First released in 2008 – Unwrella is a one-click unwrapping solution for 3D models, designed to create an efficient user-configurable UV layout with minimal texture stretching.
Unwrap seams are naturally created along model elements where they will be less visible, but you can also perform manual control for more precise control.
The plugin comes with separate unfolding modes for organic and hard surfaced assets, and the generated unfolds are designed for use with game engines as well as for standalone operation.
3d-io describe it as a “nonsense tool” that simplifies routine texturing tasks for character design, game development, and architectural visualization.
The major change in Unwrella 4 is the integration of the UV packer, 3d-io’s UV packing tool, which is now available for free for 3ds Max and Blender. It automatically organizes the UV “islands” of a 3D model to minimize useless space, reducing the overall file size for texture map sets.
The system is resolution-independent, so the packing time remains the same regardless of texture resolution. The software also supports UV mosaic layouts used in applications like ZBrush.
The UV-packer technology is multi-threaded and, according to 3d-io, is capable of “processing thousands of UV parts and millions of polygons in the shortest possible time.”
In addition, Unwrella gets a new projection mode, combining the existing Organic and Hard Surface modes.
The mode is designed for situations where only one side of the asset will be visible from the scene camera and generates UV only for the visible side of the meshes, thereby saving UV space. The release also includes an updated plugin user interface, as well as hundreds of fixes and performance improvements.
Unwrella 4 is available for 3ds Max 2015 and above and Maya 2015 and above, running only on Windows. The cost of the new license is €149. The update is free for existing users.
