Max 8 Videos

Fordy

Sorry if this has been posted before but have you all seen the MAX 8 new features videos?

Checkout the Pelt Mapping, im no expert but everybody's favourite chore UV mapping looks to have suddenly become very easy and very quick.

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=5903856

Cubik

Pelt mapping just looks more and more sexy every time I see it. Anyone in on some beta or something that can tell us how efficient it is?

KMan

It's pretty freakin tight. What would have taken me at least a full work day to unwrap a complicated character model took only 30 minutes to get all the pieces pelted, and then maybe another hour or two on cleanup and organization.

FatAssasin

In my mind, pelt mapping is overkill.

What's really cool are the inclusion of mapping gizmos in the UnwrapUVW modifier and the new Relax algorithms. You can now completely unwrap a model using only one Unwrap modifier, instead of having to continually select a group of faces, add a UVWMapping modifier, add an Unwrap modifier, move the UV's, collapse and repeat.

And the new Relax functions make sure your UV's are flattened out in proportion to the mesh. It's just like the uvHelp script, if you've ever used that.

So those two improvements alone will hugely speed up unwrapping times. The pelt mapping system, to me, is clunky to use and more complicated than it needs to be. And using the two features I've just described, I haven't found a need to use it beyond a bit of experimenting.

Also, the Skin improvements are awesome and will speed that area up a lot too.

As far as modeling goes, the only new feature I use consistently is Ctrl-Backspace to remove edges and verts at the same time in Editable Poly objects, instead of having to remove an edge loop and then go back and remove the verts left behind in two seperate steps.

sinistergfx

The WAY the guy in the video uses pelt mapping is complete overkill. He spends forever in the pelt mapper trying to get a "perfect" unwrap; big waste of time.

They way you -should- use pelt mapping is just to quickly establish where you want your uv seems, and unfold them a little bit and then just hand them off to uv relax.

EDIT: oops, these videos turned out to be different than the ones I was talking about.

MoP

[ QUOTE ]
You can now completely unwrap a model using only one Unwrap modifier, instead of having to continually select a group of faces, add a UVWMapping modifier, add an Unwrap modifier, move the UV's, collapse and repeat.

[/ QUOTE ]

Eh? In Max7, anyway, you can unwrap a whole model using only one unwrap modifier... put the Unwrap modifier in sub-object mode, select faces, hit Enter to planar-map, lay out, rinse+repeat.

All I want is a nice, fast, integrated relax! Yeah, the way Sinistergfx describes is pretty much the workflow I'd use (and recommend for characters/creatures).

Oh, and they should use hard/soft edges instead of smoothing groups

Sean McBride

Mmmmm pelt mapping... me and x-convict have been drooling over that for quite some time. ;D

FatAssasin

[ QUOTE ]
Eh? In Max7, anyway, you can unwrap a whole model using only one unwrap modifier... put the Unwrap modifier in sub-object mode, select faces, hit Enter to planar-map, lay out, rinse+repeat.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep, you can planar map in Max 7 using the Unwrap modifier. But now you can also box, spherical, and cylindrical map. And there's a new "smart align" button that's really useful with cylindrical mapping. But if you want to stick with just the planar map, it's there too.

MoP

Ah, I see... neat!

monster

Most of the new animations tools are useless. At one point the guy in the video says, "I don't know when I would ever use this feature, but it's there."

Neo_God

Damn! that pelt mapper looks wonderful! Talk about streamlining.

Bradfordart

Mmmm pelt mapping...

CrazyButcher

yeah looks cool, but what pisses me off about max updates is the price, and the stuff of things you dont want but still pay for, I wish one could buy more customized version of max, after all its internally plugins as well. but if you dont want mental ray, havoc and whatnot, the "bloated" max just becomes more and more overloaded imo.
well still hanging out with 5.1 here.
but for a lot stuff I think hey so much money, so little of actual "useful" tools I want/get. then again if you are in a company upgrade costs likely arent so bad...

FatAssasin

I had to do a freelance job recently using Max 5.1 and it was just painful. I kept thinking how much faster I could be working if I were using 7, and I actually did switch to 7 for some of the modeling and then export back to 5. And now 8 is even faster for uv unwrapping and skinning.

You don't realize how much more useful the new tools are until you try them. But I do agree about paying for what you don't use.

arshlevon

and on top of that 5.1 was the most unstable version of max i have ever used.. 6 was just to make 5 stable.. there were no real features added.. and they even marketed it as "the stable version of max 5" 7 is okay but even after watching all the videos.. i am not so thrilled, i have already seen the peltmappingand that is cool...and while some features are nice they dont make me go wow.., like some of the features i seen in the new XSI..like Gator!!super wow.. that package seems to actually add really usefull features.. not just useful if someone figures a use for it.. that seems to be the way max approaches features."well here is something neat!! maybe someone can use it for something!!!

sinistergfx

I use max 7 at home. I've also gotten to use the max 8 beta.

