Like modeling, the majority of the mapping process lies in using the same tools frequently and fast. There are some additional tools that are worth covering, in particular the spacing tools, transforms, and tools to display and hide UVs.
For more organic models, where you can allow some stretch and may have fewer UV islands to handle, there is a Soft Selection tool, which drags with a falloff, a lot like the modeling mode with the same name, but in this case it affects selected UV points. To use it, click on the Soft Selection toggle
at the bottom-right of the Edit UVWs window. A colored falloff will be visible around selected points. The falloff is based on XY distance, not contiguous points, and you can control the degree of the effect using the spinner next to the icon
. Note the default is 0.0 (which means you have to set a value before you'll see any result). There is a Falloff Type fly-out, shown in the following screenshot, that lets you set...