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Mesh Editing Questions


MegaPixel
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1) Slice Tool

Is there a way to use an existing Shape or Cad file to define a Slice pattern in your mesh? Right now, it seems all that is available is a Plane. If the answer is no, then can you define the length of the Slice Plane itself so that it is not an infinate length cutting through your entire selection?

 

2) Mesh Edge Fillet?

I would like to be able to select an edge or multiple edges in my mesh, and Fillet them to remove harsh sharp corners (Just like a Solid Modeler would Fillet Edges). Currently, when in edge mode, I have no option to Fillet - Only Chamfer. The Chamfer does't seem to do quite what I want to. I can't seem to do anything with the smoothing groups either or maybe I just don't understand them enough. Any thoughts for me there other then purchasing that Power Solids Plug-in? (Got no dough)

 

More questions to come I'm sure, Thanks guys

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if you would give us some more details on what you really want to do, I could give you some advice.. post some pictures..

 

answer on your first question, its no and no..

 

answer to your second question, do you mean you want smooth edges?? then try chamfering a couple of times...

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Ok, Adding to my list of Questions:

 

http://www.cgarchitect.com/forum/filepush.asp?file=MeshCutExample.jpg

 

1) Cutting Mesh (Without Booleans)

The above image should Illustrate what I'm trying to do here. Basically, I have an existing mesh where I need to make a rough-cut opening for a Pediment Sunburst or Window. I'd like to do this without a Boolean operation because I want to maintain my stack. Right now, if I attach a new shape to the mesh, then try to extrude inward, I can't see the cut however extruding outward is visible. I must not be doing something right.

 

 

http://www.cgarchitect.com/forum/filepush.asp?file=TexturingExample.jpg

 

2) Detail Texturing

The second Image illustrates my next question. I'm trying to add texture detail to a previously textured object. Specifically, I'd like to add Steped Flashing to the Sides of my Chimney and Dormers on the Roof. It's the kind of detail that doesn't really warrent modeling so I thought I'd take care of it with a Texture. However, I was hoping that I could somehow reuse or modifiy the existing texture by adding a second layer ontop of it for the Flashing and still be able to position it independantly of the base texture? Would this be an application for the Composite material or do I just have create a single custom texture for the entire side of the object?

 

Thanks again, MegaPixel

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Sawyer,

 

I was actualy thinking about "Poly Efficiency" but with the time I spent waiting for a reply on this post, I could have modeled it and been done with it by now. That aside, I'd still like to know if there is a way to create a layered texture?

 

Quizzy,

 

I actually don't want to merge or attach my windows and doors to my house. I like to keep them seperate so I can easily turn them on and off. All I want to do is create the rough-cut opening for the doors and windows on my main house object. Now, currently, I have a stack of modifiers in my tree (UVW's and others) which I would like to leave intact. If I perform a Boolean operation, my entire stack collapses and my house body is no longer parametric. Can you see what I'm saying now? It would be ideal for me to add the rough-cut shape to a face on the mesh and turn it into a polygon so that I can just extrude it inward to create the void I am looking for.

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You could use the slice modifier 4 times (to get your square opening) and then extrude the polygon in. Afterwards, if your in wireframe and the slice "scars" bother you, use the auto-edge on the edges. All this would keep your stack nice and dandy.

 

Xavier

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well my suggestions

1. I dont think that you have any other option rather than boolean on the existing mesh. Why do you want your stack intact ? for uvw map ? well you could extrude the Triangle+semicircle (window) shape instead.

2. for avoiding the sharp texture intersections you could maybe use the dirt plugin which may darken the intersections..

Truegrit Dirt Plugin

 

hope this helps

 

MrCAD

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1) I'm really astonished that no one has suggested sub-object boolean spline operations to do the first trick.

 

Several ways can be followed:

- draw your triangle, click of 'start new shape', draw the arc --> extrude or better bevel to chamfer adges

- draw a triangle, draw the arc, attach arc to triangle --> ext or bevel

 

2) several options again:

- model it

- map to a second channel

- mask a blend material

 

 

rgds

 

nisus

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Image 1

http://www.cgarchitect.com/forum/filepush.asp?file=PreBooleanSetup.jpg

 

Image 2

http://www.cgarchitect.com/forum/filepush.asp?file=BooleanActivation.jpg

 

Image 3

http://www.cgarchitect.com/forum/filepush.asp?file=BooleanComplete.jpg

 

Welp, that whole Boolean Idea can be tossed right out the window :mad: . Take a look at what's going on here. I have my Primary Roof object and an object which I want to subtract from my Roof. Just activating the Boolean operation without even completing the subtraction, does all kinds of weird things to my Roof in areas that arn't even close to the subtraction area. Missing Textures, Missing Faces and Missing Smoothing groups. I really need a solution here quick guys. I have to be able to modifiy my geomtry without destroying the work I've allready put into it.

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Is your roof object one entire mesh object? I would advise against modelling this way. For example - I would have left the dormers as one object and just slide it into the roof rather than unioning it to the main roof object. As for your problem try auto-edge or smooth groups. Not sure what your geometry is though.

 

Xavier

 

Originally posted by MegaPixel:

Xgarcia,

 

That should work pretty good for Rectangular polygon creation, but what about Arcs and other custom shapes like you see in the reference image above?

What I do is bring in plines from autocad or draw the splines in max and then extrude. I think this is the easiet way to do it - spline extrusion, and attaching / unattaching splines is much more powerful than geomerty booleans. This is how I modelled much of this project wip - take a look. Not that great of an exmaple but you get the idea of doing arches with nested splines. It's all splines extrusion and lofting. Try to avoid geometry booleans at all cost.

 

[ June 10, 2003, 05:04 PM: Message edited by: xgarcia ]

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The Roof Object is one big Object. I imported the Model from a Solid Modeling Package (Solidworks). So why don't I just do what I need to do in Soildworks then bring it back in? Because it took me a very long time to get this model Textured and I refuse to have to do that all over everytime a client has a small request. I really need a good way to make tweaks to the mesh after I've got it in MAX. I agree with you, Boolean flat out Stinks and I would like to avoid it at all costs, but I can't figure out how to add new splines to my mesh and get them to attach properly. It would be ideal if I could just create a new polygon shape on the face I want to modify for extrusion. Sorry for my coarse attitude, I'm just so frustrated here.

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Mega - I dont know if this would work or if you have already tried this but try detaching the faces you are going to boolean and apply the bollean to only the needed geometry. Or (again this may not work or it may have been tried) just select the faces and slice or cut. :confused:

 

I am sure that is not of much help. Sorry.

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Sawyer,

 

That Detaching Idea sounds like it may just work. I could Detach, Boolean the detachment, then Re-Attach the Detachment to the mesh later. It's very round-a-bout but I'm gonna take what I can get at this point. I'll try it tommorow and see how it works. Thanks, Chow

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The Detach Face + Boolean Idea works Fine and all... Until you try to reattach the Face back to the original Mesh. As soon as I reattached the face, all of my existing texture coordinates went haywire for some reason.

 

That last post by Nisus sounds interesting. I didn't realize I could access the Shape commands while in Sub-Object mode. I'll try that technique next. There absolutly has to be a way to add too or remove from an existing mesh without altering it's current texture coords.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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