I recently purchased this -- obviously -- game-inspired-and-developed Poser scene from DNA which, despite DNA doing really great quality control, still sort-of didn't float my gondola.

For you Poser users: yeah, that scene. :blink:

So, I'm re-creating a similar sort of scene and learning a fair bit about creating quick props for a complex scene. One thing I do want to do is reuse textures as much as possible. So, let's say I've got this building with a whole bunch of windows, which are inset boxes on the mesh. The back bit is going to just be the picture of the window itself. Then, there's the window sill, and the bit that extends out from the window plane to the main wall. You know, the inset mesh bit.

I want to use the colour of the main wall on this mesh, so I highlight (in face mode) the two sides and the top of that inset bit -- the sill I'll do in like some concrete texture or something -- for all the windows and hit [U] and...

... well, here is gets messy. If I just do 'Unwrap', it fills up the UV area with these boxes. Selecting anything else does nothing useful for me, because what I want to see happen is this: I want the boxes all to stack into/on top of each other instead of next to each other.

Ideas?

Hi Robyn

OK not sure if this will help but I came across a tutorial that might help with what you are trying could be wrong but here is the link and hope it does help with what you are trying to do.

UV Unfolding, Unstretching & More in Blender

Good Luck

you can move parts on the uv map and make them line up yourself

or you can use multiple uv maps ;-) set them up in the object data panel

then use a attribute node (cycles dunno how in BI) to tell each map where to go

Quote - Hi Robyn

OK not sure if this will help but I came across a tutorial that might help with what you are trying could be wrong but here is the link and hope it does help with what you are trying to do.

UV Unfolding, Unstretching & More in Blender 

Good Luck

Thank you, Lobo... you're a champion! Very helpful video... I did look on youtube, must have phrased the question wrong. That also answers some other questions I've had...

I was doing that, manually, Hedd. It's very tedious, though. I was dreading doing this for umpteen buildings, which my scene was going to require. The attribute node looks interesting... might look into that, to see how that's done.
Off to do a bit of vertex painting now... the canals look a bit too fresh and new... :biggrin: 

It very much looks from that video like the best approach is to create one window (get it perfect) then instance it on buildings, sort-of. That's going to be my approach, anyways! This means given windows (because a building like this one would have several types of windows and doors)... Blender suddenly got fun again.

Painting that algae/mossy stuff at the water level is next...

Glad the Video has helped I came across CG Masters and have found some of their tutorials very well done and easy to follow. have considered buying a few they have on their website. have to say I do like that stone wall and how the water looks in that render it does really pop and gets your attention