Hi.  I've been trying to figure out UV mapping.  I've just made a head in Blender, and didn't find it too hard to unwrap and texture.  But now I've added a body, and I'm hopelessly lost.

My question.  If the figure is one mesh, is it possible to use several different images to map different parts of the body (ie, one texture image for the head, one for the rest of the body), or MUST  I have all the UV stuff on a single image?

I'd thought that I could make a vertex group 'head', UV map that, then make another for 'torso, or whatever.  But when I try this, even though the map looks OK in the UV window, when I export it, I get ALL the stuff I've mapped so far overlapping on the exported image.

I can live with having do to it all on one image, but I just wondered if it was possible to use more than one, as i thought this would make it possible to give more detail to areas that need it.

I have to come clean - I'm a Poser user, not a modeller. This stuff is all new to me.  For a few years now I've been occasionally looking at Blender and deciding that it was way too hard to learn and that I would never have the necessary modelling skills anyway.  But now I want to give it my best shot. 

So please be nice to me if this is a very stupid question!  (and if even stupider ones follow very quickly!)

Thanks!

This might help:

http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Manual/Unwrapping_a_Mesh

check Multiple UV Layouts in the tute.

Here's some more UV stuff, just for fun:

http://bgdm.katorlegaz.com/lscm_tute/lscm_tute.htm
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blender_3D:_Noob_to_Pro/UV_Map_Basics

There's a 3D World tute in PDF format also, which shows basic LSCM operation. Might be possible to still download it from 3D World site.

edit: erroneous link, typos

Thanks Doomsdayrenderer.

I already knew about your second 2 links - in fact, they're how I figured how to unwrap and texture my head.

The first link will be VERY useful, thanks.  I've bookmarked it.  I'll need to read it a bit more carefully, because I would have sworn I HAD done what it says for multiple UV layouts... but when I export one, they all come out superimposed on top of each other in the one image.  I need to go through it more carefully.

I think this time I'm going to stick with Blender and not quit after a week or two...

Thanks again!

  Don't be too sure about Blender being too complex for you to master.... Being as "Whole" as it is, it might be best to learn a chunk at a time..... I have been "pecking away" at it for CENSORED  years, and certainly don't know my way around the whole thing. Modelling... try practicing in Wings, there aren't as many things to go; "Hmmm.... what does that do?... Aww, bugger!" which I do on a rather frequent basis  :lol:  It's like moving to a new city.... you learn to navigate your way around, bit by bit... after a while, you realise that you're not getting lost any more. Lou.

Hi, Archdruid.

I'm determined  to 'get' Blender this time round.  I think the difference is, I'm seriously motivated this time.  I'm in the process of switching to Linux, which means I'll have to say goodbye to Poser - which up to now has been the only 3D app I've really known my way around.

In the past, I've dabbled with stuff like Shade and Amapi, and got absolutely nowhere.  I couldin't model for peanuts...  It's a totally new skill for me to learn-  the thought of having to MAKE my models, instead of just buying them at R'osity makes me wonder if the whole thing is feasible.

But I love 3D stuff, and the switch to Linux pretty much means it's got to be Blender for my future 3D work.

You're totally right about 'what does that do...  Aaaw, bugger!'
In the past I've been afraid to touch any Blender button unless I knew exactly what would happen, but now I'm experimenting, and it's fun.  I've just completed a figure, and decided to hit the SSS button to see what would happen.  I have to say, I'm pleased with the results!

Frequent saves reduces the impact of those 'aww bugger'  moments :)

great advise, thats how I work too, just learn what you need for the task you want to preform, learning it all in one go is too big a shunk to shew in one go.

You can have different images for different faces of the same mesh. Just select the faces you want and load a different images in the UV mapping window. Also, when you save the UV maps (I haven't done it in a while), there use to be a check box (?) to save only the selected faces. Scott