UV Unwrap

This new tool is at the core of an optimized edge workflow (edges defined as UV Seams, unwrapping/relaxing UV mesh with UV Unwrap, select more edges, unwrap again, etc.).

A bust with a Shrink projection is assigned edge selections multiple times, then unwrapped using UV Unwrap. The UV Weld and Relax command can be used to add UV Islands. The new Mirror Selection command can save you a lot of clicks (however, not shown here).

UV Unwrap also works in conjunction with edge selections that are used as UV Seams. The UV mesh is opened and the edge selections, unwrapped, relaxed and re-arranged. This procedure might sound familiar to you. In principle, the same happens with the UV Relax command. UV Unwrap includes all of this in a single command, which makes the process much simpler and saves you a lot of clicks. The UV mesh relaxation is done using the ABF algorithm.

In Use Polygon mode, congruent selections will be seen as islands (and internally an edge selection will be placed around the islands) and unwrapped separately.

Note that the command does not work with complete UV meshes that do not have a border, e.g., as can be the case with Shrink, Flat and Frontal projections on closed volumes. If, on the other hand, you only select a part of the mesh - which will then have borders - the algorithm will work.

Tips and Tricks

Settings

The command has the following options: