My attempt at a simple 3D model turned into a texture nightmare

So I wanted to make a basic 3D model of a coffee mug for a scene, just a simple cylinder with a handle. I figured I'd try a new texturing method I saw in a tutorial, using a free program called ArmorPaint. The tutorial made it look so easy, just drag and drop your texture. But when I applied my custom image, the whole thing went crazy. The texture stretched in weird ways, the handle got this weird pixelated look, and the colors were all wrong. I spent like three hours just trying to get the UV map to line up right, and I still couldn't fix it. I learned that a good model needs a good UV layout from the start, you can't just slap a texture on anything. Has anyone else had a texture just completely fail on a simple shape? What's your go-to method for unwrapping basic stuff like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

kelly.keith1d ago

Tbh that part about the UV layout being key from the start is so true. Honestly I've been there, trying to fix a bad unwrap after the fact is a total nightmare. For basic stuff like a mug, I just use the automatic unwrap in Blender and then maybe make a few quick cuts. Ngl, trying a new tool on a project you care about is always a recipe for pain. I'd stick to your main software for the UVs next time.

patricia_kelly19h ago

Yeah, UVs are the worst part for me too. @kelly.keith is right about using the auto-unwrap for simple shapes, it saves so much headache. What texture image were you trying to use?