Warp Image modifies a texture image by comparing two UV sets on a single polygonal mesh and produces a new bitmap image. To use this feature you must specify a source image, as well as a source and destination UV set for the model from which the UVs will be referenced for the image manipulation. Warp Image produces a new target image as the result.
You choose Warp Image by selecting Edit UVs > Warp Image from within the Polygons menu set or from the Polygons menu in the UV Texture Editor.
Warp Image is useful in the following situations:
- When you don’t want to manually regenerate an image for an existing texture map when the UVs for the texture have been changed. Warp Image will calculate where the pixels should be relocated and update the texture for you. This is helpful when the UVs on a polygonal mesh have been refined in some way. For example, if it were necessary to cut, merge, or optimize the UVs for some reason, the way an associated texture map was displayed on the polygon object would be affected as a result.
- Creating more texture space for key areas in a texture map. For example, when texture mapping a face, the UVs surrounding the eyes and mouth can be scaled larger so there are more pixels assigned to these areas in the final texture map. If you scaled the UVs within the UV Texture Editor to optimize the texture space, you can warp the associated image to account for the modified UVs.Note:
Warp Image may not produce as high quality an image as you expect. It may be necessary to perform additional post processing work on the image.
Warp Image requires two UV sets in order to produce a new image (in addition to the original image). Unless you have previously created a UV set for the polygonal mesh it is highly recommended that prior to doing any UV editing within the UV Texture Editor, you explicitly save a copy of the original UVs for the textured polygonal mesh as a UV set by selecting Polygons > Copy UVs to UV Set > Copy into New UV Set. In that way you’ll have the original UV set to revert back to should you require it.
Prior to warping an image, two UV sets must exist for the polygonal mesh: the existing UV set from which the original texture is assigned, and a second UV set that will be referenced for modifying or warping the image. The two UV sets will be referenced as the Source and Destination UV sets.
To warp an image based on updated UVs
- Do one of the following:
- From the Polygons menu set, select Edit UVs > Warp Image >
. - In the UV Texture Editor, select Polygons > Warp Image > .
The Warp Image Options window appears.
- From the Polygons menu set, select Edit UVs > Warp Image >
- Type the file name for the source image you want to warp in the Source Image Name field or browse to the location and select the file name.
- Type the file name for the new image you want created by Warp Image in the New Image Name field or browse to select a location and image name.
- Type the names of the Source and Destination UV sets that you want the Warp Image feature to reference. If you forget the names of the UV sets, they can be viewed in the UV Texture Editor by selecting the UV Sets menu and viewing the UV set names in the drop-down list.
- Set any remaining options that you want and then click Warp Image.
- Warp Image calculates the new pixel positions for the new image and outputs the image to the location you specified.
To view the new texture on your surface mesh you must edit the currently assigned shader to use the new image. Ensure that you have the correct UV set applied to the mesh so you see the results you expect.