UV Kit 2.0#

Installation#

Compatibility#

Maya	2019	2020	2022	2023	2024
	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓

How to install#

Extract the RS_Assets folder from the RS_Assets.zip
Extract RS_UV_Kit.pyc from RS_UV_Kit_MAYAVERSION.zip (depending on your Maya Version)
Copy RS_UV_Kit.pyc or RS_UV_Kit.py (Studio Version) and the RS_Assets folder to:

Attention

If an RS_Assets folder already exists in the location below, please copy the RS_UV_Kit folder (from inside the extracted RS_Assets folder) and paste it into the RS_Assets folder in the location below.
WindowsLinuxMac
\Users\USERNAME\Documents\maya\MAYAVERSION\prefs\scripts
$HOME/maya/MAYAVERSION/prefs/scripts
$HOME/Library/Preferences/Autodesk/maya/MAYAVERSION/prefs/scripts
Launch / Restart Maya
In Maya, open a Python Tab in the Script Editor and execute :

Attention

Please make sure that there are no Space characters in front of each code line.
Maya 2020 & belowMaya 2022 & above
1 2 3
import RS_UV_Kit reload(RS_UV_Kit) RS_UV_Kit.MainClass_UVKit.show_uvKit_dialog()
1 2 3 4
from importlib import reload import RS_UV_Kit reload(RS_UV_Kit) RS_UV_Kit.MainClass_UVKit.show_uvKit_dialog()
Maintain settings during a Maya instance

The code above will load a new instance of the tool every time it is executed. To maintain the settings during a Maya session, even if the tool is closed, use the code below:
1 2
import RS_UV_Kit RS_UV_Kit.MainClass_UVKit.show_uvKit_dialog()

Environment Variables#

To set and use a custom folder location, please open the Maya.env file.

The Maya.env file is located here

WindowsLinuxMac

\Users\USERNAME\Documents\maya\MAYAVERSION

$HOME/maya/MAYAVERSION

$HOME/Library/Preferences/Autodesk/maya/MAYAVERSION

Add the following lines to the Maya.env file:
```
MAYA_SCRIPT_PATH = path\to\your\custom\script\folder
PYTHONPATH = path\to\your\custom\script\folder
RS_TOOLS_PATH = path\to\your\custom\script\folder
```
Attention
1. Replace path\to\your\custom\script\folder with the actual path to your scripts.
2. Make sure there is no forward slash (/) or backward slash (\) at the end of the path.

Interface Basics#

Screenshot UV Tools

Screenshot UV Editor / UV Sets Editor

Screenshot About / Links / Shortcuts

Tool Settings#

Indicator

A blue line underneath an icon indicates that optional tool settings are available.

Screenshot

How to open?

Open the settings with a RMB ² click.

Position & What settings are open?

The settings widget will appear at the bottom of the tool.
The background of an icon button turns dark gray to indicate it's settings are currently open.

Screenshot

How to close?

To close the settings page RMB ² click the active button again.

Tooltips#

Hover over a button until a tooltip shows up.
Tooltips include information about available Modifier Alt Ctrl Shift and RMB ² settings options.

Screenshot

Please make sure that tooltips are enabled!

In Maya's main menu go to:

Windows > Settings / Preferences > Preferences > Interface > Help

and check DisplayToolClips under PopupHelp

Expand / Collapse tabs#

It is possible to expand or collapse all tabs on an active page.

Expand

Ctrl click on Screenshot

Collapse

Alt click on Screenshot

Note

A settings page will automatically close when expand or collapse all tabs is used.

Keyboard Shortcuts#

It is possible to control aspects of the tools interface with keyboard shortcuts.

Access pages

1 - UV Tools Page

2 - About Page

3 - Toggle Tool Menu Visibility

Requirements

The tool needs to have focus, for the shortcuts to work.

Expand / collapse tabs

Ctrl + 1 to expand all tabs on the UV Tools Page

Alt + 1 to collapse all tabs on the UV Tools Page

Attention

This only works on the currently active page.

Minimize to main menu

Alt + 3 to minimize the tool

Screenshot

UV Editor / UV Sets Editor#

Open UV Editor: LMB ¹ click Screenshot

Open UV Sets Editor: Alt click Screenshot

About Page#

Access the About page by clicking on Screenshot

The page contains information about the tool, several web links and an option to set up hotkey shortcuts.

