[UV Mapping] Changing smoothing groups without losing all seams and UV information?

Shuriken UK

I know its a pretty dumb sounding question, but I just cant figure out how to make Max remember the seams I added before changing the smoothing groups (changes as simple as a quick "auto smooth").

I spent about 15 minutes making the seams for my unwrap (its a pretty big model), but then I noticed there were a few areas that needed smoothing out, so trying to think ahead, not only did I save the UV's, but I also collapsed them into the Editpoly on the stack. Afer I created a new "Unwrap UVW" and loaded my UV's back up, the seams were nowhere to be found!

Does this mean I have to start ALL over again with the damn seams lol. Man I took a huge sigh of relief when I finally got all the seams laid out, now it seems like it was all for nothing!

Please someone tell me this aint the case!!!

Thanks!

Edit: Nevermind I was just overcomplicating things LOL. All I had to do was move down to the editpoly, make the smoothing changes, then move back up, making sure that no subobject mode was still selected (I think thats what was messing it up before).

passerby

and that is the reason, why the uv editor should be a mode, or a viewport type and not a modifier.

wish max would finally make it so.

Shuriken UK

Yea I agree, it would make a lot more sense for it to be that way. Maybe in 3DS Max 2059?

renderhjs

but what about the edit poly modifier and edit mesh modifier. After all they can completely alter the mesh or poly definition (including UV data in theory).

The edit poly modifier was added after a high demand from customers, but to be honest I think it doesn't follow the true concept of modifiers (allowing to delete certs, faces and thereby re-ordering the internal vertex or face arrays).

Because of this I don't see a clean solution for a UV mode with the same treatment as the regular viewports. I don't see this part of the 3dsMax line but maybe a part of their future software.