In addition to the basic UV Mapping funtions there are some additional functions for mapping surfaces.
Since it is generally undesirable to export every single facet of a surface as an individual 2D part the Surface functions are designed to gather groups of facets to create Segments of the 3D object. The resulting segment can then be converted into editable 2D parts.
The functions and ther purpose are as follows:
Quick Selection: Selects a contiguous series of facets based on the setting in the UV Mapping Options.
Create Segment by Selection: Creates a segment based on the currently selected facets.
Auto Segmentation: Automatically composites a set of segments for all facets of the selected 3D object.
Explode Segements: Explode the currently selected facets back into facets.
Unwrap Segments: Unwrap the selected segments into 2D Parts.
Select segment by edges tool
To activate the tool:
- Activate UV mapping tools
- Select Image
- Select TC surface
- Choose command “Create segment by edges…” (Fig. 1).
Figure 1. Start creating segments by edges
After that user should select a closed edge loop. For this purpose there are two possibilities:
- Manual. To select edge loop manually by clicking one edge after the other. At every moment all selected edges should be connected. It means that user can select only those edges which have common vertices with already selected. And there is another limitation: in each vertex can only be two edges from the selected edge loop – it is a way of dealing with self-intersections.
- 2. Mixed manual and automatic. If user already have selected a few edges (not closed), he can try to close edge loop automatically by using command “Close current selected edge loop…” (Fig.2). In this case program will try to find the shortest path between ends of the current selected edges and connect them.
Figure 2. Automatic closing of the current selected edges
After finishing creating of the closed edge loop, user can create segment via command “Create segment by selection…” (Fig. 3).
Figure 3. Create segment from closed edge loop
For the each closed edge loop it is possible to create two segments – one from internal facets, one from the external. The algorithm can sometimes choose internal domain and sometimes external. For the case when for example user wants to create segment from the internal domain but algorithm have chosen external domain (fig. 4), there is special command “Invert created segment…”, which help user to invert the segment’s creation (fig.5).
Figure 4. External instead of internal
Here it is important to note, that command “Invert crated segment…” can be performed only just after command “Create segment by selection…”. In the case of any other actions, all information will lost and operation “Invert crated segment…” will not be possible.
Figure 5. Invert created segment