Documentation

SKAVA LIGHTMAP UV MASTER PRO - DOCUMENTATION

INSTALLATION

Requirements:

• Blender 3.0 or higher

• Windows, Mac, or Linux

How to Install:

1. Download the skava_lightmap_uv_master_pro.py file

2. Open Blender

3. Go to Edit > Preferences > Add-ons

4. Click "Install" button

5. Select the downloaded .py file

6. Enable "UV: SKAVA Lightmap UV Master Pro" by checking the checkbox

7. The addon will appear in 3D Viewport > Sidebar (press N) > SKAVA tab

QUICK START GUIDE

Basic Usage:

1. Select one or more mesh objects in your scene

2. Open the SKAVA panel in the sidebar

3. Choose your target game engine (Unity, Unreal, or Godot)

4. Click "SKAVA Generate" button

5. Your objects now have optimized lightmap UVs in a second UV channel

That's it! The addon automatically creates perfect lightmap UVs based on your engine choice.

INTERFACE OVERVIEW

Main Panel Elements:

Target Engine Dropdown:

• Unity: Optimized for Unity HDRP/URP

• Unreal Engine: Optimized for UE4/UE5 Lightmass

• Godot: Optimized for Godot 4.x

• Custom: Manual control over all settings

Apply Engine Defaults Button (refresh icon):

• Instantly applies recommended settings for selected engine

Unwrap Settings:

• Method: Smart UV Project or Lightmap Pack

• Island Margin: Padding between UV islands (percentage)

• Lock icons let you override engine defaults

Resolution Settings:

• Auto: Calculates optimal resolution based on object size

• Manual: Set specific resolution (32-4096)

• Quality presets for Auto mode (Mobile to VR)

Generate and Batch Buttons:

• SKAVA Generate: Process selected objects

• SKAVA Batch Process: Process entire scene

ENGINE-SPECIFIC SETTINGS

UNITY Configuration:

• Default Method: Smart UV Project

• Default Padding: 2%

• Recommended Padding: 3%

• Maximum Resolution: 4096

• UV Channel: 2

• Best Practice: Disable "Generate Lightmap UVs" on import

UNREAL ENGINE Configuration:

• Default Method: Lightmap Pack

• Default Padding: 4%

• Recommended Padding: 5%

• Maximum Resolution: 2048

• Valid Resolutions: 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048

• UV Channel: 2

• Best Practice: Build lighting with Production quality

GODOT Configuration:

• Default Method: Smart UV Project

• Default Padding: 2%

• Minimum Resolution: 512

• Maximum Resolution: 4096

• UV Channel: 2

• Best Practice: Enable "Use in Baked Light" on instances

FEATURES EXPLAINED

Automatic Resolution Calculation: The addon analyzes each object to determine optimal lightmap resolution:

• Measures object dimensions and surface area

• Considers polygon count

• Applies quality preset multiplier

• Respects engine limitations

• Ensures power-of-2 sizes

Quality Presets:

• Mobile: 4 texels/unit (optimized for performance)

• Console: 8 texels/unit (balanced quality)

• PC: 16 texels/unit (standard quality)

• PC High: 32 texels/unit (high quality)

• ArchViz: 64 texels/unit (architectural visualization)

• VR: 128 texels/unit (maximum quality for VR)

Padding System: Padding prevents light bleeding between UV islands:

• Unity: 2-3% prevents most bleeding

• Unreal: 4-5% required due to Lightmass

• Percentage-based scales with resolution

• Ensures consistent results

Validation System: Automatically checks for:

• UV islands outside 0-1 range

• Overlapping UV islands

• Insufficient padding for engine

• Non-standard resolutions (Unreal)

• Below minimum resolution (Godot)

WORKFLOW EXAMPLES

Single Object Workflow:

1. Select your mesh object

2. Check polygon count in properties

3. Choose appropriate quality preset

4. Generate UVs

5. Check result in UV Editor

6. Adjust if needed and regenerate

Batch Processing Workflow:

