After you create a final layout of your UVs in the UV Texture Editor, you can export an image of the UV shells using UV Snapshot. UV Snapshot saves a bitmap image of the UV Texture Editor’s 2D view at a user defined resolution. You can use the image in the Maya^® Paint Effects^TM canvas or image editing application such as Adobe^® Photoshop^®, and paint a texture to match the UVs.

UV Snapshot works with multiple selected objects and has the ability to extend the region of the snapshot area to encompass the entire range of the selected UV texture coordinates, regardless of whether the UVs belong to a polygonal or subdivision surface type. UV Range options let you specify the region of the UV Texture Editor’s view you want to have captured for the output image.

UV Snapshot is also available from the Subdivs menu in the UV Texture Editor to facilitate an easier workflow when working with subdivision surfaces.

To save an image using UV Snapshot

1. In the scene view, select the mesh or components so their UVs appear in the UV Texture Editor.
2. In the UV Texture Editor, choose Polygons > UV Snapshot.

   (You can also select UV Snapshot from the Subdivs menu in the UV Texture Editor)

3. Enter a name in the File name field that you want to export to.
4. Set the size of the image using the Size X and Size Y fields.
5. Choose a Color value for the UV edges.

   Unless specified, the background color for the image will be black.

6. Choose an Image format.
7. Set the UV Range Options.
8. Click OK.