DCC production guide
UV Island Padding and Layout Guide
Direct answer: Plan UV islands so paintable surfaces stay readable after mipmaps, compression, and engine import. Start with the asset purpose, choose which shells need unique pixels, then set padding from the final texture resolution rather than from a neat-looking unwrap screenshot.
Layout OptimizationCoverageIsland PaddingMirrored UVsStacked UVsStretching
Choose unique, mirrored, or stacked shells
Unique shells are for labels, damage, decals, baked lighting, or any area that must receive independent paint. Mirrored UVs are efficient for symmetrical forms, but they can complicate normal maps, decals, and asymmetric wear. Stacked UVs work for repeated screws, bolts, vents, and kit pieces that intentionally share texture detail. The review question is not “are there overlaps?” but “are the overlaps compatible with the texture, bake, and material behavior?”
Padding by final output
Island Padding and UV Margin should be judged at the final map size and compression setting. A four-pixel gutter on a 512 map behaves differently from a four-pixel gutter on a 4K map. If the asset will stream mips aggressively, leave more space around high-contrast borders. UV Border problems usually show up as color halos, normal seams, or light leaking after the texture is downsampled.
Stretching and coverage checks
Coverage is useful only if the shells that receive area also deserve detail. Large hidden undersides can be smaller; player-facing logos or bevel strips may deserve more space. Apply a numbered checker and inspect curved forms, text, and trim strips. Stretching on organic curves may be tolerable; stretching on readable panels, labels, and face details is not.
Worked review example
For a modular sci-fi wall, stack identical rear bolts, mirror left and right trim only if decals will not cross the mirror seam, and keep damaged front panels unique. The reviewer should ask for the UV layout, checker preview, final texture at one reduced mip level, and a note explaining intentional overlaps.
Multilingual production terms
Use this table when a brief, fix request, or delivery note must be understood across Chinese, English, and Japanese production reviews for UV Island Padding and Layout.
| 中文 | English | 日本語 | Workflow usage note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 布局优化 | Layout Optimization | レイアウト最適化 | Pack islands to reduce wasted space without creating overlap that breaks baked maps. |
| 覆盖率 | Coverage | カバレッジ | State which surfaces deserve unique pixels versus which can share, stack, or mirror detail. |
| 岛间距 | Island Padding | アイランド間隔 | Set gutter width from final map resolution; verify it survives mip reduction. |
| 镜像 UV | Mirrored UVs | ミラーUV | Document intentional symmetry so reviewers do not flag mirrored shells as accidental overlap. |
| 堆叠 UV | Stacked UVs | スタックUV | Allowed only when repeated parts truly share material, paint, and lighting behavior. |
| 拉伸 | Stretching | ストレッチ | Check with a numbered grid texture; fix before painting rather than after. |
| UV 边界 | UV Border | UV境界 | Keep borders away from readable labels and bevel highlights to avoid bleed. |
| UV 壳 | UV Shell | UVシェル | Split shells at hard edges or hidden seams; preserve silhouette under camera movement. |
Related pages and next step
Open SEELE AI workspaceFAQ
Can mirrored UVs be used with normal maps?
Yes, but tangent basis, mirrored seam handling, and bake settings must be tested. Mirroring can create visible lighting seams if the pipeline is not configured for it.
How do I decide island padding?
Use final texture resolution, expected mip level, compression, and contrast at the shell border. Do not approve padding from the unwrap view alone.
When are stacked UVs unsafe?
They are unsafe when each copy needs unique dirt, decals, baked lighting, or separate material variation.
What evidence proves the UV layout is ready?
A UV layout, numbered checker render, overlap explanation, and final material preview after import are usually enough for review.