That done, we can move onto the main torso and shoulder plate.
So far I have only used standard mapping tools, and the planar Map button in the Unwrap UVW modifier (note that that element has Averaged Normals, X, Y and Z axis to use as a base too). Now we shall try some new things that are in the Unwrap UVW modifer window.
Firstly, I select the top, end edges and bottom of the main shoulder plate. In the mapping menu use 'Unfold Mapping' to flatten this out into a flat sheet with the 'Walk to closest Face'. Although it is slightly bent, this is easily cleaned up by using the scale across one axis. Here is the Unfold before cleaning up.
I then selected the sides of the plate and Average normal / Planar Mapped it to get it flattened. I then manually welded the edge vertices to their corresponding vertex on the main plate. I didn't overlap it, as the inside edge will probably have different shadowing.
I then detached the bottom of the main plate, reduced it's size, and placed it neatly to the side. As it will be less noticeable on the model, there is no need for it to be as large as the top of the plate.
For each canister I am going to create a cylinder to base the map off and use that to acquire it. Unfold didn't want to work for this very well at all. I could select each 'row' of the cylinder and unfold that, but I know of a quicker, cleaner way...so I'll do that.
Collapse the Unwrap UVW, or add an edit mesh modifier. I make 4 cylinders that duplicate the same position of the canisters and map each one (actually I make one and duplicate that).
I then select the polys I want to map to each cylinder reference, and apply them (similar to the methods explained previously) in order to get all 4 canisters mapped with the cylinder UVW map. Collapse the mesh once more, and apply the Unwrap UVW modifier. Clean the portions up so that you can easily modify them, and then move the faces up (or down) so that the inset area can be seen, and therefore mapped :) After this, some cleaning up is in order. I'm going to overlap all 4 canister ends, but leave the main shaft, and the inset seperate so that I can colour the mana differently for each skin/team colour :) The pieces underneath the canisters is the mana itself, so I will be keeping them seperate also.
I'm hoping with the information I have given you so far you can start to understand the basic premise of mapping. The only other tools that I use that I haven't mentioned are the Normal Mapping and Flatten Mapping, both found in the mapping menu in the Unwrap UVW window. I use Normal mapping a bit if the need arises, I rarely use Flatten mapping however unless I am just trying to get faces out of the way and, well, flattened :) Both of these has it's uses though, and you should play around with them in order to find out their uses.
Here is my image with the cleaned up canisters, I just have the main torso (and exhaust pipes to go now.
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Here is the front of the torso, and exhaust pipes mapped.
This was done using planar mapping from the Modifier, and manual vertex assignment. Note that I overlapped the exhaust pipes.
And here you have it. The head and torso done.
Once again it's a bit of a jump between steps, but it's all the same stuff really. Using the tools you have and manipulating the vertices to create as little distortion as possible.
