Dealing with mesh that was collapsed from isoline turbosmooth

Junkie_XL

So I'm dealing with an old piece of mesh that was collapsed to editable poly with isoline checked in turbosmooth it looks like. Is there a way to easily rebuild the object? Some sort of maxscript that could remove points that do not have intersecting isolines would be perfect I'd think...

Ghostscape

If you've got a version of Max with Graphite tools, you can do this:
select a 5-edge vert, a 4-edge vert, and a 3-edge vert. If you mesh has a 6-edge, 7-edge, etc vert, select those too. Basically do not select a 2-edge vert and select the rest.

Go to modify selection in the graphite tools, click the drop down, select edge count only, and select similar. ctrl-i to invert selection, ctrl-backspace to remove the selected verts.

You don't get the same mesh but extrapolating that is probably some ridiculous amount of math, if it's even possible.

Junkie_XL

Hey thanks. Yeah I kinda figured I'd lose the original shape but this is better than nothing for sure. I should look into using that similar tool more often. Never had much luck with it in the past...the first real precise use of it I've seen yet.

Ghostscape

Similar is narrow but a fuckin' godsend when you need it.

sprunghunt

you could

1) convert to editable mesh
2) select all edges and set them to visible
3) convert to editable poly
4) run quadrify on editable poly

it won't be perfect but it might get you close

Noors

Why on earth autodesk decided to make such a strange behaviour ? I mean, when i collapse a turbosmooth, i expect to have a correct edit poly, not that strange hybrid with isoline edges and unconnected points.

sprunghunt

the isoline display is something you turn on to speed up your viewport
it also reduces the clutter in wireframe view

You can turn it off before collapsing the stack.

Will Faucher

sprunghunt wrote: »

the isoline display is something you turn on to speed up your viewport
it also reduces the clutter in wireframe view

You can turn it off before collapsing the stack.

I'm *pretty* sure he is aware of that. Thing is, sometimes meshes are accidentally collapsed. Shit happens. The OP wants to know how to deal with a mesh that has been collapsed with Isoline on, because the mesh is completely usless with it.

cptSwing

yeah, this bug just baffles me. isoline display mode should not alter your goddamn mesh.

meshsmooth btw does not do this, if i remember correctly.

Michael Knubben

What cptSwing says! Also, if we could FINALLY alter a mesh with the isoline display rather than the cage, that'd be just dandy.

digel

another way to fix that prob?

cptSwing

I think it was this script i used a while back : http://www.scriptspot.com/3ds-max/scripts/vertex-killer

a) not sure though, and b) won't get you your original shape, really. maybe retopology'd be the way to go. still massively annoyed by this stupid, stupid bug, though you learn to work around it (like with so many things in max) ..

digel

THANKS!!! cptSwing it worked!

cptSwing

:thumbup: