Unwraping a curved object (how I do)

[micheus]

Simple question - the left one. But as you said if we are going to smooth it in the future it is going to ruin the mesh. We can fix it with stretch optimization, but mesh won't be the same anymore.

I don't think it won't be the same

Just to put my comment in the right context, I'm taking about this kind of shape.

Continuing...

I create selections to define a macro segmentation in Geometry window (GW) and store them in Selection Groups window (SG). By using the options Union, Subtract and Intersect can help to select group of elements without have to do that "one-by-one" or do that carefully.

This strip will not have any kind of elements painted on it that needs to be oriented to its curvature. So, to save space, I'm going to make them straight lines.

The segmentation in AutoUV Segmenting window:

After unfolding (the left one). By using Edge mode for both Geometry and AutoUV window I select one edge loop in GW that I got all segments with one edge selected (the middle one) and then I used Rotate->Chart to Y in order to align them vertically (the right one).


Because I don't want the entire strip glued, in the GW I selected a segment of faces (the left one) to get them selected in the AutoUV and then I grouped these faces out of that confusion (the middle one). After that I selected one edge in each segment (the most horizontal one) and Stitch them (the right one):


I aligned the edges using Move->Horizontal (the left one) and after that I applied Flat->Y that aligned the vertices by the middle point. Then, by repeating the sequence of select some edges, mouse over GW, [ALT+L], back to AutoUV and Stitch I got the segment ready (the middle one). The result isn't so bad (the right one):