Path Deform (WSM) problem.

Baj Singh

Hey guys,

Ive been having a problem with Path Deform in 3D max.

Each time I try to use the "Move to Path" feature, it enlarges the model considerably. Ive tried resetting the xform for both the spline and the mesh as well as manually centering pivot points to no avail....

help please.... .

DarthNater

Get the mesh as close to the path as possible before you hit move to path. The mesh is scaled in relation to its distance to the path, if I remember correctly...

Mark Dygert

Hierarchy tab > reset scale/transform buttons down at the bottom. Or Reset xform, collapse your stack and apply PathDeform(WSM)

At some point you probably scaled your whole object (outside of a sub-object mode) so its running into a scale discrepancy between the two objects.

Baj Singh

Ive just tried that, its still scaled the mesh to about 20x the size of the spline.

(to DarthNater, trying Vigs method now).

EDIT: It works, thank you both very much.

DarthNater

Vig, I thought I read somewhere that if the model is far away from the path, its scales it as it moves to it. Is this true? I usually have the opposite problem and my models shrink.

Also, how do you keep the gizmo on each model along your spline? It seems like everytime I Create an instance, the gizmo goes in whatever direction its feels like. Do I have to reset x form or manually move the gizmo for EACH instance?

Mark Dygert

It does some funky things whenever the transforms and scales don't match up or aren't zero'ed out before you start. You also need to be very mindful of where the objects local pivot is and which way its facing. In animation the local pivot is king and needs to be taken care of. Most modelers don't give a rats rear about the local pivot and it means a little more work on the rigging/animators part sometimes.

With the scale tool selected if you look down at the type in transform boxes (under the animation bar, to the right of the padlock) you'll see the scale it's remembering. When you reset the scale it accepts the size of the object as 100%.
Likewise with transform, it accepts the objects new position as its its origin in the world.

It's quite possible that you have transform and scale data that is running amok and just needs to be reset. People do some funky things to get around these kinds of issues like export to obj bla bla bla...

In general before you path deform or skin something, its good to reset the scale and transform on all objects.
Reset xform is a bad idea because of this:

but if you're object's local pivot matches the world pivot it will be fine, just a bit of overkill.

DarthNater

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks!