combining two objects

BurpeeBurpee Posts: 152
edited December 1969 in Hexagon Discussion

I uv mapped two objects...#1 and #2.

I extracted a portion of object #2 to create a third object (by copy and paste polys).

All three objects are still uv mapped.

I want to attach the newly made object to object #1 so that I have two objects again.

If I weld them it creates a new single object but I lose my uv mapping.

Is there a way to attach the newly made object to object #1 but not lose my uv mapping?

Is there another program that will do this for me if Hexagon can't?

Comments

  • cdordonicdordoni Posts: 583
    edited December 1969

    A UV map is tied to the vertices of your object. If any vertices are added or deleted, you loose your UV map. Hexagon does not have a way to transfer a UV map from one object and apply it to another with different vertices.

    I believe Blender, ZBrush, and 3dCoat can do this. Maybe someone else here can give more specific info how to do this an another application.

  • patience55patience55 Posts: 7,006
    edited December 1969

    What one can do in Hexagon, is give each of those objects their own Shading Domain. When you weld the 2 objects together, yes you will lose the uvmap but will they will retain their Shading Domains. Then select each Shading Domain in turn and apply a new uvmap.
    It cannot be unfolded per sa so make as many Shading Domains as you'll be wanting parts for. Later the parts can be welded back together on the uvmapping tab.

    Considering how many different ways Hexagon can/will zap the uvmap and/or Shading Domains, it is better for one's hair if one doesn't set the final maps and domains until all modeling on said part is finished.

  • VarselVarsel Posts: 574
    edited December 1969

    There is way to do it..
    If you give the two object the same name, and then export them out as .obj, the export will join them without destroing the UV-map.
    When you then import back into Hexagon, they will be one object.

  • RoygeeRoygee Posts: 2,247
    edited December 1969

    Very cunning, Varsel :)

    Be sure to scale the UV maps on the grid so each will have it's own space and not overlap when you import back.

  • BurpeeBurpee Posts: 152
    edited December 1969

    I never got notice that there were responses on this. Sorry I'm late coming back.

    I appreciate everyone's input, so thank you all.

    Varsel, that is clever indeed. I will try that.

    Patience, I did not know that the shading domains would remain. That's great info too.

    I'll keep an eye on the uv maps :)

  • A very neat trick thanks Varsel.  Saved much trauma to what little hair I have. :)

  • patience55patience55 Posts: 7,006
    Varsel said:

    There is way to do it..
    If you give the two object the same name, and then export them out as .obj, the export will join them without destroing the UV-map.
    When you then import back into Hexagon, they will be one object.

     

    I don't know if posts went missing or you've said this elsewhere too ... but it's a great idea and I've been able to use it many times successfully.

    There was only one time when I could not get it to work ... it did for the .obj files as far as Hexagon was concerned ... and it did for inside Daz Studio for the direct .obj import BUT D/S totally refused to keep the uvmaps for a new uvmap request back to the original figure. It said it accepted the uvset request ... but it was totally screwed in appearance.

  • ARD1ARD1 Posts: 21

    Thanks for the tip Varsel you're a life saver. Tried it out by cutting apart a basic cube, uv mapping it as seperate faces, then saving and reimporting it as an obj.

    Only issue is that you seem to end up with duplicate points. Probably not a big issue, but it leads to a little bit of bloat (cube went from 8 points and 12 edges to 12 points and 16 edges). I tested the "weld points" and "average weld" functions. Both removed the duplicate points on the cube without affecting the uv maps. The tick box "merge equal points" on the import dialogue box didn't seem to do anything. 

  • UV mapping an object after modeling is complete is best practice.

  • DzFireDzFire Posts: 1,473

    UV mapping an object after modeling is complete is best practice.

    I couldn't have said it better.
  • Thrilled with this solution Thank You all.

    By the way I struggled with this for years so just put up with objects coming back from Hexagon in many pieces that tended to inherit lots of unneeded material zones. These I parented in groups - messy but worked.

    Happy to say I found this thread and as per Varsel's method I just fixed 3 huge models together and have them on a fraction of the material zones for no quality loss in Daz. NO UV mapping messed up, added some to parts I added that I wanted to control the UV map in Hexagon. Also they now have a nice simple central point of rotation as a single entity.

    The objects also make great increamental saves in case one or the other software happen to crash.

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