You can use the Smooth UV Tool to relax or unfold an entire UV shell into the UV space. You can then use the same tool to fix small imperfections in the shell.
The following workflow provides the following benefits:
To map a shell to the UV space
In this case, a planar projection from the front (the Z Axis) is appropriate. In other cases you must determine the best projection to start with.
The UV shell unfolds relative to the selected UV on the forehead so that the previously cut edges are spread out horizontally.
The Snap to grids option ensures that the UVs snap to the border precisely.
The entire UV shell, except for the borders, relaxes evenly.
With the Smooth UV Tool you can use your eye to judge how much the UV shell should relax. However, whether you use this method or the Relax option (Polygons > Relax), it is unlikely that the UV shell will be perfect.
If you turn on the Shaded UV Display, you can see small imperfections in your relaxed shell. For example, the UV shell around the eyes and corners of the mouth
for this model cause the shell to overlap itself.
You can use the Smooth UV Tool to smooth out these problem areas.
To smooth imperfections in a relaxed shell
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