www.colacola.se - by Anders Lejczak, 3D Models for download / freebies

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This is a small tutorial explaining how you could UV-map a 3D airplane object using BodyPaint. I'm trying to keep it as simple as possible because I missed a simple tutorial when I first was introduced to BodyPaint. Once you grasp the basic the rest will come to you automatically.

>> Download this mini tut as PDF, [HERE].

(1) Finished model - We have finished your awesome model and now we need to UV-map it in order to texture it properly. Our simple example consists of two parts; the fuselage and the wing.

Model a simple object similar to the one shown in the picture (or download this model, but already mapped. See link further down).
Cut the fuselage in the middle - in this way you easily can individual select its right and left sides later on

(2) Create area selections on the wing

Select _all_ polygons on the wings upper side
Set a selection tag (click on "set selection" from the "select" menu). A red triangle (selection tag) appears next to your object. Name the selection tag "TopWing"
Invert your selection (now all polygons on the bottom side should be selected)
Click somewhere on the wing object (or somewhere else to deselect the "TopWing" selection tag - otherwise you will over write it in the next step).
Set a 2nd selection tag on the wing object and name it "BottomWing"

(3) Create area selections on the fuselage

Select _all_ polygons on the fuselages left side
Set a selection tag (click on "set selection" from the "select" menu). A red triangle (selection tag) appears next to your object. Name the selection tag "LeftBody."
Invert your selection (now all polygons on the right side should be selected)
Click somewhere on the fuselage object (or somewhere else to deselect the selection tag - otherwise you will over write it in the next step)
Set a 2nd selection tag and name it "RightBody"

Now before we go to the next step and start with the actual mapping we need to have a blank texture to outline our UV-map on.

User your 2D paint program (I recommend Photoshop or the GIMP [free!]) and create a blank white jpg and name it "texture.jpg".
Create a new material in C4D using the blank image as color texture.
Apply the material on _all_ objects.

(4) Begin UV-mapping

Switch to UV-Edit mode (by selecting this option from the layout menu. Top left icon in this image)
Select the fuselage
Select "Show UV-mesh" from the "UV-mesh" drop down. Things look like a mess and we now have to sort it out.

(5) Work with the fuselage

Right click on the texture/material and select load texture (the texture now also apperas in the top right 2D view)
Click on "Use UV-polygon Edit Tool"
Select _all_ the polygons of the fuselage
Click on the "UV Commands" flap
Click on "Start Interactive Mapping"
Rotate and scale the UV-map until you see it from the side like in the above image (use rotate and scale tools and work in the 3D-workspace to the left).
Click on "Stop Interactive Mapping"
Don't deselect!

(6) Create outline

Select the brush tool
Set the brush size to 2
Select a dark (black) color for the brush
Click on "Use UV-polygon Edit Tool" again
Select "Outline Polygons" from the "Layer" menu (this carbon copies the polygons onto your texture)

(7) Map the right side of the fuselage

Double click on the selection tag you named "RightBody" (this selects the polygons on the right side of the fuselage)
Click on "Use UV-polygon Edit Tool" again
Click on the "Move tool" and move the selected polys up into position as shown in the image above (work in the 2D-workspace to the right).
Select "Outline Polygons" from the "Layer" menu.

(8) UV-map the wing

Select _all_ the polygons of the wing
Click on the "UV Commands" flap
Click on "Start Interactive Mapping"
Rotate and scale the wings UV-map until you see it flat from the top like in the above image.
Click on "Stop Interactive Mapping"
Don't deselect!

Select the brush tool
Click on the "Use UV-polygon Edit Tool" again
Select "Outline Polygons" from the "Layer" menu

(9) Map the bottom side of the Wing

Double click on the selection tag you named "BottomWing"
Click on the "Move tool" and move the selected polys into position as shown in the image above (work in the 2D-workspace to the right)
Don't deselect!

Select the brush tool
Click on the "Use UV-polygon Edit Tool" again
Select "Outline Polygons" from the "Layer" menu

(10) Saving the UV-map

Now we're done with the mapping!
Save your project and "texture.jpg" will be updated with the oulined polygons
Open texture.jpg in your 2D painting program and paint your texture so it fits your UV-map (I've painted it transparent just so you can see what I mean)
Save the painted texture (I would recommend keeping a backup of the original)

(1) Finished

Reload the image you have used as texture.