UV Maps of symmetrical objects

ghastlycomic

When is it when I am unfolding a symmetrical object the UV map doesn't maintain the symmetry?

I'll make a pair of pants and one leg will unwrap very nicely with a decent size and placement and the other leg will be shrunken in the UV map and at a weird angle and when I stretch it out and rotate so it's the size of the other leg the map isn't identical even though both legs are point for point identical to each other.

mjc1016

How are you making the pants...modelling?

If you are making one side and applying a mirror type modifier to it, then unwrap them before mirroring...and it should carry across.

If you are doing both legs/sides at once, how/what projection and what axis are you unwrapping them on?

It is possible, that if you aren't mirroring them, then the sides are NOT the same, or that there is one vertex out of place between the two sides that is getting missed during the initial unwrapping.

I prefer to model symmetrical items like that one 'half' and mirror it.

ghastlycomic

I basically just make one section at a time, copy it, then scale it negative to mirror it and negative it's position to mirror it then move on to the next section.

Roygee

You need to use pins to get a symmetrical unwrap. Modelling one side, UV mapping and then copying and welding will destroy the map.

ghastlycomic

Pins, eh... I was using seams.

Roygee

Seams and pins go together - think using a pattern to make a pair of pants - then reverse the process. You cut the seams and pin the pattern to the material:)