Seam guides are like mercator maps except the meridians are not really aligned to the mesh. If I paint between two lines on the seam guide, I get a compound curve when the map is applied which is not a straight line down the top of the arm, for example. That's a problem.

The question is how can one return to rectilinearity? For example, if I paint jewelry on a bracelet, even though the jewels are oval when applied, they are all wanky when rendered. How do I get them back to oval??? Are there seam guide overlays available that correct the topography?

I can go into much greater detail if needed, but this is the root of the problem.

TIA,

 

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That's one of the problems with UV mapping. To correct it, you can remap the mesh so that the bit you're interested in is straight, or you can distort your texture so that it appears straight when applied. Something like UVMapper Pro which allows textured previews of the 3D mesh is useful here, or there are high end 3D painting applications which allow you to texture directly onto a 3D surface. They have a price to match, though.