If you take a long time to unwrap your models in any 3d package then this is for you. Blender 3D users are familiar with this tool but how many other people are? Creating good UV maps is a skill not many people have, and even fewer can do it really fast. It is not so much a case of having not enough skill but a case of not having the appropriate tools.
3ds max introduced peltmaping but how useful is it really? Not really you might say. Buggy and unrealiable. So you spend a lot of time going back to traditional methods and it takes ages until you have a propper unwrap.
Now LSCM or “Least Sqare Comform Mapping” is an unwrapping algorythm where you simply select edges on your mesh along which you cut up your model and so define the outside border of the shape you want to unwrap.
How does it get it right? The algorythm basically looks at the size of adjacent polygons and the angles of connecting edges and tries when flattening the mesh to keep those realtively even to each other as, similar to what they are in the 3d space.
Now as said this is more efficient then Peltmapping for the way LSCM works. Once you in fact use it, it becomes super easy and fast. You need to have to good spacial visualization ablity and think ahead of how your mesh should unfold, else you end up with a mess.
There is a plugin for 3ds max that allows you to use LSCM without having to go through Blender and its clunky interface. Just make sure in 3ds max to collapse your model down into a clean edit poly (else it wont work, dont use just an edit poly modifier, make sure you collapse your mod stack) with all double verts merged (thats two or more verts in the same place creating unnessecary open edges) or you might get gaps in your UVs.
You can download the Plugin here:
http://www.luxinia.de/index.php/ArtTools/3dsmax#lscm
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