max uv mapping frustrations
I'm still adjusting to some of the subtlties of the max workflow, even after weeks of using it. Years of maya just refuse to leave my fingers.
Is there any way for max to allow me to select edges in the viewport for stitching in the uv editor? After doing some quick planar maps, or a flatten, I can turn on seams in the viewport and see all the areas I want to stitch up. If I select these in the viewport, they're highlighted in the editor, but won't stitch until I go to the editor window and deselect then reselect them (which highlights them in the viewport). It looks exactly the same either way (seam/edge always highlighted in both the editor window and the viewport), but max seems to care HOW I got my selection. Is this just a 'max-ism' I'm stuck with?
In the same vein, selecting two edges in the uv editor that I want to stitch together and hitting my stitch keyboard shortcut really messes things up. It appears it only works if I select a single edge (or 'half' a seam). Sometimes this can be a pain if the two edges I'm intending to stitch are right next to each other in the editor; I would rather just drag select across both rather than zoom in and select one. Can I make this work the way I would expect?
Finally, is there a way to get rid of the bottom docked toolbar that attatches to the edit uvs window? I can't find a keyboard shortcut or preference that will do it. Just about everything I need from there is already mapped to a key. This leads me to my last annoyance: is there a way to set a keyboard shortcut that will expand a selection to the whole 'island' (aka. 'shell' aka 'element')? If I have one or more faces of a shell selected, is there a function I can bind a key to that will expand that selection to all faces that are stitched to it? I know I can toggle the 'select element' checkbox in the bottom toolbar then reselect the faces, but that's awkward and I would much prefer a quick keyboard shortcut and to get rid of the bottom bar.
Thanks for any help you can offer.
Is there any way for max to allow me to select edges in the viewport for stitching in the uv editor? After doing some quick planar maps, or a flatten, I can turn on seams in the viewport and see all the areas I want to stitch up. If I select these in the viewport, they're highlighted in the editor, but won't stitch until I go to the editor window and deselect then reselect them (which highlights them in the viewport). It looks exactly the same either way (seam/edge always highlighted in both the editor window and the viewport), but max seems to care HOW I got my selection. Is this just a 'max-ism' I'm stuck with?
In the same vein, selecting two edges in the uv editor that I want to stitch together and hitting my stitch keyboard shortcut really messes things up. It appears it only works if I select a single edge (or 'half' a seam). Sometimes this can be a pain if the two edges I'm intending to stitch are right next to each other in the editor; I would rather just drag select across both rather than zoom in and select one. Can I make this work the way I would expect?
Finally, is there a way to get rid of the bottom docked toolbar that attatches to the edit uvs window? I can't find a keyboard shortcut or preference that will do it. Just about everything I need from there is already mapped to a key. This leads me to my last annoyance: is there a way to set a keyboard shortcut that will expand a selection to the whole 'island' (aka. 'shell' aka 'element')? If I have one or more faces of a shell selected, is there a function I can bind a key to that will expand that selection to all faces that are stitched to it? I know I can toggle the 'select element' checkbox in the bottom toolbar then reselect the faces, but that's awkward and I would much prefer a quick keyboard shortcut and to get rid of the bottom bar.
Thanks for any help you can offer.
Replies
this select face - select element thingie should be easily scriptable, maybe just ask a nice scripter?
You only need to select one side of a seam to use Stitch Selected. If your edges are very close together already it's probably going to be faster/easier to just drag-select in Vertex mode and do Weld Selected.
Yeah, there's the "select by element" checkbox. This works slightly different to Maya's "select shell" method in that it's a mode you turn on, then click any vert/face/edge and it will select the whole element. It will behave like this as long as the mode is on, untill you turn it off again.
Personally I prefer Maya's method since it's less clicks, but it just means if you have Select By Element on a hotkey, you hit the hotkey, make a selection, then hit the hotkey again to turn that mode off.
Then goto customize,- select under category glib_collection and then the UV_select_shell command,- bind it to the key you want, done
[php]macroScript UV_select_shell category:"glib_collection" toolTip:"selects the element (shell) based on your current selection"
(
undo on(
if classof (modPanel.getCurrentObject()) == Unwrap_UVW then(
$.modifiers[#unwrap_uvw].unwrap2.selectElement()
)
)
)[/php]
more uv commands can be read up here (maxscript r9 reference)
http://www.kxcad.net/autodesk/Autodesk_MAXScript_Reference_9/unwrap_uvw_modifier.htm
Cheers,
Tyler
renderhjs: I love you.
So the only thing left is getting rid of that stupid toolbar at the bottom. Any ideas? I can't believe it's not in the prefs somewhere.