Any tips on aligning messy topography?

Steppenwolf

I'm modeling a hipoly for a Mercedes 190E right now. The car has some shapes that flow in different directions. Now i have the problem that the more complex the model gets some of the vertices are not aligned correctly to each other. It's a bit of a pain in the ass to try and tweak their position so the turbosmoothed model looks alright. Usualy i'm using edge contraint and such to try and align edges better but it doesnt work so great in this case. I've tried Set Flow which only makes it more messy.

What are your secrets to sort this stuff out without spending too much time? I use 3dsmax btw.

Mark Dygert

pics would really help, otherwise its just specific questions about abstract stuff.

poopipe

the relax tool or indeed the modifier if you want finer control are pretty handy for getting rid of lumpy loops. there's a few relax/regularize scripts floating around as well that might help. I often end up rebuilding sections that get messy though..

Steppenwolf

Thanks poopipe that sounds like the sort of tip that i had in mind.

Mark Dygert, basicly what i'm asking is simple ways of getting a nice clean flow back into my mesh when i've messed it up a bit like here in this example the wavy loops:



The problem for me is that i cant just select the loop and make it planar because the mesh is supposed to be slightly bent and angled in all three directions.

throttlekitty

In a case like this for a car where you need all the smooth shapes going to and fro, it might be easier to just make new geometry over this and work from there. Lining up that beveled strip above the wheel well wouldn't be very fun.

Not a max user, but I typically use the scale tool selectively, often setting the pivot for the tool on another vert to line up to. Or snapping to an edge (like you mention), or using the slide edge tool; this one is super-handy for rounding things off nice and smooth, but it can be destructive towards the overall shape. (not sure if max has a slide edge)

sprunghunt

Steppenwolf wrote: »

The problem for me is that i cant just select the loop and make it planar because the mesh is supposed to be slightly bent and angled in all three directions.

For the wavy edge loop I'd remove the edges that are causing the kinks then re-make them using connect edges and connect vertexes.

Mark Dygert

http://www.scriptspot.com/3ds-max/scripts/straighten-edges-in-screen-view

miauu has a script that might help you out.

AlecMoody

For small stuff I like to slide verts around with edge constrain turned on.