I'd start with a cylindrical mapping in the X(?) axis; maybe with caps, maybe without. What have you tried?

the easiest way is to use a sphere then make a map fpr that sphere then import the sphere to poser and make copys ofit and add then to get the shape you want then exort the whole thing as one obj,import that obj and now when you paint on the map it will apply to all the spheres see3klightt

It depends on the look you want for it, i agree with seeklight if u want an uniform texture, but if u want a "stretched" effect in the spherical zones then id map that like a cylinder...

ming, Seeklight is on the right track, but you don't need to use a lot of spheres and make a similar object. What you can do is separate one segment and map it spherically, then export the uvs for that segment. Then separate the rest of the segments of your 'thing' into their separate spheres. Once you've done that, select one and import the uvs from the segment you exported. Do this for each segment until the whole model is done. As you import the uvs for each segment, you might want to move them around a bit on the map, so they don't all use exactly the same part of the map/texture. mac

maclean, where am I exporting and importing to? Is this from uv mapper I'm doing this from?

yes, ming. You export the UVS from uv mapper. 1. Separate a segment and make a spherical map of it. 2. Use the marquee to select the part you've mapped. Go to Menu> File> Export uvs (ctrl-e) to export, and give them a name. 3. Select another segment and go to Menu> File> Import uvs (ctrl-i) and find the uvs you exported. The segment you selected will now have the same uvs as the first one. The trick here is to use one map for all the pieces, instead of doing them all one at a time. This isn't a good example, because it's not that difficult to make a spherical map of each piece. But if you were making a very complicated map for each segment, you wouldn't want to do it over and over again. So you export the uvs for the first one, and use them for all the others. The uvs export/import is a very powerful tool in uv mapper and it's easy to use. Here's another example. Suppose you have a box or a bar which is at a 45 degree angle. If you make a normal map it'll be a mess. But wht you can do is straighten the box up in poser, export it, map it and export the uvs. Then you open your rotated one and import the uvs from the straight one. You can also import uvs for entire body parts, sections, figures, whatever. A huge time-saver for some things. mac

OK 1. I seperate all the segments (in Poser)and open the 1st one in uvmapper and map it. Saving the uv map to a seperate folder. 2. Open each remaing segment (one at a time) to uvmapper and import the saved uv map to it. Is this right?

Hold on, ming. Things are getting confusing. You do everything in uv mapper, not poser. Here's the sequence. 1. Open the obj in uv mapper 2. Make a normal planar map. That's Z-axis + don't split. this should give you a map that looks similar to the pic you posted, ie. the object across the map side-on. 3. Still in uv mapper, separate one segment from the rest by selecting it and dragging it away. Make a spherical map of it. 4. Select the sherical map and export the uvs (press ctrl-e) 5. Select a new segment and import the uvs (crtl-i) 6. Do all the segments the same way, then save the obj. ----------------------------------------------- I don't know if I'm complicating this unnecessarily with this method. You can try it, but if it doesn't work or you have problems, then the best solution would be what Bob suggested. A cylidrical map on the X-axis (if the object's length is from left to right). You could try both cylindrical and cylindrical cap and see which one looks better. If you want to send me the obj, I can do it for you. mac

One more thing. What is this object? Is it a prop or a figure? Does it have separate body parts or separate materials? And did you make it in poser or download it, or make it in a modelling app? mac

24 spheres from Rhino. It's a figure that bends and twists. I'll give it a try per your instructions. Thanks.

Can I leave the segments seperated?

ming, If it has 24 body parts, then you can select by group, so it should be easy to select each piece. When say 'leave the segments separated', do you mean serparated on the map? If so, yes. You can either move each part around as you import them, or you can leave them all in the same place. If they're all in the same place, each one will have an identical texture. What I usually do is import uvs for a piece, move it into the position I want it, then press [ (square bracket) to hide it so it doesn't get in the way of the others. If I want random mapping, I move the parts around. If I want the textures to line up, I position them next to one another. Another good trick when you have a lot of pieces you want to keep separate is to assign each piece of the map to a region. You do that by selecting it, then Tools> Assign to> Region. You could assign each segment to a region, then unhide them one at a time to place them wherever you want. Otherwise, you may end up with all the segments' maps overlapping and you can't separate them again. mac

Thank you very much. You're very helpful and infomative.