Texel Density Tools
Texel density-based functionalities of the packer are available in the Texel Density multi panel:
To learn more about multi panels read this page.
Specifying texel density
Every time texel density needs to by specified in the UI, the packer provides two methods of how the user can do it: Direct Value or Use Tier. The method to use is selected using the menu next to a given texel density property name. As an example: the TD To Set property looks like this in the UI:
The texel density value is determined in the following manner:
- Direct Value - the user provides a value directly using the filed just below the property name.
- Use Tier - value is determined indirectly by selecting a texel density tier from the list of all tiers created in the blend file. For more info regarding texel density tiers read the section below.
By default, the Direct Value method is always used.
Texel density set to 0 is a special value meaning texel density is undefined. Packer behavior when encountering undefined texel density depends on a given scenario / functionality. When displaying texel density values as overlay in the UV editor, undefined texel density is marked using the X letter.
Texel density is always calculated using the current Texture Size option value.
Basic operations
Basic texel density-based operations are provided in the Texel Density panel:
The following operations are available:
- Set TD - set texel density for the selected islands. Texel density to set is determined by the TD To Set option,
- Show TD - show texel density of the selected islands,
- Adjust TD to Unselected - adjust texel density of the selected islands so it is uniform with texel density of the unselected islands.
Set TD before packing
You can configure the packer to automatically set texel density before packing by enabling the Set TD Before Packing subpanel:
After the subpanel is enabled, every time a packing operation is run, the packer will set texel density of all islands being packed to the value defined in the TD (Packing) property and then pack the islands with fixed scale (preserving requested texel density).
When TD (Packing) is set to 0 (undefined texel density), the packer will ignore the texel density setting step - islands will be packed as if the functionality is disabled.
Note: you can override the TD (Packing) or Texture Size values on a per-group basis in the Override Global Options popover, when using a group-based packing mode.
Set TD per-island
You can also define texel density to set before packing on a per-island basis. For that, enable the Set TD Per-Island checkbox:
By default, all islands have a special X value assigned to them. The X value assigned to an island means the packer will use the global TD (Packing) setting for that island.
In order to assign texel density to set before packing to islands:
- select all islands for which you want to define a new texel density value,
- choose a new value to be set using the Is.TD (Packing) property,
- press the Set Is.TD button. You will see that the new texel density value will be displayed over the selected islands in the UV editor as a confirmation that the operation was successful,
- repeat the above steps for all islands for which you want to assign a specific texel density value.
If you would like specific islands to use the global TD (Packing) value again, select these islands and press the Reset Is.TD button.
Note: assigning a new Is.TD (Packing) value for islands alone is not enough for the islands to be scaled according to the new texel density value. Texel density is always set automatically before packing, so after modification, you need to repack the islands to apply the new texel density value to the UVs.
Instead of assigning texel density value directly to islands, you can add certain islands to a texel density tier. When islands are assigned to a tier, you can redefine texel density to be used for them easily by modifying the tier settings, without a need for manual value reassignment. In order to add islands to a tier:
- change the definition method for Is. TD (Packing) from Direct Value to Use Tier,
- select the tier you want to assign islands to using the browse menu under the Is. TD (Packing) property name,
- select the islands which you want to add to the tier,
- press the Set Is.TD button.
After the islands were added to the tier, from now on you can define texel density assigned to them by modifying the tier settings.
Note: modifying texel density of a tier alone is not enough for the islands to be scaled according to the new texel density value. Texel density is always set automatically before packing, so after modifying the tier, you need to repack the islands to apply the new texel density value to the UVs.
Texel density tiers
The Texel Density Tiers panel provides an UI to add, remove, modify texel density tiers:
In the UI you can:
- add a tier (the Plus button),
- remove the active tier (the Minus button),
- browse tiers (the icon to the left from the tier name field),
- rename the active tier to any meaningful name for the user.
Note: texel density tier data is maintained on the scene-level in the blend file.
Below the tier name, the packer displays an UI allowing you to modify the active tier settings:
- TD Value - texel density value assigned to the tier
- Color - used for presentation purposes only. Islands assigned to the given tier will use this color when displaying value in the Show Is.TD operation.