What is UV Mapping?

UV mapping is the process of projecting a 3D model's surface onto a 2D image, allowing textures, colours, decals, and liveries to be accurately placed. In GTA vehicle models, UV maps are used to create templates that define where textures like paint and logos will appear on the vehicle’s surface. By unwrapping the model’s geometry into a flat layout, modders can design custom skins and decals in programs like Photoshop, then apply them precisely in-game. Proper UV mapping ensures that liveries align cleanly and don’t stretch or distort on the model.

Preparing your model

To get your model read for UV mapping, first you need to isolate what you want to map, for this example I will be mapping a Ford Crown Victoria's bodyshell. You can map windows, computer monitors, signs, anything. To isolate, select a part if it has other materials you will need to detach it first. Enter polygon mode and select just the material you want to map, and detach it. Do this for all the parts if there is more than one.

After you have isolated all the parts, you need to split them up by what side of the model they are on. When UV Mapping to make a template, you want to make sure that each side is facing the right way. I will use the bodyshell as an example.

Select only what parts would be best mapped from each side, on the left I select everything on the rear fender and C pillar, and on the front fender I only selected the parts that face the most to the left side, the ones that curve up to the bonnet will be mapped next to the bonnet.

What do I do about random parts?

If you have a random part that really does not need to be mapped for texturing, like a windscreen sill or a door sill, these can be detached and will be mapped to a spot for random odd bits, it does not matter what side you map them as, as we will scale them way down and put them inside a box for the user to colour them to the bodyshell.

Creating a material

You might have to create a material if your model does not already come with one, for vehicle paint, use vehicle_paint3. Glass use vehicle_vehglass for the outside part, and vehicle_vehglass_inner for the interior part of the mesh. Give it a name you will remember, like "wildglass" or "vehicle_paint".

UV Mapping

Now that you are ready to map the parts, let's start, I like to do the left first, followed by the right, front, back and finally the top. The random bits I do last to make it easy on myself. Toggle on only the left parts and select them, right click in the left viewport Mapping>Edit UV. In the window that pops up, set the channel for 2 if you are doing a vehicle paint, then select "Generate New" and in the New Mapping settings select "From Viewport" and click ok.

Open the UV Mapper and you should be able to select your material and see the UV mapping, move it slightly out of the way and do the same for all the other sides. After all the sides are in the UV Mapper, you can start moving them to their final positions. Once they are all in position you are good to go, you can either render a template from ZMod or follow the steps in Object Space Templates to make it look pretty.

Reattaching the parts

Now that we have UV mapped all the parts, we have to reattach them to whatever you detached from back in the first steps. If you did a computer screen, and it was not attached to anything, you don't need to do this.

Go into isolated mode and click on your UV mapped, detached part, and use the attached tool to click on it. Now in the hierarchy, select the main part still in the model, and you should see your UV mapped part vanish and the old part reappear. Do not worry if it looks different, this is because it is missing the part you just mapped! Make sure it is the correct part, then click on it to attach the two together.

How to render colourful templates

gtav blender zmod template

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wildfyr

15 days ago

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