UV Mapping in TurboCAD Platinum

TurboCAD Platinum users can project 2D images onto 3D objects.

UV mapping stands for the technique used to "wrap" a 2D image texture onto a 3D mesh. "U" and "V" are the name of the axes of a plane, since "X", "Y" and "Z" are typically used for the coordinates in the 3D space. For example: increasing your "V" on a sphere might move you along a longitude line (north or south), while increasing your "U" might move you along a line of latitude (east or west).

A 3D model is in fact composed from a number of faces and vertices in space, while a material is a 2D image. UV mapping bridges the gap between 2D and 3D, telling TurboCAD how to "squash" and "slice" the 3D model onto a flat plane, without overlapped faces.

UV Mapping is especially powerful when working to create realistic organic shapes, from creating product comps or designing detailed characters for animation.