[3ds Max] How often do you use Sub-Object Named Selection sets?

miauu

As you may know, sub-object Named Selection Sets are lost when the topology of the object is changed.

I can write a script that will allows you to have almost unlimited amount of sub-object Named Selection Sets, which are independant from the changes of the topology of the object.

I just wonder, how often do you use the sub-object named selection sets.

poopipe

I work in a very procedural way these days so I hardly ever make manual selections but I can think of situations where having a subobject selection based on some sort of UID rather than vertex numbering would be really helpful  

by way of an example, 
In this instance the edge selection from the slice modifiers is additive (ie. you end up with 3 loops selected) and is passed up the stack robustly but if you make an edit to any edges in the edit poly modifer it is lost.  I'd like to be able to capture a selection at any point in the stack and store it for later - ideally independently of topological changes.



I'd take a look at the Data channel modifier in 2017 before committing any development time to it though - it might well be possible to leverage that to do most of what I'd want. 

Revel

I never really use those, because of the fact that they get messed up when I edit the mesh topology.
If we can somehow remember the face selection it'll be great. Currently I'm using the smoothing-group to save a selection of certain face that I'd like to select again later on.

miauu

Revel said:

I never really use those, because of the fact that they get messed up when I edit the mesh topology.
If we can somehow remember the face selection it'll be great. Currently I'm using the smoothing-group to save a selection of certain face that I'd like to select again later on.

There is a pretty simple way to store the selected verts, edges, faces and to select them back after the topology was changed. No need to use smoothing groups(that can affect the way of how the object looks). And you can have almost unlimited amount of saved sub-objects.

Revel

Hmm..pretty simple way? how did you achieve that miauu?

miauu

I will write the script in the near future and will post it to be tested and used.

nyx702

I rarely use them. I would use them occasionally as a temporary "storage" if I didn't want to loose a selection while I messed with something else. 

Now I use your sub-object selection script!

But having a more robust way to handle multiple sets does sound interesting... right now I use Material IDs since they transfer to ZBrush as polygroups. 

Altea

I guess Nyx 702 you mean the hide polygon manager from Miauu package 1. 
My guess is that Miauu never released his script to manage selection of faces between different levels of the stack