Maya - no accurate modeling?

cjpeg

Hello everyone,

Recently I began to study Autodesk Maya and tried to create particular object by its sizes, I'm not sure but is it true that Maya doesn't have instruments for accurate modeling?
For example: I need to create an edge loop exactly 0.25 inch from an edge, but Maya snaps only in percents. I lurked some information about it and found out that the easiest way is to use measure tool or snap it by grid - and both ways are time consuming and not convenient!
Am I missing something? Or Maya isn't good for this kind of modeling? How do I create accurate furniture then?

Please help.

oglu

if it looks right it is right.. thats how you work in maya... 
if you need exact measurements use an other tool...

cjpeg

What 3d-modeling software is the best for general purposes and accurate modeling then?

Gilgamesh

I use Maya for 3d printing (I prototype for a living, although I have access to other things I prefer using maya still) so not sure what you are talking about when you say you can't get accurate modelling.  You will have to be a little more precise 

poopipe

you can type world space transforms into the transform box - you just have to set it to absolute
i find the best thing to do is place locators and use them for snapping

it is shit for anything precise compared to max though 

Alex_J

You can use the measure tool and parent the locators associated with each end to your objects and the measurement updates as you move them. Or you can make some cubes with the measure tool attached, put it in a template layer, and this way oyu can build bounding boxes.But that is something I do more for keeping things in proportion, not precise measurement.