I use max 5.1 at work. THE PAIN!

ScoobyDoofus

This is why I am on subscription...(well..the company is anyway).
I dont have to anguish over the decision to upgrade.
We just get it anyway.

MoP

Yeah, I thought the subscription was fairly cheap, about £75 per year to keep up with the latest versions? That's a huge saving over spending £3000 to jump 3 years from max5 to max8. At least, I think that's how the subscription thingy works...

CrazyButcher

its 450€ per year and 2000€ from 5 to 8 without taxes. and I agree as professional or comapny the subscription fee is the simplest way to stay up to date. and I guess I wouldnt be whining if I was in that category

Rick Stirling

The extra stuff in Epoly and the Skin modifier is also great -having a palette of Skin brush sizes is cool.

I've had to do some stuff on a game in Max 5 (I'll tell you what later), whilst I mostly use Max 7. The difference in those two packages is quite astounding.

Now, perhaps for 9 they'll get a new damn interface that doesn't look like it's 15 years old. The difference in interface between Photoshop 7 and 5 is proof that you can keep it familiar, yet fresh.

Erol

Now if you maximize the UV editor you don't lose the little toolbar at the bottom. I have no idea why it took them so long to take care of that.

Ryno

[ QUOTE ]

Yep, you can planar map in Max 7 using the Unwrap modifier. But now you can also box, spherical, and cylindrical map. And there's a new "smart align" button that's really useful with cylindrical mapping. But if you want to stick with just the planar map, it's there too.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've been bitching to them about this for years. It would drive me crazy when I just needed a quicky cylindrical map on some piece of a model. Ditto with built-in texporting. It looks like they finally listened to me. Woot! Polycounter power!

And Rick, don't you customize the UI? I always do. Perhaps we could just send them our custom UI schemes, and they could just pick the best of the bunch? Hmmm...

Maybe a little UI scheme competition might be in order?...

Kovac

*drool* The new peltmapping techniques look smooth as hell. I could tell he was having a bit of trouble with that vest in the video though, the unwrap looked like crap. The actual body looks damn near perfect though. I can't wait for this.

Joshua Stubbles

The pelt mapping looks super slick for setting up additional UV channels. Things like character customizations that require decal textures and whatnot. So you can add differant overlay patterns to your shirts for example, and the UVs will be perfect, without spending hours on them.

Rhinokey

its been mentioned before but pelt mapping is far from whats really improved in max 8's unwrapper, the big deal is the new relaxer, the pelt mapping thing is good to prep the model, but the guy doing that video was completely wasting time with all his pelt map tweaking, you just hit pelt one time, let it do whatever it wants, then relax, and its all good, pelt mapping is not a good method for unwrapping, but it is a good method for breaking up your uv chunks

Ryno

By any chance does Unwrap now have a Grow Selection option, a la Edit Poly? I had to script a toolbar shortcut for that one in Max 7, and it is very useful.

monster

Ryno,

Since Max 5 there is plus and minus buttons to expand and shrink selections.

They are on the bottom toolbar under Selection Modes. It's also in the Unwrap rollout called Selection Parameters.

Ryno

Doh!

Rhinokey

also now the unwrap also shows selected verts and edges in the viewport, like before how it would show selected faces,

MoP

well you could already make it show selected verts, but edges might be handy too!

arshlevon

[ QUOTE ]
Ryno,

Since Max 5 there is plus and minus buttons to expand and shrink selections.

They are on the bottom toolbar under Selection Modes. It's also in the Unwrap rollout called Selection Parameters.

[/ QUOTE ]

yes but in 8 you can expand and shrink ring and loop selections.. i personally wish they went a bit farther with it.. like being able to select every other edge in a ring or loop.. orion flame has this as well as polyboost and its pretty neat..
you could even pelt map in texturelayers.. thats been around since max 4.. so once again max is only implementing the features of old plugins.. maybe oneday they will put some NEW features in..

Eric Chadwick

Texture Layers' pelt mapping was/is fairly convoluted, and not free (unless you're a lucky beta-tester!). And no integrated Relax function there, unless you count the UVW Frame export-UVs-to-mesh-then-use-Relax-modifier-then-import-back workflow. Which is kinda cool in its own right, but not exactly friendly.

So I for one appreciate when functions are integrated in subsequent releases.

Also, there is a freebie script around somewhere for transferring selections between Editable Poly and UVW Unwrap. Pretty cool, I'll see if I can dig it up.

Eric Chadwick

Ah found it.
unwrap Selector

Rhinokey

actualy arsh you have been able to select edge loops in max's unwrap window since 6 i think, (maybe before) but there was no hotkey for it, you have to bind it yourself, and its under some weird name.. "uv edge select" i think.also if i recal correctly it works "a little funky" sometimes