Interface - About Page#

Screenshot

Create Hotkey Shortcuts#

Click on the Create Hotkey Shortcuts button to make a UV Kit launch function available within Maya's hotkey editor.

Screenshot

Info

Access the Hotkey Editor under Windows > Settings/Preferences > Hotkey Editor

Unfold Tab#

Interface - Unfold Tools#

Screenshot

Unfold #

Automatically cuts selected edges, unfolds (based on Unfold 3D) and packs the shells.

Screenshot

How to use

Make a UV projection of your object. (LMB ¹ click )

Tip

For best results make a Camera instead of an orthographical (X, Y, Z) projection.
Select your desired cutting edges
Click on to run the script

Settings

Screenshot

Projection #

Create UV texture coordinates for the selected object using a planar projection shape.

How to use

Camera: LMB ¹ click
X-Axis: Alt click
Y-Axis: Ctrl click
Z-Axis: Shift click

U / V #

Unfolds UV selections horizontally, vertically or freely in both directions.

How to use

Horizontal Unfold: LMB ¹ click
Vertical Unfold: Alt click
Free Unfold Ctrl click
Pin selected UVs during Unfold: Add Shift

Gridify #

Automatically unfolds cylindrical shapes based on a cutting edge selection.

How to use

1. Make an edge selection on a cylindrical shape that serves as the cut line
Cylindrical Shape:
1. LMB ¹ click
Cable with caps:
1. Make an edge selection that serves as the cut line of the cable
2. Alt click

Layout Tab#

Interface - Layout Tools#

Screenshot

Layout #

Arranges the UV shells of objects and scales them uniformly.

How to use

Select objects
Set preferred Shell spacing and Shell rotation in the RMB ² settings
Layout all objects together:
1. LMB ¹ click
Layout each object individually:
1. Alt click

Settings

Screenshot

Grid Arrange #

Arranges the UV layouts of objects with a uniform scale within a grid pattern.

How to use

Select objects
Set preferred Scale size in the RMB ² settings
Grid Arrange:
1. LMB ¹ click
Grid Arrange and sort by Polygon Count:
1. Alt click

Settings

Screenshot

Stack #

Stack UV layouts or shells.

How to use

Select objects or UV shells
Set preferred Scale size in the RMB ² settings (For uniform scale only)
Stack UV Layouts without changing their scale size:
1. LMB ¹ click
Stack UV Layouts and scale them uniformly:
1. Alt click
Stack selected UV Shells:
1. Ctrl click
Unstack selected UV Shells:
1. Shift click

Settings

Screenshot

Spread #

Precisely spread out overlapping UV layouts based on an input value. This operation works with objects and groups.

Screenshot

How to use

Select multiple objects or groups
Set preferred Move size in the RMB ² settings
Spread:
1. Right: LMB ¹ click
2. Up: Alt click
3. Add Shift for opposite directions (Left, Down)

Settings

Screenshot

Modify Tab#

Interface - Modify Tools#

Screenshot

Move #

Move selected UVs or UDIMS.

How to use

1. Select UVs
2. Set preferred Move value in the RMB ² settings
3. Move:
  1. Right: LMB ¹ click
  2. Up: Alt click
  3. Add Shift for opposite directions (Left, Down)
Move UVs:
Move UDIMs:
1. Select Objects
2. Set preferred Move value in the RMB ² settings
3. Turn UDIM Mode to On
4. Specify a UDIM Source
5. Move UDIM:
  1. Right: LMB ¹ click
  2. Up: Alt click
  3. Add Shift for opposite directions (Left, Down)
Move a UDIM to a specific target position:
1. Select Objects
2. Turn on both the UDIM and the Target Mode in the RMB ² settings
3. Set a Source UDIM (The UDIM you want to move)
4. Set a Target UDIM (Where you want to move your source)
5. LMB ¹ click

Settings

Screenshot

Rotate #

Rotate selected UVs.

How to use

Select UVs or UV Shells
Set preferred Rotation value in the RMB ² settings
1. Clockwise: LMB ¹ click
2. Counterclockwise: Alt click
Rotate:
Rotate each shell individually:
1. Add Shift

Settings

Screenshot

Scale #

Scale selected UVs by value or locally.

How to use

Scale selected UVs by value:
1. Select UVs or UV Shells
2. Set preferred Scale size in the RMB ² settings
3. LMB ¹ click
1. Select only 1 UV from each UV Shell you want to scale
2. Alt click to launch the scale process
3. In the new window - Use the Slider to interactively scale the UV shells
4. Click the Done button to finish the process
Scale locally:

Settings

Screenshot

Orient #

Orient selected UV Shells.

