07: exporting vrml

low-poly modeling

target platform can support N polys to maintain desired framerate
objects are allocated a budget (% of total poly budget) based on importance and number of other objects
LOD / situation may allow for different versions at different times

keys to know

a	show all (centered in view panel)	ALT	move camera [+LMB = tumble] [+RMB = pan] [+LMB+RMB = zoom]	F8	toggle object / component mode
SPC	pop up top level menu	4	view wire	F9	select points
r	scale widget	5	view shaded	F10	select edges
e	rotate widget	6	view textured	F11	select faces
w	translate widget	7	view lighted	F12	select UVs

shelves
- CTRL-SHFT [menu item] >> adds icon for [menu item] to current shelf
vrml export
- Window / Settings-Preferences / Plug-in Manager / vrml2Export.mll
- check loaded to load plugin now
- check auto-load to load plugin next time
- File / Export All / vrml2 to export a .wrl
- use options tab for control
- beware of cruft
  - Vrml2 Options / Float Precision more than 3 decimal places is probably overkill (.xxx)
  - in VrmlPad, use Tools / Unused Identifiers to find unneeded statements
poly count
- Display / HUD / Poly count
- in VrmlPad, use Tools / Count Faces

reuse (look for opportunities in symmetry–
one arm, leg, half a chest, etc.)
fake geometry
- 'model' holes with transparency
- draw low-relief geo
  (ears, fingers, seams, screws and bolts, etc.)
pack tightly
devote resolution to areas of complex detail

paint to fit map:
first map & position UVs, then paint texture using UV mesh as guide
- faster (w/ auto map tool)
- good for easy-to-paint textures, spot decals
map to fit paint:
first paint texture, then map & position UVs to match
- slower (requires hand tweaking of UVs)
- better for realistic photo textures

maya docs ch.19 - ch.20.

yuvies: coordinates in texture space
UV (maya) = ST (vrml) = XY (cartesian geo)
- objective is to associate UVs with poly verts, to define which polygons get which pixels
- as task03 proves, can be tedious by hand, so use tools
- by connecting the UVs to make a mesh, you can see a projection of the model into texture space and adjust
- ...to create a nice flat skin of the model to lay paint on
to bring up UV window, set grid to 0-1:
- win.Panels / Layouts / Two Panes Side by Side
- win.Panels / Panel / UV Texture Editor
- winUV.Image / Image Range [] / Unit Size / Apply and Close
F8 for select component mode, F12 to select UVs
model, then select all faces and delete bad default UVs
- select from persp win : F11 (faces) select all
- Edit Polygons / Texture / Delete UVs (doesn't work while shaded?)
create new UVs via proj method:
Edit Polygons / Texture / ..
- ..Automatic Mapping (cuts to pieces, autolayout)
- ..Planar, ..Cylindrical, ..Spherical (from camera view)
use UV snapshot to make UV template for painting
- winUV.Subdivs / UV Snapshot (saves to projects's images folder by default)

assign texture
- RMB click on object and hold..
  / Materials / Material Attributes
- click checker next to color
- choose File texture under 2d Textures
- use folder icon by Image Name to browse to file
refresh texture
- winUV.Panels / Panel / Hypershade
- double click texture block for attributes window
- on file texture tab, click reload texture
reposition UVs in texture editor window
- same widgets (r,e,w)
- Edit Polygons / Texture / Normalize UVs
  fits selected UVs maximally in 0–1 texture space
- Edit Polygons / Texture / Unitize UVs
  puts selected UVs at edges of 0–1 texture space
- Edit Polygons / Texture / Layout UVs
  breaks up mesh into individual polygons and lays them out evenly in texture space (messy)
export vrml

task04 [»]