Maya Distance Tool

ToxicInsanity

Hello,
I am currently trying to place edge loops along a curved object that has been extruded along a CV Curve. For texturing purposes, I want to place an edge loop every 1000 units, and I figured the easiest way would be to measure out 1000 units using the distance tool and line up the edge loops with each 1000 unit marker. Is there a way to do this in Maya 2011?

Illusions

Every 1000 units world space, or every 1000 units along the curve? Depending on which method I'm thinking there might be an easier/faster way to do this using arclen, if 1000 units along the curve, animation snapshot, and/or duplicate special, or even polyExtrudeFace node that was created when you extruded along the CV curve (if its still there).

mdeforge

For texturing purposes, I want to place an edge loop every 1000 units

Explain. I don't see why this is necessary.

ToxicInsanity

Stradigos,
The artist I am working with is making a tileable texture so that we can simply lay the UV's on top of each other and texture the entire track like that. but to do that we need all the sections between each edge loop to be relatively equal in size so the texture doesn't stretch too much.

ToxicInsanity

Illusions,
What exactly is arclen? and I am trying to measure every 1000 units along the curve.

Illusions

ToxicInsanity wrote: »

Illusions,
What exactly is arclen? and I am trying to measure every 1000 units along the curve.

In the script editor, arclen (arc length) will tell you the exact length of a curve. So for instance if you have a curve named curve1, and run:

arclen curve1;

It will tell you the length of curve1. So lets say you select your curve, run the arclen mel, and it tells you that your curve length is say 5236.51 units. What we can do with this is the following:

1. Create a circle curve with diameter larger than the polygonal object you want to subdivide

2. Set your timeline length to be larger than the measurement from running arclen
3. Animate > Motion Path > Attach to Motion Paths □
- The object you are animating is the circle curve, the motionpath is your curve
- Time Range: Start/End
- Start Time: 0
- End Time: The number from running arclen

4. What you have now is a circle that moves 1 unit along your curve for every 1 frame on the timeline (or close to it depending on how many decimal places your measurement from arclen is, as the timeline truncates to 3, so it may be off if it had 4 or more). Every 1000th frame should be 1000 units.

5. Animate > Create Animation Snapshot □
- Start Time: 0
- End Time: The number from running arclen
- Increment: 1000

6. Now you have a copy of the circle curve at every 1000 units along your curve

7. Place your edgeloops as close to the circle curves as possible.


I'm thinking this should work. Or at least be faster than repeatedly measuring out every 1000 units using the measure tool, and then placing an edgeloop.

ToxicInsanity

This will definitely speed things up as far as measuring goes. Thank you for your help. I'm curious, is there a way to snap the edge loop to the center of the circle?

mdeforge

Stradigos,
The artist I am working with is making a tileable texture so that we can simply lay the UV's on top of each other and texture the entire track like that. but to do that we need all the sections between each edge loop to be relatively equal in size so the texture doesn't stretch too much.

Ah, that makes sense.

Wow, this seems oddly more difficult than it should be.

I wonder if placing bend modifiers to bend a straight track would be easier/faster? Just brainstorming.

ToxicInsanity

Stradigos, from now on I am going to use the bend tool to avoid this whole realigning edge loops ordeal. And Illusions, Talked with a friend of mine and discovered that if we center a cylinder to the center of the circle, you can then snap the edge to the center of the cylinder, which is also the center of the circle.