Best way to texture a pipe?

[JDA]

HI
Im looking for the best way possible to texture this pipe I made.

I know about this video.
Map UV and ID Mask video by ZanQdo
It’s at blender.org in the featured video section.
http://www.blender.org/features-gallery/features/feature-videos/?video=map_uv_id_mask
I watched it about 3 times and it looks cool
but it’s hard to understand because is so fast.
I also know about about the uv mapping tutorial
at http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Tutorials/Links#UV_Mapping
Here is the texture I want to use.

So again what’s the best way possible to texture this pipe?
Thanks for any help.

[PapaSmurf]

Well, if Pipe is made of grey schedule 40 PVC, you’re done!

If you want to use the image, define a texture channel, Set Map To to Tube, and Size to match the length of pipe.
Realism is achieved via many texture layers. for example, use a cloud txture for color, and a distored noise for Nor.

[JDA]

I’m looking for the best way to texture this pipe.
What you suggest I disagree with.
I’m not suggesting you don’t know what your talking about.
Just wanted to make that clear.
Shouldn’t I be using UV mapping or Nodes?

[JDA]

Here is the pipe with a checker pattern texture Map To - Tube.
I’m looking for precise placement of the texture and this is definitely not that.

[Myn.pheos]

UV mapping the the most precise, you can finely control the the amount of detail you need for given parts.

[PapaSmurf]

oic. here is the best UV unwrapping info I know of. Start with this page and read along to see how to do UV unwrapping and texturing in Blender. http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Manual/UV_Unwrapping_And_Texturing

[Ace_Dragon]

You can mark a seam along one of the long vertex loops of the pipe and using Unwrap in the UV buttons.

Or you can use a procedural texture (you can make procedurals look like that and no worries on UV maps)

[JDA]

OK I marked a seam along one of the longest vertex loops of the pipe.

Then I unwraped it and this is how it turned out.

This is what it looks like when rendered.

So what’s the deal?
What needs to be done?

[Myn.pheos]

Make seams around each flange. You get a few more seams, but the straight parts will be nicely unwrapped and the flanges a bit distorted. Use pinning while unwrapping the mes on verts that are positioned as you need.

[JDA]

Make seams around each flange

I don’t understand. What do you mean by flange?

[Myn.pheos]

Flanges are those thicker parts of the pipe, where the sections are connected together. As in reality, these doesn’t have to be connected to the pipe, or only one end of pipe section can have it. So put seams where different parts meet in your mesh.

[JDA]

I’m guessing this needs to be layed out in the uv editor as a grid.

[Myn.pheos]

It doesn’t matter how are they sorted in UV editor. You are trying to peel an orange and flat the skin out on a table. If you have a complex shape, you cut it into smaller pieces which can be more easily unwrapped and are distorted as little as possible.

[ititrx]

Well, so if you had read the wiki you would know the answer. You can use the second unwrap, but you need to move the verts etc into the best positions.

There are many ways to unwrap. Learn something, try each one of them and see the difference.

Read the wiki.
Do a search here for unwrapping a pipe, or just uvmapping.

Do a google search for blender uv mapping! Look for uvmapping a head.

Now download the last video here:
http://www.blender.org/education-help/video-tutorials/modelmateriallight/

This will explain one way to un wrap your pipe and get the checkered pattern closer to what you want.

In windows media player, you can slow the videos down to watch them. You cant understand what is being said, but for the second or third time through, it helps for those fast movies.

hope that helps

[JDA]

Well, so if you had read the wiki you would know the answer.

Well that was rude.
I have looked at alot of stuff including the wiki
link and none of them stated or told me the best way to
unwrap and texture this model.
I’ll try out what Myn.pheos suggested and post my results.

[JDA]

Here are the results.

Seams.

Unwrap

Render.

So what’s the deal?
What’s the best or right way to do this?

[Myn.pheos]

Here is my try: (about 5 minutes of correcting the layout of UVs)

Attachments

[JDA]

Hey how did you get that texture with all the + and - signs?
Also whats with all the pinning?

[Myn.pheos]

The texture is Blender generated UV Test Grid (in UV/ Image edit window > Alt+N). I pin the whole part if I’m satisfied with it. It perfectly prevents from being recalculated after some minor hand tweaks were made. Also, it is clearly visible, that this island is finished and I doesn’t have to return to it.

[ititrx]

Hey how did you get that texture with all the + and - signs?
Also whats with all the pinning?

Yeah and you read the wiki right? DID YOU WATCH THE VIDEO I gave you?

If you had, you would understand and be able to do it all yourself.