UCS/RCS in max/viz

[denham]

Theres gotta be a way to accurately change the UCS/RCS in max/viz like you can in autocad.

 

I understand the align tool, and how to adjust pivot points on objects.

I understand RCS, of view, world, screen, etc.

But these lack precision in some cases & do not compare to audocads ability to change the UCS by picking any two lines in 3d & specify what axis they lie on.

 

I could see how it would be possible under the pivot point adjustments, but how can you rotate & snap to an edge @ the same time? Maybee Im missing something, but this has always been a gaping hole in my knowledge of max/viz.

 

Would greatly appreciate any tips & tricks.

 

-thanks

[denham]

Or is there a script that does this?

[Tim Saunders]

I deal with this issue many times a day. sometimes I have a project that has 10 or more strange angles. What I do, is dreate the object in a "straight" view (front or one of the sides). Then rotate it at the appropriate angle, then if you need to adjust verticies or something on the spline, change to "local". Snaps will work and everything. If you have converted the object to something ie. a mesh after you have rotated it, the RCS will reset to the view's RCS. If you need to later move something along the smae RCS as the original object, draw a straight line from the top view. To make it straight, hold shift. then rotate it to the same angle as your first rotated shape. You can now use this simple line as a reference point on any object. Just select the object you want to edit, and select "pick" as the RCS type. It will now wait for you to click on an object you want to use for reference. Using this method allows you to be just as accurate as any drafting program. Let me know if that doesn't make sense and I can illustrate it with screen shots.

[denham]

that kind of make sense, but if its not too much trouble I think some screenshots would illustrate it better.

 

Thanks

[Tim Saunders]

As you can see by the first image, I created a simple wall in the front view by drawing a line and extruding it. The top views show an outline of a plan. The line on the plan is at a 14.5 degree angle. Once I found out that angle it was easy. I just rotated the wall 104.5 degrees (90 + 14.5) and lined it up with the angled wall on the plan. I need to adjust the vertices, but I know the wall is at the correct angle, so I with change my RCS type to "local". As I move the vertices, notice that the RCS symbol has changed angles. Snaps work just the same as normal. One thing to remember is even though you have changed the RCS to local in Vertex sub-object level, when you go back to the top of your stack (not any sub-object level) which is "Line" in this case, the RCS is still at "view". Viz recalls what RCS type you are on depending on the transform command, as well as what sub-object level you are in.

[Tim Saunders]

More screen shots.

[Tim Saunders]

Now say you want to create something from the top view along that anged wall. I am creating a shade for the center window. Since I created it from the top view, the local RCS for that object will relate to the top view. Lets say I want to shorten the shade, or make it so it doesn't hang out so far. I can just go to vertex sub-object level and change the RCS type to "pick" you will then need to pick an object to refer to it's local RCS coordinates. I calick on the original wall I created and the RCS angle has now changed. Once you get the hang of using the different types of RCS you will love it!