1. Ensure all meshes are visible

2. Click "SKAVA Scene Analysis"

3. Review recommendations in Text Editor

4. Click "SKAVA Batch Process"

5. All scene objects processed automatically

Environment Art Workflow:

1. Group objects by importance (hero, props, background)

2. Process hero objects with PC High quality

3. Process props with PC quality

4. Process background with Console quality

5. Export settings for team sharing

Mobile Game Workflow:

1. Set target engine to Unity

2. Set quality to Mobile

3. Enable validation

4. Process all objects

5. Check for resolution warnings

6. Reduce resolution if needed for performance

COMMON ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS

"UV islands have overlaps" Error:

• This is usually a validation false positive

• Check UV Editor to confirm

• If real overlaps exist, regenerate

"Insufficient padding" Warning:

• Increase Island Margin percentage

• Or click Apply Engine Defaults

• Unity: increase to 3%

• Unreal: increase to 5%

"UVs outside 0-1 range" Error:

• Regenerate UVs

• Check for non-manifold geometry

• Ensure mesh has proper scale

"Resolution not standard for Unreal" Warning:

• Unreal prefers specific resolutions

• Use 256, 512, 1024, or 2048

• Addon auto-corrects when possible

No UV Layer Created:

• Ensure object is a mesh

• Check object isn't hidden

• Try in Object mode

• Check for mesh data

BEST PRACTICES

General Guidelines:

1. Always generate lightmap UVs as separate UV channel

2. Keep consistent padding within asset groups

3. Higher resolution for hero/focal objects

4. Lower resolution for background elements

5. Test lightmap baking early in production

6. Save Blender file before batch processing

Resolution Guidelines:

• Small props: 128-256

• Medium props: 256-512

• Large props: 512-1024

• Hero objects: 1024-2048

• Architecture: 512-2048

• Terrain: 1024-4096

Performance Optimization:

• Process in groups of 50-100 objects

• Close other applications during batch process

• Disable validation for proven workflows

• Use consistent settings per object type

Pipeline Integration:

1. Establish naming conventions

2. Create quality preset standards

3. Document resolution guidelines

4. Use version control for settings

5. Export JSON for team sharing

ADVANCED FEATURES

Scene Analysis:

• Generates detailed report

• Groups objects by complexity

• Recommends resolutions

• Calculates memory usage

• Provides engine-specific tips

Settings Export:

• Saves all configurations as JSON

• Includes object resolutions

• Documents UV availability

• Enables team standardization

• Tracks generation date

Validation Options:

• Toggle on/off per workflow

• Checks engine requirements

• Prevents common errors

• Saves time on trusted assets

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Supported UV Methods:

• Smart UV Project: Angle-based projection, good for complex meshes

• Lightmap Pack: Optimized packing, better for Unreal Engine

File Storage:

• UVs stored in mesh data

• Resolution stored as custom property

• Engine choice stored per object

• No external dependencies

Compatibility:

• Blender 3.0+

• All operating systems

• All render engines

• Game engine agnostic

• Python 3.9+

TIPS FOR EACH ENGINE

Unity Tips:

• Use Progressive GPU Lightmapper for best results

• Set Lightmap Resolution in Lighting window

• Enable Lightmap Compression for large scenes

• Consider separate resolution for indoor/outdoor

• Use Light Probes for dynamic objects

Unreal Tips:

• View Lightmap Density mode to check coverage

• Adjust per-object in Static Mesh Editor

• Use Lightmass Importance Volumes

• Enable GPU Lightmass for faster iteration

• Check World Settings lightmap options

Godot Tips:

• Use LightmapGI node for baking

• Set up Lightmap Probe for dynamic objects

• Enable Bicubic sampling in Project Settings

• Consider SDFGI for open worlds

• Adjust Bounce count for quality

TROUBLESHOOTING CHECKLIST

Before generating:

• Objects are selected

• Objects have mesh data

• In Object or Edit mode

• No modifiers preventing edit

• Proper scene scale

After generating:

• Check UV Editor for result

• Verify second UV channel exists

• Look for validation warnings

• Test in target engine

• Check lightmap density