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UV Toolkit v1.3#

What does it do#

Automates and simplifies aspects of the recurring UV unfold / layout process.

Interface#

Screenshot

Compatibility#

Maya 2018 2019 2020
✓ ✓ ✓

Installation#

  1. Copy UVToolkit.py, UVCheckerPattern_1K.tga and UVDirection_1K.tga to :

    \Users\USERNAME\Documents\maya\MAYAVERSION\prefs\scripts

    $HOME/maya/MAYAVERSION/prefs/scripts

    $HOME/Library/Preferences/Autodesk/maya/MAYAVERSION/prefs/scripts

  2. Launch / Restart Maya

  3. In Maya, open a Python Tab in the Script Editor and execute :

    1
2
    import UVToolkit as UVKit
UVKit.MainClassUVKit()

    Warning

    Please make sure that there are no Space characters in front of the code lines.

Video Overview#

Option Menus / Modifier / Help Line#

  1. Option Menus can be accessed when you click on a button with the RMB 3.

    Note

    When a button features an Option Menu a little list icon appears next to the cursor.

    Screenshot

  2. Modifier access different functionalities when you LMB1 click on a button with

    • Alt
    • Ctrl
    • Shift

  3. The Help Line, along the bottom left of the Maya user interface, provides a short description of tools and menu items as you hover over them.

Tool Menu#

Info

The Tool menu is located in the top right corner of the toolkit.

  • Up arrow collapses all tabs

  • Down arrow expands all tabs

  • UV Editor icon:

    • LMB 1 : Opens the UV Editor
    • MMB 2 : Opens the UV Set Editor

  • Question icon is a direct link to the online documentation

  • Stack icon opens a new window with information about the tool

Unfold Tab#

Unfold#

Info

Automatically cuts selected edges, unfolds (based on Unfold 3D) and packs the shells.

Screenshot

  1. Make a UV projection of your object.

    Tip

    For best results make a Camera instead of an orthographical (X, Y, Z) projection.

  2. Select your desired cutting edges.

  3. Click on Unfold to run the script.

Note

LMB 1 : Run script

RMB 3 : Option Menu

Option Menu options:

  • Cut selected edges
  • Pack shells

Projection#

Info

Create UV texture coordinates for the selected object using a planar projection shape.

  1. Click on Projection with or without a Modifier to make a projection from
    • LMB 1 : Camera
    • ALT : X
    • CTRL (CMD) : Y
    • SHIFT : Z

U / V#

Info

Unfolds UV selections horizontally, vertically or freely in both directions.

  1. Select UVs

  2. Click on U / V with or without a Modifier to run the script

Note

LMB 1 : Horizontal Unfold

ALT : Vertical Unfold

CTRL (CMD) : Free Unfold

add SHIFT : Pins selected UVs during unfold

Straighten#

Info

Use LMB 1 to straighten selected UVs (works best with small curvatures)

  1. Select UVs

  2. LMB 1 click on Straighten to run the script

Screenshot

Info

Use ALT to straighten UV Shells

  1. Select an edge loop

  2. ALT click on Straighten to run the script

Screenshot

Gridify#

Info

Automatically unfolds cylindrical shapes based on a cutting edge selection.

Screenshot

  1. Make an edge selection on a cylindrical shape that serves as the cut line

  2. Click on Gridify to run the script

Layout Tab#

Layout#

Info

LMB 1 Automatically arranges objects UV shells and scales them uniformly.

Screenshot

Use ALT to do it individually for every object.

Screenshot

  1. Select one or multiple objects

  2. Set your Layout size in the MMB 2 menu

  3. Set your options in the Option Menu

  4. Click on Layout with or without a Modifier to run the script

Note

MMB 2 : Set Layout size

RMB 3 : Option Menu

Option Menu options:

Shell rotation:

  • None
  • Free
  • 90 Degree

Grid Arrange#

Info

Use LMB 1 to arrange object's UV layouts in a grid.

Screenshot

Use ALT to sort layouts based on their Polygon count.

Screenshot

  1. Select one or multiple objects.

  2. Define your layout scale size within the MMB 2 menu.

  3. Click on Grid Arrange with or without a Modifier to run the script

Note

MMB 2 : Set layout scale size

Stack#

Info

LMB 1 Stack object's UV layouts in default range, without changing the scale size.

