RivetUV editing and mapping
UVs say which part of a texture lands on which part of the model. Rivet has three ways to work on them: the UV editor (by hand), the UV Mapper (a projection with options) and the right-click UV Mapping menu (quick ones).
Quick mapping from the right-click menu
- Select parts (Object level) or faces (Polygon level).
- Right-click in a view > UV Mapping and pick one:
- Planar (Auto faces the selection, or along X / Y / Z): flat things, decals, number plates.
- Box (cubic): each face along its nearest axis. Boxy parts.
- Cylindrical / Spherical: exhausts, roll bars, domes, lamps.
- Face map: every polygon fills the whole texture on its own (repeating panels, grilles, gauges).
- Unwrap: flatten with as little stretching as possible, then pack into the square.
- Pack islands, Flip U / V, Rotate 90°, Fit / Stretch to 0..1, Tile x2, Rescale islands, Stitch selected seam, Copy from channel (UV 1 onto 2 or back).
The UV editor has the same menu when you right-click the UVs.
The UV Mapper
For full control: right-click > UV Mapping > UV Mapper..., or UV Mapper on the Surface tab or in the UV editor's toolbar.
| Setting | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Type | Planar, Box, Cylindrical, Spherical, Face or Unwrap |
| Axis | The plane (Planar) or the axis it wraps round (Cylindrical, Spherical). Auto faces the selection |
| Fill | Fill the square keeps proportions; Stretch fills both ways; Real size: one tile is that many metres of the model |
| Tile U / V | Repeat the texture that many times |
| Offset U / V | Slide the texture |
| Rotate | Turn it, in degrees |
| Flip U / V | Mirror it |
The selection shows the result as you change settings (untick Preview for a big unwrap). OK keeps it as one undo step, Apply keeps it and leaves the window open, Cancel puts the UVs back, Reset clears the adjustments. Your last settings are remembered.
The UV editor (Ctrl+U)
Shows the selected part's UVs over its texture (pick the material and texture at the top).
- Click or box-select UVs; drag the selection to move it (Shift locks the axis, Ctrl snaps to 1/64).
- Easy adjust: a box round the selection, to drag-scale, move or rotate (Ctrl in 15° steps).
- Pin points, then Commit: each island is relaxed round its pins, in place.
- Rescale evens out texture detail across islands. Stitch joins a split seam. Pack tidies islands into the square.
- Render UV / Template...: save the layout as a PNG to paint on (wireframe, or baked ambient occlusion), 512 to 8192 px.
Polygons you didn't select keep their UVs.