Yep, it's exactly like Matt said. Ask 5 different designers, you'll get 5 different answers.

There's no One True Way to do it, and everybody tends to work out their own unique approach that best suits the tools they have and their level of artistic skill.

-Mel

Thanks! I will post here some of my pics, let me know what you think, that will help me a lot) I use the unwrap idea in Max, it is helpfull, but I'm so amazed with your texturing work! Maybe the best paper craft I ever seen so far. Is there a techique in photoshop, exept patience and hard work, you could share?)

Here is how I do - A simple geometry models in 3ds Max, unwraping texture coordinates to image, photoshop texturing(probably must spent more time on this to look good) and back to Max - finishing render.



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The other thing I would like to ask, are you planning to make some Battletech scale terrain? Thanks!

Those are cardstock?!

Because if they are, man you don't need my help, I need yours!

Agreed. Those are great!

I wish they would, but it is 3d prototypes I made. Models in Max and UV texture in Ps. It is not hard to assemble, I made those multipart and as simple as I could. I just have the problem unfolding the spheric and round elements. Just as I said, I'm looking for another, better way in that quality texturing can be done.

It would be a great pleasure for me if you could give me chalange, for axample a piece of wall or a ground tile to make the texture, and show my mistakes or better way I could go.

Of cource if you have time for that))

These are textures what I made for the building above



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Spheres are a pain in the butt. My Platfrom Command set "Battleground" has some in it but they only sort of work, plus they're huge. BTech is a very small scale game as I recall. You'd be in for some serious headaches...

Yea, Battletech just needs a good looking map, and making buildings from cardstock in 1:300 scale can be really nasty. Maybe I'll try sculpting, but only for hard parts. Simple blocks I will make with paper/texture. It will look more realistic for sure

There are two ways I can think of to do the spheres (well, hemispheres, from the pictures) - 1) Design the piece as 4 quarter spheres, which you can shape into a curve and then glue together to create the hemisphere, and 2) don't actually design a truly circular sphere, instead using triangles of a certain size that glue together to form a dome shape. Personally, I'd recommend the latter, as it is the less labor intensive/finicky of the options, but either should work for what you're going for.
As for cylinders, again, you have two options - either design them as a single strip of material that is wrapped around something the proper size and glued, or actually add a number of folds to the piece to make it easier to put together (I typically see them made into boxes with square ends).
Magius out.

Yes, the best way is to add more angles to the geometry, no curves at all, just low poly models. A dome would be better, as I could add windows and frames to form a obsevatory or something like that.

Thanks) It was my first model that I could show)) I will work on it this way, and of course post some pictures))

If you want to go with the dome option here is a site with some dome calculators that would help in the design.



The Dome Calculator lets you input the desired radius of the dome and will generate the lengths of the sides of the triangles needed.

The Reverse Calcualtor lets you input the length of one of the sides of a triangle and generates the lengths of the other sides and the radius of the dome.

I have used those calculators to make corrugated cardboard triangles for some domes that are big enough for some children to play in..

Thanks, it would be helpfull) There is an option in 3d Max too, it lets you choose the number of faces and radius.

Seriously, those are nice buildings for Battletech. Nice work at that scale.