Multi Automatic Mapping

Table of Contents

The Multi Automatic Mapping tool is an improved version of Maya’s Automatic Mapping. Unlike the default Automatic Mapping, you can create your UV mapping on multiple objects with the same name without errors, and it also offer a tri-planar projection which can create better UV mappings on things such as beveled objects.

Tri-planar projection

The Multi Automatic Mapping tri-planar projection offers cleaner seams on beveled objects compared to Maya native Automatic Mapping.

Set projection position & size

Set your desired projection source position and your projection size, based on your scene units, so you can keep a uniform texel ratio across all your UV mappings.

Cut hard edges

Can make UV cuts on all hard edges automatically.

Cleanup UVs

Can fix all UV errors automatically.

Flip reversed

Can flip all reversed UV shells automatically.

  • Take a look at the Tool settings section for information on all of the tool features.

Tool location #

The tool can be found in the GENtools menu under UV → Multi Automatic Mapping.

How to use #

  • Select at least one object or components.
  • Set the desired settings in the Multi Automatic Mapping options window.
  • Run Multi Automatic Mapping function to create your UV mapping.

Assigning a hotkey #

You can assign a hotkey to the Multi Automatic Mapping tool inside the Maya hotkey editor.

The hotkey entry can be found in the Custom Scripts tab under GENtools → UV → Multi Automatic Mapping.

  • Take a look at the Managing hotkeys page for more informations and step-by-step instructions.

Tool settings #

  • Projection type: Set the mapping projection type.
  • Tri-planar: Create six planar UV projections from the X, Y, Z axis directions.
  • Normal-based: Create UV projections based on the average face normal of the shell.
  • Automatic: Maya’s native automatic mapping.
  • Projection position: Set the source projection position for each object.
  • Object’s pivot: The UV projections will be positioned at each object pivot.
  • Bounding box center: All the UV projections will be positioned at the center of the bounding box of all the selected objects/components.
  • Last object’s pivot: All the UV projections will be positioned at the pivot of the last object in the selection list.
  • Front axis: Define which way to orient shells projected from the up axis.
  • Projection width: Set the projection width based on your scene units.
  • Projection height: Set the projection height based on your scene units.
  • Reset rotations: For tri-planar projection, makes the projection on pre-transformed object.
  • Projection order: For tri-planar projection, sets the projection order which will influence the UV seams.
  • Angle threshold: For tri-planar projection, the maximum face angle which will be included in each planar projections.
  • Cleanup UVs: Automatically check for UV errors and fix them.
  • Cut hard edges: Automatically create UV cuts on hard edges
  • Flip reversed: Automatically flip reversed UV shells.
  • Layout UVs: Automatically layout the created UV shells.

Advanced settings #

  • Delete object(s) history: For better performances, cleanups the objects history while doing the UV mapping.
  • Suspend viewport refresh: For better performances, the viewport is paused while doing the UV mapping.
  • Hide UV Editor: For better performances, the UV Editor is hidden while doing the UV mapping.
  • Turn off undo: For better performances, the UV mapping will not be added to the undo queue. (Mostly useful for very large number of objects)
  • Window transparency: When the window loses focus, it will become semi-transparent.
  • Save window size: Automatically save the window size when resized.
  • Parent to UV Editor: If the UV Editor is opened, the window will be parented to the UV Editor instead of being independent.

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