Blender: Bi - Symmetric Texturing UV Map

[Lonecat Nekophrodite]

This is a new project (Actually a conversion of Civ6 GS Hussars shako). Mid 19th Century Shako. similar to what Civ4 Rifleman wears.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MLxt6_ZyTG9SA6ylEmm0y43LU4Ca0w0d/view?usp=sharing

How can I make a UV Map that. if texture painted at one side and the other symmetric side will get the same ?

Actually I want Meiji-Era Year 19 Shako models for Line Infantry and Cavalry for Japanese and other Asian nations.
https://www.pickelhaubes.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=9378
https://stewartsmilitaryantiques.com/japanese-meiji-era-line-infantry-shako.27743.archive.htm

 

[AntSou]

Your Blender looks weird.

Are you asking how to get the UV map side by side with the model?

Grant Abbitt explains it in this video, though I don't know if this is what you're asking for:

 

[Lonecat Nekophrodite]

I want a UV Map that shares similar properties to CIV6 Warships. That is if you apply color at one side of the ship hull in Texture Paint mode. the painted spot appears at the same spot by the other side.

And I'm still using 2.79 as Deliverator still does. how does it looks weird? oh i've flipped the model around so to work out easier.

 

[AntSou]

I'm still using 2.79 as Deliverator still does. how does it looks weird?

Nothing, just the menus .

There should be a mirror option like there is in layout mode.

Is this what you're looking for?

 

[Lonecat Nekophrodite]

This is what I got now. but the UV Map doesn't seems to accept mirorrings.

what did I do wrong here. anyone??

 

[Shirotora Kenshin]

Perhaps there is a better method, but i would try this:

1. In Edit Mode, just select the edges at the center of the model (the whole edge loop) .
2. Press Ctrl+E and in the upcoming Window click on „Mark Seam“.
3. Now unwrap again.

Another method if the first one doesnt give you the results you wanted:

1. Select one side of the model in edit mode, press X and delete just the faces.
2. Now Unwrap the side you kept there.
3. Now you select the faces which are still there, and duplicate them in edit mode.
4. Go to object mode, and mirror it on the correct axis. the result should look in 3D View exactly as the model was before you deleted one half of it.
5. Go to edit mode and select the duplicated side of the model, now go to the UV Image Editor Window, and press A there. Now you should have just selected the faces from the side of the model you have selected in 3D View. Now mirror them in the UV Image Editor. There you can find the tools needed to do it.
6. Now in the UV Image Editor it should be mirrored, you may need to adjust the position a bit, but it should work.
7. If you happy with the UV Map, you should merge the vertices at the center of the model. You can do this by selecting manually all the vertices at the center of the mesh, and then merge the vertices to the center, or you just use the „Remove Doubles“ function in Blender, but the second has giving me strange results ingame, for some reason.

Would be cool if you let me know whether this has worked for you or not.

 

[Shirotora Kenshin]

A third way, pasted from a Blender Forum (not my words):

So, what you need to do is mark seam where the cut is supposed to happen, then unwrap the whole mesh with U > Unwrap, then in the UV/Image Editor, mirror the half with a SX-1, then move it, rotate it so that it overalys its mirrored version. In the UV/Image Editor you can use the Snap (vertex mode) option if you want the vertices to snap perfectly.

 

[Lonecat Nekophrodite]

Perhaps there is a better method, but i would try this:

1. In Edit Mode, just select the edges at the center of the model (the whole edge loop) .
2. Press Ctrl+E and in the upcoming Window click on „Mark Seam“.
3. Now unwrap again.

Another method if the first one doesnt give you the results you wanted:

1. Select one side of the model in edit mode, press X and delete just the faces.
2. Now Unwrap the side you kept there.
3. Now you select the faces which are still there, and duplicate them in edit mode.
4. Go to object mode, and mirror it on the correct axis. the result should look in 3D View exactly as the model was before you deleted one half of it.
5. Go to edit mode and select the duplicated side of the model, now go to the UV Image Editor Window, and press A there. Now you should have just selected the faces from the side of the model you have selected in 3D View. Now mirror them in the UV Image Editor. There you can find the tools needed to do it.
6. Now in the UV Image Editor it should be mirrored, you may need to adjust the position a bit, but it should work.
7. If you happy with the UV Map, you should merge the vertices at the center of the model. You can do this by selecting manually all the vertices at the center of the mesh, and then merge the vertices to the center, or you just use the „Remove Doubles“ function in Blender, but the second has giving me strange results ingame, for some reason.

Would be cool if you let me know whether this has worked for you or not.

1st Method

But it doesn't give out mirror symmetry UV Map as hoped

 

[Shirotora Kenshin]

Of course not on its own, i was a bit stupid yesterday. Better try the 3rd Method now You mark the Seam, now mirror in the uv image editor on the correct axis (x axis i guess) and then adjust it as needed via transformation(G) and Rotation(R). Use the Snap Tool for vertices if you want it to be exact.

EDIT: finally found the hotkey for mirroring uv‘s:

UVs can be mirrored on the Y axis or the X axis:

• Mirror X
• Mirror Y

You can also use the hotkey Ctrl-M, then enter X or Y, or hold the MMB and drag in the mirror direction.

 

[Lonecat Nekophrodite]

This is what I've got now.

So is it possible to automatically resize this UV piece while keeping the same aspect ratio?? if so how.

And do I need to 'remove doubles' too ?

As in a menu shown here.

 

[Shirotora Kenshin]

You would do remove doubles in the 3D View.

Automatically resizing? You can try „Pack Islands“ but i think you will need to resize and place UV parts manually. Just scale and transform and perhaps rotate the UV parts as needed.

But is it mirrored as you wanted it at all? On your screenshots it looks like not everything is mirrored...

 

[Lonecat Nekophrodite]

OK Yes I want mirrorings

This is what I've got now. using Pack Islands.

Some meshes are triangulated earlier. Rightnow it should work.

And it works! indeeeeed

So to use this new UV. In addition to save a picture file into DDS. do I have to re- export (and of course. triangulate again) the whole piece?

So to make more complex pieces like a cannon or even a warship. did this technic useful or what Firaxis actually use it? Actually i did a 3d project (Torpedo Boat Destroyer) without this knowledge and ended up with a very dirty UI not usable. i've messed it up

 

[Shirotora Kenshin]

Yes, you have to re-export the model if you made changes to the uv map.
Triangulate is also needed, otherwise the model will not show up correctly.

I think this technique is useful in quite a lot of cases. For models, which are mirrored or at least looking the same on the right and left side, you can mirror the uv map and save yourself some time with texturing plus: You save space in the uv layout.

Cool that this has worked for you.

 

[Lonecat Nekophrodite]

This is the final piece of work as seen in Asset Editor

My pround piece of work when worn