Screenshot

Use ALT to stack and scale the layouts uniformly.

Screenshot

Use CTRL to stack UV shells

Screenshot

  1. Select multiple objects or UV shells.

  2. Option to set a uniform scale size within the MMB 2 menu.

  3. Click on Stack with or without a Modifier to run the script.

Note

MMB 2 : Set scale size

Align#

Info

Align UV shells to a specified reference.

LMB 1 Horizontally

Screenshot

ALT Vertically

Screenshot

CTRL Match position

Screenshot

  1. Select a UV shell and click with the MMB 2 on Align to set it as your reference

  2. Select multiple UV shells

  3. Click on Align with or without a Modifier to run the script

Note

MMB 2 : Set reference

Spread#

Info

Distribute UV layouts based on an input value (object based).

Screenshot

  1. Select multiple objects.

  2. Set a move value within the MMB 2 menu.

  3. Click on Spread with or without a Modifier to run the script:

    • LMB 1 : Move right

    • ALT : Move up

    • add SHIFT : opposite directions (left, down)

Note

MMB 2 : Set move value

Modify Tab#

Rotate#

Info

Use LMB 1 to rotate UV shells clockwise or ALT for counterclockwise.

Screenshot

Add SHIFT to rotate each shell individually.

Screenshot

  1. Select UV shells

  2. Set your options in the Option Menu.

  3. Click on Rotate with or without a Modifier to run the script

Note

RMB 3 : Option Menu

Option Menu options:

Rotation value

  • 15
  • 45
  • 90
  • 180

Flip#

Info

Flip the position of selected UVs or UV shells

LMB 1 to flip all selected UVs

Screenshot

ALT to flip each UV shell from their individual center point

Screenshot

SHIFT to flip all back-facing shells automatically (Select an object or UVs)

Screenshot

Orient#

Info

Orient UV shells

LMB 1 Orient selected UV shells to run parallel with the closest U or V axis

Screenshot

ALT Align orientation with the X-Axis

Screenshot

CTRL (CMD) Align orientation with the Y-Axis

Screenshot

SHIFT Align orientation with the Z-Axis

Screenshot

Local Scale#

Info

Scale multiple UV shells at their individual center point.

Screenshot

  1. Select 1 UV from every target shell

  2. Click on the Local Scale button to launch the scale process

  3. A new window opens, use the Slider to interactively scale the UV shells

  4. Click on Done to finish the process

Equalizer#

Info

Match your object's UV layout scale to the size of a specified source.

Screenshot

  1. Select your source object

  2. Use ALT click on the Equalize button to define the scale reference

  3. Select one or multiple target object(s)

  4. LMB 1 click on Equalize to match the scale size

UV Shader#

Info

Creates two UV shaders with custom texture maps (map size is 1K).

Useful to check if your UVs are properly unfolded, oriented and equal in size.

1) Checker Pattern

Screenshot

2) UV Direction

Screenshot

  1. Create / Del

    • LMB 1 click creates the shaders

    • SHIFT click deletes the shaders

  2. Select one or multiple objects

  3. Un / Assign

    • LMB click assigns the Checker Pattern shader

    • ALT click assigns the UV Direction shader

    • SHIFT click unassigns the current shader

  4. Choose your texture size:

    • 1K
    • 2K
    • 4K
    • 8K
    • 16K
    • 32K

Transfer#

Info

Transfer UV layouts from source to target objects.

Screenshot

  1. Set one or multiple source objects

  2. Set one or multiple target objects

    Note

    If you have multiple source objects, the script will copy

    from source 1 to target 1

    from source 2 to target 2

    and so on, until there are no sources left.

  3. Set your options in the Option Menu. (RMB 3 click on Copy button)

  4. Click on Copy to run the script

Note

Copy Button

LMB 1 : Run script

RMB 3 : Option Menu

Option Menu options:

Sample Space

  • Topology
  • World
  • Local
  • Component

Layout Scope

  • All
  • Current

  1. LMB - Left Mouse Button ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  2. MMB - Middle Mouse Button ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  3. RMB - Right Mouse Button ↩↩↩↩↩↩