User Guide: Load/Save

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You can also enable a regular auto save using the '''Auto Save''' setting under the '''Preferences''' panel. You can also enable a regular auto save using the '''Auto Save''' setting under the '''Preferences''' panel.
-To include the name of the original mesh into the quick save files, trick the '''Full Name Quick Saves''' preference.+To include the name of the original mesh into the quick save files, tick the '''Full Name Quick Saves''' preference.

Revision as of 05:57, 28 October 2009

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This section of the main UVLayout window contains all the buttons used to load and save files.

Load

The main way to load files into UVLayout is to drag'n'drop them onto the headus UVLayout desktop icon. Files in UVLayout's own UVL format can also be double clicked to open them up. And finally, if UVLayout is already running, you can use the Load button to load a new file.

When loading OBJ or PLY files, there's a few options to choose between:

SUBD / Poly 
If the mesh being loaded is the control cage for a subdivision surface, then make sure that SUBD is selected. The subdivided surface will then be used in the flattening calculations, rather than the control cage itself, producing more accurate results. If the mesh isn't a subdivision surface, then select Poly.
Edit / New 
If your mesh already has UVs and you want to reflatten them to reduce distortion, select Edit. Otherwise, select New to delete any existing UVs and start with a clean slate.
Weld UVs 
If the loaded mesh has seams (green edges) between adjacent polys, reload with this option ticked. It'll weld all co-incident UVs together, but could break the OBJ Update tool and point correspondences between morph targets.
Clean 
If the loaded mesh has non-manifold edges (i.e. an edge is shared by more than two faces) then ticking this option will fix the problem geometry as its loaded, but may break the OBJ Update tool and point correspondences between morph targets.
Detach Flipped UVs 
Tick this option if you want flipped polys in UV space to be detached into separate shells.

Save

When saving your work, you have a choice between three file formats; UVL, PLY or OBJ:

UVL 
UVLayout's own format that saves the current edit state, including which faces have been detached, dropped or flattened, and which edges have been 'C' tagged. You should use the UVL format if you're part way through flattening a mesh, and want to restart at a latter time.
UVL is the default format, so for example, if you type "fish" into the Path field, the ".uvl" extension gets added automatically and the scene is saved into "fish.uvl".
OBJ 
Use the OBJ format to export or import UVs to and from other applications.
To save out an OBJ file, add ".obj" to the typed in filename.
PLY 
PLY format files are more compact than OBJ files, but few applications know about them. They're included here mainly as a link between UVLayout and CySlice.
To save out a PLY file, add ".ply" to the typed in filename.

Update

The Update button pops up a file selection window where you can select a previously loaded OBJ file that you want to update with the current UVs. The original file isn't overwritten though; a new file called whatever-uvlayout.obj is created, which is a copy of the original file with all the material/grouping information preserved and only the UVs changed.

Tmp/E Buttons

The Tmp 1 to 5 buttons can be used to quickly save the current scene into temporary files, named tmp1.uvl to tmp5.uvl, that can be loaded later on if something goes wrong.

The buttons are color coded:

    Red - most recent save, can't be overwritten
    Orange - other saves
    Greeny Orange - oldest save
    Green - not yet used

The E button also saves the current scene, but into files named edit01.uvl, edit02.uvl etc, always creating the next unused filename in the sequence.

You can also enable a regular auto save using the Auto Save setting under the Preferences panel.

To include the name of the original mesh into the quick save files, tick the Full Name Quick Saves preference.