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I've been playing around editing textures for some video game objects. I recently discovered that I could use "Merge Down" to put a 2D image over the 3D object and translate that to the texture. My problem is, this would only add the image to the part of the object I am looking at when merging down. I am looking for a way to wrap the 2D image around the entire 3D object.

Is this even possible on Photoshop? If it's not, but it is on 3Ds Max I'd like to know how to do it there then.

I know this would be easy on a simple shape like a cylinder since I can just place the 2D image as the texture, but these objects I am working with have custom UV Maps (that I cannot reparameterize since that wouldn't work in-game), so I can't do that. And slicing the 2D image and placing it on the correct spot on the texture so it looks perfect on the 3D object is nearly impossible.

Here is the object I am trying to texture: enter image description here

And here is the UV Map: enter image description here

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  • what kind of projection would you use for this? i mean theres a infinite ways to do this.
    – joojaa
    May 16, 2014 at 6:21
  • I don't understand the question, sorry I am 100% a noob on this. Here's an example, this is one of the 3D objects: i.imgur.com/0Yd0Jyz.jpg (and the UV Map: i.imgur.com/foWj5X7.jpg). Let's say I want to create a design that has lines, or an horizontal spiral line around the entire object. What would be the easier way to do that? Editing the 2D texture directly seems kind of impossible to make a perfect spiral line around it. I suspect it would be easier on 3Ds Max, but I know it less than PS.
    – prinomer
    May 16, 2014 at 6:39
  • There is a infinite number of ways for wrapping an image into 3d. Your probably looking for a cylindrical projection?
    – joojaa
    May 16, 2014 at 13:05
  • I don't think cylindrical would cut it. I'm not too familiar with 3DS Max, but I'm sure there is a way to do planar or Automatic mapping.
    – ckpepper02
    May 16, 2014 at 13:37
  • @ckpepper02 But if I use planar or automatic mapping, wouldn't that modify the UV Maps? Is it possible to create a texture with custom uv maps and then translate it to the game uv maps?
    – prinomer
    May 16, 2014 at 21:23

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You'll have to experiment, but the first thing I'd do would be to open the texture map and display the UVs, then start by adding an image to the entire texture and seeing what Photoshop did with it, just to get oriented. That will wrap around the entire object, so depending on what you're trying to accomplish, maybe you're done at that point.

I usually tile the 3D object and the texture so I can see the result on the object while I'm experimenting with the texture, and with something as complex as this I would definitely want that kind of feedback as I worked. The UV wireframes will help to guide what you're doing as you work.

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