How to use

Orient to run parallel with the closest U or V axis: LMB ¹ click
Orient in X-Axis: Alt click
Orient in Y-Axis: Ctrl click
Orient in Z-Axis: Shift click

Straighten #

Straighten selected UVs.

How to use

Straighten selected UVs (works best with small curvatures):
1. Select UVs or UV Shells
2. LMB ¹ click
Straighten UV Shells:
1. Select an edge loop of your UV Shell
2. Alt click

Distribute #

Distribute UV Shells.

How to use

Select UVs or UV Shells
Set preferred Spacing value in the RMB ² settings
Distribute:
1. Right: LMB ¹ click
2. Up: Alt click
3. Add Shift for opposite directions (Left, Down)

Settings

Screenshot

Equalizer #

Match your Objects UV Layout or UV Shells Texel Density to the size of a specified source.

How to use

1. Select a source object
2. Alt click to get the scale size
3. Select target objects
4. LMB ¹ click to set the scale size
For Objects:
For UV Shells:
1. Set preferred Map Size in the RMB ² settings
2. Select a UV Shell
3. Shift click or click on the Get Button in the RMB ² settings to get the scale size
4. Select target UV Shells
5. Ctrl click to set the scale size

Settings

Screenshot

Flip #

Flip the position of selected UVs or UV shells

How to use

Flip all selected UVs:
1. LMB ¹ click
Flip each UV shell from their individual center point:
1. Alt click
Flip all backfacing shells automatically (Select an object or UVs):
1. Shift click

Align #

Align UV shells to a specified reference.

How to use

Select a source UV shell
Shift click to set it as a reference
Select UV Shells that you want to align
1. Horizontally: LMB ¹ click
Align:
1. Vertically: Alt click
1. Match Position: Ctrl click

Utilities#

Interface - Utilities#

Screenshot

UV Shader #

Creates two UV Shader with custom texture maps (map size is 1K). Useful to check if your UVs are properly unfolded, oriented and equal in size.

Screenshot

How to use

Create / Delete Shader:
1. Create: Ctrl click
2. Delete: Shift + Ctrl click
Assign / Unassign:
1. Assign Checker Pattern: LMB ¹ click
2. Assign UV Direction: Alt click
3. Unassign Shader: Shift click
Set preferred Texture size in the RMB ² settings

Settings

Screenshot

Transfer #

Transfer UV layouts from source to target objects.

Screenshot

How to use

Set preferred Sample Space and Scope in the RMB ² settings
Set Source(s): Select Object(s) and click on the Set Sources button in the RMB ² settings

Note

If you have multiple source objects, the script will copy

from source 1 to target 1

from source 2 to target 2

and so on, until there are no sources left.
Set Targets: Select Object(s) and click on the Set Targets button in the RMB ² settings
Transfer: LMB ¹ click

Shortcuts

Set Sources: Alt click Screenshot

Set Targets: Ctrl click Screenshot

Settings

Screenshot

Fixes #

Automatically fix backfacing face normals or UV Shells.

How to use

Backfacing Face normals: Select objects and LMB ¹ click
Backfacing UV Shells: Select objects and Alt click

Remove UV Sets #

Automatically remove UV Sets.

How to use

Add UV Set names to exclude in the RMB ² settings (UV Sets you don't want to delete)
Select objects and LMB ¹ click

Settings

Screenshot

LMB - Left Mouse Button ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩
RMB - Right Mouse Button ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

UV Kit 2.0#

Installation#

Compatibility#

How to install#

Environment Variables#

Interface Basics#

Tool Menu#

Tool Settings#

Tooltips#

Expand / Collapse tabs#

Keyboard Shortcuts#

UV Editor / UV Sets Editor#

About Page#

Interface - About Page#

Create Hotkey Shortcuts#

Unfold Tab#

Interface - Unfold Tools#

Unfold #

Projection #

U / V #

Gridify #

Layout Tab#

Interface - Layout Tools#

Layout #

Grid Arrange #

Stack #

Spread #

Modify Tab#

Interface - Modify Tools#

Move #

Rotate #

Scale #

Orient #

Straighten #

Distribute #

Equalizer #

Flip #

Align #

Utilities#

Interface - Utilities#

UV Shader #

Transfer #

Fixes #

Remove UV Sets #