3dsmax poly modelling workflow questions

dead-n

I'm used to lightwave. and know the short cuts so well that it feels like an extension to my brain, But recently i've needed to learn MAX and i'm having some workflow problems.

for example.

When i come to max it feels like i have to use the menus and change modes alot to do things like triangulate the mesh i'm working on. Turn to poly limit 3. etc etc. then recollapse the stack back to edit poly. wich messes up my instanced objects(for symmetrical modelling) after i collapse my mesh i'm working on it seems the instanced version becomes disconnected.. I think i'm going about this all wrong after watching Mop's head modelling video's it seems as though he is converting to triangles while in edit poly mode, actually it seems most of the detailing is all done in edit poly mode. how is this?

I would love to not have to keep switching modes and collapsing things all the time. It seems if i could just stay in edit poly mode while poly modelling that the work flow would be much much better, i guess the main thing is that i love removing/adding edges and retriangulating over and over in my workflow and having to go from edit poly to turn to poly just to triangulate the mesh i'm working on is a major pain.

Hope this post makes since. very sleep deprived atm

-Dead-N

MoP

This should be in 2D/3D forum.

http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~polycount/ubb/Forum2/HTML/005922.html?00026

There is the link to my text to go with the videos. It explains what keyboard shortcuts i used in the videos.

Also you can collapse and preserve instances if you choose "Collapse To" instead of "Collapse All".

Mark Dygert

About the triangulation, I think Max7 and up has a "Edit Triangulation" button within Edit Poly if you have it set to polygon selection. You turn it on and flip the edges you need with the turn tool, no colapsing needed.



My only issue with Edit poly is that it doesn't always weld like I need it to. It has some funy rules for welding and sometimes won't. In general Edit Poly's tools are head and shoulders above Edit Mesh, but I still find myself swaping back and forth ocasionally to get specific things done quickly.

dead-n

ah cool thanks guys. my workflow has just improved greatly, this is pretty nice! before i thought max felt so cumbersome.

-Dead-N

MoP

Per, you are so behind the times man! Read my post!
Vig: Max's rules for when you can/can't weld verts aren't really "funny rules"... they're pretty straightforward and sensible, and once you know how they work, you should never run into problems with welding or collapsing.

MoP

done

Mark Dygert

My only issues are with the weld tools. I'm sure it is because I am coming from Edit-Mesh land where I select two verts and as long as they are in the specified range they weld.

It seems that E-Poly won't weld (sometimes) across a "Border". Normally this happens after I merge two objects together like a cylnder(arm) to the torso and a "border" happens to be in the way. Sometimes target weld won't work for roughly the same reasons. Other times it works fine, I'm sure its my ignorance and there is some minor rule I don't know about.

I do like being able to select two verts hit weld and it welds no mater what, call me silly but I shouldn't have to do a bunch of pre-work to set up for a weld.

MoP

If your verts are on the same element (ie. have geometry between them connecting somehow), then you can only weld/collapse them if they have a shared edge running between them. 2 verts on opposite sides of a quad won't weld unless you have an edge connecting them, turning it into 2 tris, for example.

Also, if your verts are on two separate meshes, they will only weld/collapse if they are on an open edge. Make sense?

Mark Dygert

Makes much more sense thanks. I can't say I agree with it, I would like a way to force any two verts to weld, but so is the silly rule and I will have to live with it. At least now I know a wee-bit more about it and can plan accordingly. I think you just might have weaned me off the need for E-Mesh =P

It must have been the "2 verts on the oposite side of a quad not conected by an edge" that I found the most mysterious and ran into the most often.

MoP

You could always make a quick little maxscript that does a Connect then a Collapse operation on selected verts, then if you assigned that to a key, button or quad menu you could easily merge any verts.

Mark Dygert

Good idea, I'll do that