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Distance-Based Smart-Uvs Addon

by Samuel Haller·Workflow

Images © Samuel Haller. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

Distance-Based Smart-Uvs Addon fills a specific niche in the superhive library: allocating UV texture space by camera distance rather than treating every face equally. The four-tier scaling, custom thresholds, and 0-1 packing are handled from a single sidebar panel, and it's distributed as one Python file for straightforward installation.

What is Distance-Based Smart-Uvs Addon?

Distance-Based Smart-Uvs Addon is a Blender add-on that combines Smart UV unwrapping with automatic, camera-aware island scaling. It runs Blender's Smart UV Project on the selected object's faces, then scales each UV island according to how far that face sits from the scene's active camera, so surfaces closer to the camera are given more texture space. An active camera is required before you run it.

Faces are sorted into distance groups. By default, close faces are scaled 2.0x, medium faces 1.5x, and far faces 1.25x, while faces beyond the far threshold keep their original scale. You can set your own distance thresholds and adjust each scale factor, name the UV map to create or use, and control the margin between islands. After scaling, all islands are packed into the 0-1 UV space.

The tool lives in the 3D Viewport sidebar under the UV tab, with adjustable parameters and a single button to run the operation. It supports Blender's undo system, so results can be reverted with Ctrl+Z. It's optimized for objects with a manageable polygon count; high-poly meshes may take longer to process.

Who is Distance-Based Smart-Uvs Addon best for?

Distance-Based Smart-Uvs Addon is best for blender users who want UV texture space distributed by how close faces are to the camera, working on objects with a manageable polygon count and an active camera in the scene.

How much does Distance-Based Smart-Uvs Addon cost?

Distance-Based Smart-Uvs Addon is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Distance-based UV island scaling across four groups: close (default 2.0x), medium (default 1.5x), far (default 1.25x), and very far, which keeps its original scale
  • Customizable distance thresholds and scale factors for each group
  • Uses Blender's Smart UV Project to unwrap the selected faces
  • Automatic packing of scaled UV islands into the 0-1 UV space, with an adjustable island margin
  • Single UV map management, creating or using a named UV map for all operations
  • Panel in the 3D Viewport sidebar under the UV tab with a single button to run the operation
  • Undo support through Blender's undo system (Ctrl+Z)

Tags

#Blender#UV unwrapping#UV mapping#Smart UV Project#texture optimization#camera distance#addon

Frequently asked questions

How do I install Distance-Based Smart-Uvs Addon in Blender?

Distance-Based Smart-Uvs Addon installs like a standard Blender add-on. Download the distance_based_smart_uvs.py file, then open Edit > Preferences, click Add-ons, and choose Install. Navigate to the downloaded .py file, select it, and click Install Add-on. Enable it by checking the box next to Distance-Based Smart-UVs. Once active, press N in the 3D Viewport to open the sidebar and find the tool under the UV tab, where the panel and its single execution button are located.

Does Distance-Based Smart-Uvs Addon need a camera in the scene?

Distance-Based Smart-Uvs Addon needs an active camera in the scene before you run it, since it measures how far each face sits from that camera to decide how UV islands are scaled. Select the object you want to unwrap, adjust the distance thresholds and scale factors in the UV tab panel, then click the Distance-Based Smart UVs button. The addon calculates each face's distance to the camera, assigns faces to distance groups, unwraps them, scales the islands, and packs everything into the 0-1 UV space.

Does Distance-Based Smart-Uvs Addon work on high-poly models?

Distance-Based Smart-Uvs Addon is optimized for objects with a manageable polygon count. High-poly objects can still be processed, but they may take longer because of the per-face distance calculations involved. If you're working with dense meshes, expect increased processing time. The addon supports Blender's undo system, so if a result isn't what you wanted, you can press Ctrl+Z to revert the changes and try different thresholds or scale factors.

How do the distance thresholds and scale factors work in Distance-Based Smart-Uvs Addon?

Distance-Based Smart-Uvs Addon sorts faces into distance groups and scales their UV islands accordingly. By default, close faces are scaled 2.0x, medium faces 1.5x, and far faces 1.25x, while faces beyond the far threshold keep their original scale. You set your own distance thresholds and adjust each scale factor to suit the project, and larger scale factors allocate more texture space to closer faces. You can also name the UV map to create or use and set the margin between packed islands.

Is Distance-Based Smart-Uvs Addon free?

Distance-Based Smart-Uvs Addon is listed as free in this catalog. Licensing terms can change over time, so check Samuel Haller's page on superhive for the current details before you download. The addon is distributed as a single distance_based_smart_uvs.py file that you install through Blender's Add-ons preferences, and once enabled it stays available in the 3D Viewport sidebar under the UV tab for repeated use.

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