UV Mapping
UV mapping is the process of projecting a 2D texture onto the surface of a 3D model by assigning 2D coordinates to each vertex.
What is UV Mapping?
UV mapping is the process of unwrapping a 3D model's surface into flat 2D space so textures can be applied correctly. "U" and "V" are the axes of the 2D texture coordinate system (distinct from X, Y, Z in 3D space). Think of peeling an orange and flattening the skin; UV mapping does the same to a mesh. Every PBR map, from base color to the normal map, is aligned to the surface through these UV coordinates.
Why It Matters
Without good UVs, textures stretch, repeat, or show seams in the wrong places, and PBR maps won't align. Clean UV layouts put seams in hidden areas and keep texel density consistent across the model. Packing several objects' UVs into one sheet, a texture atlas, also cuts draw calls in game engines. For tools that automate the unwrap, see our roundup of automated UV mapping tools.
