/*title_start*/UV Mapping Basics/*title_end*/
/*text_start*/For polymesh objects, ZBrush offers numerous advantages for texturing, including a variety of UV mapping methods. Primitive 3D objects are assigned UV mapping methods which fit their mathematical definitions; to change mapping methods, these primitives can be converted to polymeshes using the \C020202Tool>Make Polymesh 3D\C484848 button.

\C020202Mapping methods include:\C484848

\C020202Planar, Cylindrical\C484848 and \C020202Spherical,\C484848 which map texture images onto the objects' surfaces in predictable ways. When using these methods, the texture can also be unwrapped onto a flat canvas to provide a 'human-readable' image which can be unwrapped and further painted upon in an intuitive manner.

\C020202Tile,\C484848 which applies an instance of the entire texture onto each polygon in the mesh. This is especially useful when using a seamless texture.

\C020202A(daptive)UVTiles\C484848 and \C020202G(roup)UVTiles,\C484848 which quickly and easily generate UV maps with the least-possible distortion. These also work extremely well when using \C020202Projection Master\C484848 to apply texturing to objects.

\C020202AUVTiles\C484848 breaks the entire texture into rectangles of relative sizes matching the sizes of the polygons in the mesh. \C020202GUVTiles\C484848 employs a similar process, but keeps grouped UV regions together within the texture. This provides a balance between minimal-distortion benefits, and 'human-readability'.

To assign any mapping method, you should first create a new texture with the desired dimensions. For \C020202AUVTiles\C484848 and \C020202GUVTiles\C484848 it's highly recommended these textures have heights and widths which are powers of 2: 256, 512, 1024, 2048, or 4096. Once you have created a texture, use buttons in the \C020202Tool>Texture\C484848 sub-palette to apply the mapping method of your choice. Your model will now be ready for texturing.
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