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I made a model, in which is the fourth version of an M1911 pistol, but when I try UV mapping the UV map looks complicated and hard to follow, and then I have no idea were to start texturing. If anyone wants or can help me, I prefer that the helper uses blender. If anyone thinks they're up to it, the model has 1511 triangular polys, and the picture I traced my model from (in which I also hope to texture like) is this: . If anyone can, can they please tell me how they made the textures and where they placed the seams? (PS, the model for blender is attatched). Just note this isn't the complete model, and may not be the final model, I just wanted to know how to UV map and texture better.

UV Mapping takes time and patience for good results, im not familiar with blender but what i used to do was use auto unwrapping tools, bad idea, doing it manually really pays off in the long run, however long it may take. That wasn't really a tutorial but guidance, as i am not familiar with the blender uv mapper. Hope it helps.

Your mesh is far too messy to even bother trying.

Really? I mean I thought personally I got it to a good shape, considering the models in the game creators store, being as complicated as they are, they are still textured and look great, and use far more polys than my model. Anyways I thought whenever someone UV mapped a model like mine or the complex ones in TGC store, they just divided up the model into the parts, and then added seams to the model until it split up in a nice way, then just texture it normally.

I'm not an expert on blender but how good are your, and I mean basic photoshop skills. it's amazing how many people still don't understand the best feature to the latest version of photoshop

If you designed that gun in blender or your really good at blender which I take it you are in asking for advice in blender instructions then I really think you either know photoshop front to back or you'll learn it in minutes

I paint all my diffusive textures in photoshop working directly with the 3D model itself and not 2D image. All you need is a UV map your satisfied with whether its complicated or not

Save a copy of your model in OBJ format and knowing photoshop just pick a texture format, if you've already used the trial and your trial has run out from an older version then this new version should work

Open the Wavefront Object in Photoshop and load the UV Map, open the UV map in another tab and frankly just start painting on the UV map, using layers if you want, when you click back over to your 3D object the changes are applied instantly and you'll see what you painted and how it looks exactly like it would in game

you can paint on the 3D model itself or tab back over to the unwrapped version and paint on that, either way the entire outcome and easiness is insanely better than any other alternative and you want have that problem

might take you about 5 ot 7 minutes to get the general idea of where the 3D stuff I mentined above here are in photoshop but I wouldn't know what to do without the new version

It doesn't matter about the 3D model in the end, after your done just save the texture and do whatever with the Wavefront Obj

Wiseberry are you talking about CS4 Photoshop? I have CS3, but techincally if you think about it the textures, not the texturing, are quite the same; I mean in CS4 you can paint directly ont he 3D model, in CS3 you can take a UV map that is already unwrapped and just texture on that (though I think painting on the 3D model itself would help a lot, seeing as in some parts I have a texture on a certain part of the face). Either way, if I had CS4 (which I wish I did) things would be easier, but for the moment I use CS3 and just force myself to learn how to unwrap a model. From reading what you typed, I'm guessing you know how to make good textures. If you can, could you make a turoial/sample of a few materials of the gun picture above, like the (rusty looking) metal and the grip? And what you say about learning photoshop, all I pretty much know how to do is use most of the filters to make effects, and many effects. Do you know where a tutorial is for the basics of photoshop texturing or photoshop texturing itself (I tried looking on the internet, but I could not find the type I was looking for to make textures such as the gun metal and the grip. Though I find the texturizer filter in photoshop extremely helpful). Thanks for the info though, I'm really considering getting CS4 now...
PS: I worked on this model of the gun, made some major changes to make it more like a gun, and personaly I think UV mapping mifht be easier. Oh, and also here I think I made a good texture that I used with the texturizer to convert a solid grey background into that grip's diamond-like texture:
And here it is after a lighting effect & lowering the brightness: I still have a lot to learn though. PS, again, does photoshop have a commercial license, and how much does it cost if it does?

I'm not aware of a photoshop commercial license but if your referring to discounts the only one they have that you can use for commercial purposes is a personal educational discount license which is an educational discount that you can use for any purpose including commercial purpose.

Frankly the only way to get that license is to be enrolled at a community or full 4 year college that is approved to sell that license and to strictly order through the college not through the website

I'll see what I can do with your textures and a tutorial

Well, what I'm saying about the license is if you make a game with textures made in photoshop, and then you eventually end up selling the game, would you have to pay a license like most other things, or is just buying photoshop itself enough? And thank you for considering the textures and tutorials .

EDIT: (Just as a "before note", I decided to make this model because I got a bit tired of waiting and decided to have some practice).Ok, I edited the model again, to make it simple, I made a model a while back of a samurai sword, but I went overboard on the poly rate for the hand and the sword got up to about 1500 triangular polies. Now I remade the same sword and added a normal map, and now it consists of 522 triangular polies. If I were to use a samurai sword in any future game of mine, I would have probably made it with a different design, more consideration, and overall a better texture. So, to make this short, if anyone wants the model, just ask, and I will post it for downloading. Here are three pics of the model I took from some renders (the last image I had to attatch to this message because the server was offline when I tried uploading it):
And if it isn't going to too much trouble, can someone explain what all these categories are (I got the picture from http://www.leadwerks.com/engine_rendering.html).