Very simple question about uv layout and the decimate tool.

This question may be risible in its simplicity but please bear with me, I only got Blender yesterday.

I want to export shapes as UV layouts for papercraft.
I have tested this process with a square; all good.

If I take a more complex object such as a torus and do a UV layout there are many parts.

By using the decimate modifier, in object mode, I can get the parts count down to a manageable number and it also changes the shape of the torus.

It is this simple modified shape that I wish to print out but in edit mode the shape remains a standard torus; and in the UV image editor the number of parts remain the same.

I have tried
decimate - apply
and decimate- apply as shape ( not sure what the difference is yet )

I have tried

   UV unwrap

and UV smart project but no difference.

Could any body give me somme advice or point me to an appropriate tutorial please ?

I have looked at about 8 tutorials but I can’t seem to find the answer.

I’m using Blender 259 on a mac.

Thank you.

You need to add seams to your model to get a controlled unwrap. These are where you want the mesh to be cut (select an edge and Ctrl+E / mark seam, you’ll see them as fred lines on your mesh)
Intro to UV unwrapping http://cgcookie.com/blender/2011/01/21/intro_uvmapping/

Attachments

torus.blend (89.1 KB)


Dear Richard,

Thank you for the reply.

I may not have explained very well in my original post.

I am just using the torus as vehicle to learn the process and I understand what you are saying about the seams but it is not these that are causing me the confusion.

It is the fact that if I decimate the torus, I get this in object mode.

http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/H-Krinkle/torusinobject.jpg

Which is a simple shape of 22 faces.

I wish to print this simplified form out from the UV layout but in Edit mode and in the UV image window the shape remains complex.

http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae287/H-Krinkle/torusinuvandedit.jpg

So I am asking how to get this simplified shape of 22 faces into the UV layout window.
Any advice gratefully received.

Thank you.

If you are sure that’s what you want, then ‘Apply’ the Decimate modifier.

Best wishes,
Matthew

Dear Matthew,

Thanks for the reply.

I read it and thought, " Doh! . . .I already mentioned that I had tried ‘Apply’ to no effect,"

But on your sage advice I went back to Blender and tried again; this time it worked.

I’ve no idea why it didn’t work the first five times; I must have pressed something accidentally.

Thank you.