Edge Constrain in Modo?
polycounter lvl 10
For all Modo users at Polycount, I would like to know if there is a "Edge Constrain" feature similar to one in 3Ds Max. It's one of the features I use the most in Max but never could find an equivalent in Modo.
For example, using the scale tool to slide the selected vertexes along the border edge without changing/destroying the shape in picture below.
Thanks in advance.
For example, using the scale tool to slide the selected vertexes along the border edge without changing/destroying the shape in picture below.
Thanks in advance.
Replies
Use symmetry and the move tool, and set the action center to element (Alt+Z) and select the diagonal edge. In other situations workplanes might help you do a similar thing. In other cases it might just be easier to slice new edges in.
The only constraint mode I've used is background (vector), but I also see there's an option for a 'guide' constraint; might be worth mucking around with?
The problem with sliding the entire edge is that changes the position of the vertex on the other end. In some situations it can be a partial solution, but in some cases it may not be desirable.
@Bek
My example was simple indeed, but I'm afraid in more complex scenarios it could probably require a really complex of engineering with custom workplanes, custom world origin for establishing the symmetry and some intense action center manipulation, I was looking for something more practical, but maybe guide constraint is something worth looking at in the documentation.
Ignore where it's located on the ui, you don't need to use slide on edges, you can use it on verts and even polygons. It doesn't always do what you'd think it should though...
I tried using Slide Edge using the vertex selected and messing around with the settings and that's actually the closest I ever got, its kinda buggy when you select more than one vertex at once but I guess I can live with it for now, thanks.
When I wrote my reply last night I added that first sentence as a disclaimer of some sort; now I'm thinking I was unnecessarily guarding. Could you come up with any examples where element axis and/or align workplane to selection fail? They might be interesting to look at. With symmetry you can always delete half / part of the model and mirror back when done.
Cool tip on using slide edge with a single vert too.
Well, consider this piece of geometry that could be a piece of armor of some sort. Suppose I want to slide the selected vertexes at same time along their edges.
Note how the model is offset from the world origin and the vertexes are asymmetrical in relation to the entire model, providing a non-trivial example.
Selecting the vertex between them as my Element Action Center and scaling the vertexes would move them, but compromise the silhouette.
However, if I use Ramseus lovely tip, I can move them and maintain the shape a lot better.
Now, the Slide Edge with more than one vertex selected seems a bit buggy to me(I'm using Modo 601 here), but after few rounds you can win the fight.
Of course there may be other ways to solve this with centers manipulations with workplane shenanigans, but I was just trying to find something as practical as Max's Edge Constrain feature.
I'm was not being dismissive(english is not my first language, and never knew "shenaningans" could have such a negative connotation, and for that I apologize), I'm well aware of the flexibility of the system, it's just that after conducting a few experiments last night I started to get the conclusion that what could be a valid approach to solve a problem in other applications may end in unpredictable results.
(In regard to the example above, how could I manipulate the action centers to get a similar result to using the slide tool, if I want to move both vertexes at the time? I'm now intrigued.)
Taking the example posted in the OP, but moving the plane away from the origin and rotating it at an odd angle, for instance.
If I use the slide tool to pinch them together, it works like a charm. But if I want to make them be away from each other, weird stuff happens.
Like igi said, there may be other factors influencing the sliding, in the armor piece example that I posted before, using the Slide tool with Selection Action Center gave me flawless and predictable results, but in the plane example in this post that's not the case.
Of course you can provide other solutions like"just use Element Action Center to select the edge the and use the move tool to move each vertex one by one" but I think it would be benefitial to give more and predictable workarounds for different circunstances.
I can probably think in more examples to try stuff on(if I browse a few old projects done in Max or Maya), and would be happy to share my observations, Modo's manipulation system is very flexible and complex and I think there's a valid discussion to be made.
The slide tool does give weird results with that example, but I didn't even know you could use it for verts until this thread and I've never felt the need for something like this—but maybe that's more a failing on my part than a good defense for modo not having such a feature.
You could also bevel the edge or the vert to create more vertices, although if you need them to be in an exact location then this won't work. You could also use the add point tool. But the simplest I think is to simply cut a new edge in—that would create the two new vertices you need, aligned to grid, and be symmetrical. In a more complex model you might have to make a quick polygonal selection (a few seconds of work) so you're cutting only the relevant faces, not all your model.