'(click) Selection' problem in 3ds max viewport

rybeck

Hello all.

I'm modeling in 3ds max (v.9), and found some annyoing issues on 'selection' in max viewport, and I want to hear some opinions from polycounters. Just FYI, I used to use maya, and had to took max for job searching reason.


Whenever multiple objects are overlapped, it is very hard to select the object by click on polygon area. (pic 1, 2, 3 were from max, and 4 was from maya)
Well, 'Marquee selection' may be alternative but it gives me unnecessary extra works (i.e. 'tumbling around to the viewport to get clear BG for marquee selection,' 'hiding polys underneath,' etc...) to 'deselect' other polys were underneath and selected.
Another guessing was 'clicking Edges' instead, but still not work so well.

So I was thinking maybe "selection priority option (or something like that)" should be somewhere and looked around awhile, but no luck I have yet...

In maya, it doesn't matter which part you click, it's instantly picked up.. As I've been missed maya's 'snap' a lot, 'selection' looks alike another bad boy I need keep undercontrol...

Hate to compare two packages' pros and cons.. Just want to push myself forward by solving the issues.

Hope to hear your advises.

Thank you.



(1) pic 1 - Overview

Shot at 2007-11-16

(2) pic 2 - 6 objects are overlapped in this view

Shot at 2007-11-16

(3) pic 3 - Clicking Pink areas in order to pick the top object (vary top one over others overlapped) fails too often.. roughly say 6 or 7 out of 10

Shot at 2007-11-16

(4) pic 4 - Cliking Green areas to pick the top object never fail. 10 out of 10.

Shot at 2007-11-16

Mark Dygert

YOu'll cycle thru the layers of polygons if you keep clicking in the same spot. With the first click it tries its best to figure out what you want, the second click it goes one layer under it, and so on for each additional click. Sometimes you have to cycle all the way though to get back on top. sucks I know but thats how the work around it. I hear it comes from working on too small of a scale or some weird perspective zoom bug. LIke if you use the middle mouse wheel to zoom in too far and dorks out the viewport. Normally switching the viewport to another view like front(f) and then back to perspective(p) will reset the zoom.

I'm a little weird and use walk thru mode to zoom/fly around. Nothing better than FPS controls for zipping around an environment inside max.

rybeck

per128 >> not surprise but glad to find out it is 'fact' at least. thanks.

Vig >> didn't know 'cylcing thru' by multiple clicks... thank you..
I have noticed 'MMB zoom issue' as well, and just blamed my videocard (GeForce 7950 OC with latest driver).
'Walk thru' mode was also another alternative to overcome 'clipping' issue when closeup zoom into small scale pieces.

pior

Thats so weird how Max and Maya have different problems with selection. Max has the problem you mention but Maya is super annoying also when it comes to face selection. Like, if your mouse pointer is exactly over a triangle, Maya will select the one besides it if it more towards the camera, crazy shit!

So yeah as Per said it's an old problem. It never annoyed me much -thanks to the option of cycling through- but it's crazy that it's not being addressed at all...

Is is actually possible to fix? There must be a reason behind this other than pure developper lazyness... Some kind of limitation in depth sorting?

rybeck

[ QUOTE ]
...if your mouse pointer is exactly over a triangle, Maya will select the one besides it if it more towards the camera,...

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmmm, I am not sure the trouble you have, Pior...

Here is a pic I just made..
maya face seletion option

It's a cylinder in see-thru mode, and gave no trouble to pick any (except facing backward ones - actually you can do it if you marquee select them) Tris in my choice.
I guess you know that there are poly selection option under preference, and I selected 'Whole face' which I prefer..

Can you show me some screen shots?