Unwrapping

Unwrapping is the act of removing a wrapper or enclosing layer from an object to access its contents. The term is used for physical packaging, such as gift wrap, foil, or plastic film, and for any scenario in which something is covered or encased.

In practical terms, unwrapping can involve tearing along edges, cutting carefully, or peeling away layers without damaging the item. Environmental considerations include recycling or disposing of wrappers according to local guidelines.

In science and engineering, unwrapping refers to recovering an unwrapped value from a wrapped representation. Phase unwrapping, for example, converts a wrapped phase (restricted to a range like −π to π) into a continuous phase by adding multiples of 2π. It is used in optics, interferometry, and signal processing to reveal true phase changes that would be hidden by wraparound.

In computer graphics, UV unwrapping maps a 3D surface to a 2D texture space to enable texture painting, aiming to minimize distortion and seams so that textures align correctly on the model.

The term also appears in data protocols and software for removing layers of encoding or packaging, literal or metaphorical, before extraction or use. Overall, unwrapping denotes the process of accessing the interior content by removing an enclosing layer, across multiple domains. See also: phase unwrapping, UV mapping, packaging.