3dsMax : how to mirror objects and keep a correct matrix ?

Noors

Basically, when i mirror an object, the transform matrix is reversed aswell and when it comes to export it to the engine, the faces are flipped. So i have to flip normals in max (it's the dirty way) or reset xform the object but if it has rotations/scale/animation/parenting on it i want to keep, it becomes annoying. I basically have to redo the same job twice.

Is there an easy way to mirror an object (with an animation on it) and have a correct transformation matrix?
thx!

Mark Dygert

For now, you can travel down the stack and flip the faces manually, unselect everything when your down there and then travel back up, as long as you don't add/remove geometry you will be fine.

In the future, use the symmetry modifier on top of your stack while you're building, this will keep the faces pointed the right way, weld the seam with an adjustable threshold (or not) and allow you to make edits on one side and see them on the other in real time.

Personally because the way the "show end result" works I toss Edit Poly on top of Editable Poly, and then toss symmetry on top of it all, then go down to Edit Poly and do my edits.

If you go with just Editable Poly and Symmetry then when you go to work in Editable Poly you need to force on "show end result" which puts this ugly cage around the mesh.

Piflik

You can deactivate the Cage in editable Poly. Just go to the NURMS Rollout and uncheck 'Show Cage'.

Regarding Mirroring: The Symmetry Modifier is good for modelling symmetrical models, but if you only want to mirror a mesh, you can link it to a Dummy and mirror that one. I think it should retain the correct TM (at least it does when scaling...). Another possibility would be to just throw a Normal Modifier on top of the Stack. That way the Normals should be correct on export, regardless of the uncorrect TM

sinistergfx

Use the mirror -modifier- instead.

Mark Dygert

Piflik, ahh that makes things a little more simple
I still kind of lean toward Edit Poly for modeling, but then again Editable Poly does some things right, like select all boarders grabs just boarders not every edge like Edit Poly.

Will, with the mirror modifier doesn't it flip the entire thing so you would have to copy, apply mirror, then merge the two and weld?

Noors

Hey guys, thanks for your time, but I've found a great script by Paul Neale which do the job.
http://paulneale.com/scripts/resetXform/PEN_resetXform.htm

I wanted to mirror an object so i have 2 objects, like for example, wheels of a car, keep their local axis, and a correct transform matrix.
So i can't use symmetry modifier like on a human body.
Parenting the object to a dummy doesn't change anything, the transform matrix is still fucked. You can see it as your normals are flipped if you do a reset xform on the object.
Mirror modifier works on local axis and i want a symmetry along world axis so it doesnt work neither.

sinistergfx

Vig: it works on subobjects, and you can tell it to clone or not.