBJ file by saving over it.
11. Choose File, Save Texture Map. The BMP Export Options dialog box appears.
12. Set the options to the values show in the table above.
13. Save to the file name mynewcan.bmp. This is the texture map, or UV mapping template, for your can.
14. Switch back to Milkshape.
15. Choose the Groups tab and select the can group.
16. Click the Delete button. You will replace this object with the one you exported from UVMapper.
17. Choose File, Import. Wavefront Obj and import the mynewcan.obj file you saved from UVMapper.
18. On the Groups tab, locate your new object (mynewcan.obj), select it, and rename it if you like.
19. with the new object selected, choose the Materials tab.
20. Choose the label material and then click Assign.
21. Your texture should appear on the can in the 3D view, wrapped correctly.
22. If no texture appears, click in the 3D window, click in the 3D window to force an update.
23. If there is still no texture, make sure that you have the 3D window still set to Textured, by right-clicking in the 3D window and checking the menu.