3Ds Max Issue with FFD Modifier

cooljay156

Hey guys i have an issue were when i add any type FFD Modifier 2x2x2, 3x3x3, 4x4x4 to a plane (converted to a editable poly) image of my tree branch and try to adjust the control points it will move the point but won't distort at all, when i try on a new plane it works but not mine for some reason, i was wondering if anyone knew why ive been trying to fix this for hours and so i came here as a last resort. Keep in mind that i have (Show end result enabled).

poopipe

 tick the All Vertices button 

Mark Dygert

Modifiers can be applied at the object level (Plane01) and affect everything in that object OR they can be applied to the sub-object level (vert, edge poly selection). You might have been in sub-object mode and not had anything selected when you applied the modifier. This would force the FFD to operate on the sub-object selection which was nothing...

Some modifiers have options to switch back and forth between stack selection and object, FFD does not.

So I can think of two ways to fix this;
1) Deal with the sub-object selection.
Go back down the modifier stack to Editable Poly, enter a sub-object mode and select all, then click on the FFD modifier.
Remember that the stack is history dependant and what happens below the stack affects what is above it. Since the FFD is set to sub-object mode if you change the selection and exit Editable Poly the FFD will only operate on that selection.

2) Delete the FFD modifier and apply it on the object level
Make sure you aren't in sub-object mode and reapply the FFD modifier.
Personally this is what I would do so it operates at the object level and isn't subject to selection changes.

Eric Chadwick

Good advice. Likely it's poopipe's solution. FFD has trouble with flat models sometimes, where the volume is generated with the actual vertices outside and thus unaffected.

cooljay156

poopipe said:

 tick the All Vertices button 

Mark Dygert said:

Modifiers can be applied at the object level (Plane01) and affect everything in that object OR they can be applied to the sub-object level (vert, edge poly selection). You might have been in sub-object mode and not had anything selected when you applied the modifier. This would force the FFD to operate on the sub-object selection which was nothing...

Some modifiers have options to switch back and forth between stack selection and object, FFD does not.

So I can think of two ways to fix this;
1) Deal with the sub-object selection.
Go back down the modifier stack to Editable Poly, enter a sub-object mode and select all, then click on the FFD modifier.
Remember that the stack is history dependant and what happens below the stack affects what is above it. Since the FFD is set to sub-object mode if you change the selection and exit Editable Poly the FFD will only operate on that selection.

2) Delete the FFD modifier and apply it on the object level
Make sure you aren't in sub-object mode and reapply the FFD modifier.
Personally this is what I would do so it operates at the object level and isn't subject to selection changes.

both these solutions didn't work i had already tried these before posting

Eric Chadwick

Try shift-moving a polygon down away from the model, as Element. Then add FFD. Then delete the polygon. Should allow you to resize the volume.

cooljay156

Went more in depth and found the cause of it. Basically i have a 6x6 grid on my plane and i cut and move the vertices to shape around my image on that plane, and its when i move atleast just 1 vertex that the FFD Modifier won't work afterwards, i tried putting the FFD Modifier on before/after adjustments to see if that when finshed it would work but didn't unfortunately. Also tried to enable/disable preserve UV's for the editable poly (plane) to see if that was conflicting but not the case either.

cooljay156

Eric Chadwick said:

Try shift-moving a polygon down away from the model, as Element. Then add FFD. Then delete the polygon. Should allow you to resize the volume.

This fixed it thankyou after deleting the element it auto resized it back to the original plane and worked like normal, but i would like to find out why it won't just work like normally.

Eric Chadwick

Not a reason why, but to deform meshes like this, Soft Selection in vertex mode is often much faster and easier to use.