3ds max 2015 selection issue
polycounter lvl 4
Hello. Sorry if there was already a topic about this problem, but I couldn't find anything.
In 3ds Max 2015 x64 (I think in Maya as well, although I didn't use it as much) when clicking on the object to select it, max either will not select it, or will select an object behind it.
I can select what I want from the object list. Dragging and selecting also works. However, click-selection of a single object only works properly if there is nothing behind it.
This is especially annoying when there are overlapping models, like high and low poly setups for map baking.
All objects are on the same layer. Everything is unfrozen.
Issue is present both with a single and two monitors, so it's not one of those glitches.
Is there anyone else with a similar problem, and what solutions might there be?
In 3ds Max 2015 x64 (I think in Maya as well, although I didn't use it as much) when clicking on the object to select it, max either will not select it, or will select an object behind it.
I can select what I want from the object list. Dragging and selecting also works. However, click-selection of a single object only works properly if there is nothing behind it.
This is especially annoying when there are overlapping models, like high and low poly setups for map baking.
All objects are on the same layer. Everything is unfrozen.
Issue is present both with a single and two monitors, so it's not one of those glitches.
Is there anyone else with a similar problem, and what solutions might there be?
Replies
Most of my models are located in a room, which is a bunch of walls, so all of them are within the bounding box of the walls. Therefore, max will select the walls when I click on the objects.
edit: I THINK i may have resorted to using the fly-through camera mode because it actually moves within the object as opposed to the default which, when zoomed in, reamains outside of the object. I believe back-face cull may help as well.
Backface culling settings don't change anything.
Here are some tips that should help you deal with it.
The very tip of the mouse pointer is what counts in max...
So the bulk of the pointer doesn't matter. So if 90% of the pointer is on the object but the tip isn't it won't get what you want. You can get a sense for this by hovering over an object and seeing when the pointer switches from an arrow to the max plus-target cursor. Which is one thing you can do so you know when you're on the right thing, wait for the cursor to change, THEN click. But even then sometimes its hit detection is lousy, there are times when the mouse cursor won't change but you can still click and successfully select the object.
Max seems to think in wireframe mode...
Or at least be geared toward it. It has trouble if there are a lot of wires stacked on top of each other. If you're having trouble selecting, turn on wireframe mode, there is a chance the solid shaded faces you see as simple, looks like a rats nest to max.
Select like you are in wireframe mode.
Try to pick a spot that only has that object behind the mouse. For example clicking in the middle of a polygon in wireframe mode won't get you anything, and clicking on a jumble of wires might get confusing, so you should pick an area to select that has the good shot at working.
It's important to remember that wireframe mode was "the edit" mode for a long long time, "back in the day" working with shaded faces was something sort of like working with nitrous viewport cranked up, it may be standard now but when the cursor system was made it probably wasn't.
Trying to get Autodesk to go in and redo one of the ancient foundations of max has proven successful on some levels but for some reason Autodesk doesn't touch this part. Given their track record of breaking things they attempt to fix, it would probably get worse before it got better... I'm still waiting for a laundry list of things they have "fixed" but are still waiting to be made better... ha.
Lastly, when it fails (and it will), cycle...
If you don't move your mouse and continue to click it will cycle through to the next object behind it, click again and it drops to the thing, eventually it it comes back around to the top object which is normally the one you want. It seems to expand the hit area around the tip of the cursor so you stand a better chance of actually hitting the object you want.
So, just keep clicking... but not too fast or you will double click and it will select that object and anything linked to it which is handy for things like chains of bones but not so handy when working with objects with no children nodes, you just end up "REALLY" selecting that one object and it's hirearchy of one, ha.
The weird thing is that I've never encountered this bug in older versions. But both Maya and Max 2015 seem to have their selection algorithm broken. I feel like trying non-Autodesk modelling software soon because I'm tired of all these little bugs that appear out of nowhere.
I also tested various display modes (Realistic, Shaded, Consistent Colors, Wireframe), turning on/off statistics, view cube.
All good on this front.
I'm on Windows 7 with Geforce 480 (latest drivers, always) using Nitrous. Maybe there is some common thread on who does/doesn't see this error.
I have Win7, Geforce 760GTX and run nitrous (3dsmax2014) and I get the selection problem occasionally but I don't notice as often because the controls I use are easy to select and everything else is either frozen or hidden.
It might have something to do with monitors or resolution? I wonder if there are resolutions that max preforms worse hit detection?
I'm running two Viewsonic VG2439 Series running at 1920x1080, I wonder if having duel monitors factor into it all?
In any case, when I switched to the usual Nitrous, selection seems to be working fine. Same with the Legacy Direct 3D.
I don't know why I didn't try it sooner. Probably because this particular driver was working fine in Max 2014, except for a few visual glitches every once in a while.
In regards to multiple monitors. The problem was there both when I was working on a single screen (laptop, 1366x768) and when I plugged in a second 1680x1050 screen. So I'm not sure if this is the case, however who knows.