Can I stay in "draw spline" while arc rotating?

[Sargimo]

I am trying to draw a closed spline that I can convert to an editable poly. The problem is that it is very irregular and very expansive. I need to navigate and rotate without breaking the line command. I am new to Max but I think I remember doing this ( not just using the "I" key) am I dreaming?

 

Thanks for any ideas or direction, Josh

(I remain online)

[Clanger]

I haven't got a perfect solution but you can switch off 'start new shape' then start up the next line right from the end of the last it won't be connected but it'll be a simple task at the end to weld it all together.

 

Although I can't help be feel there must be a better solution, personally I do all spline work in Illustrator first then import.

[lambros]

a nice workaround is using a 3dconnexion controller to navigate, I do that all the time when I have to draw large scale irregular lines.

[Sargimo]

Thanks Ray that worked fine. I was able to loop most of the selection so it wasn't that bad.

 

Thanks again, Josh

[Sargimo]

Lambrose, can I ask which controller you use?

[lambros]

me and my partner are using the space navigator, it is cheap and it works a treat. In the past I owned a more expensive one, the cadman, and the support for it was discontinued, I was really upset on that one...

[Sargimo]

Just ordered one:)

[Peter M. Gruhn]

You can zoom in/out with the mouse wheel and there is a setting in in preferences somewhere to use the cursor location as the zoom center, this allows you to "pan" by "zoom out to here then zoom in to there".

[Sargimo]

Hi Peter,

Those are the settings I have, ad it works well most of the time for example, if I'm drawing a spline along a wall and moving parallel to it. But as soon as I turn the corner I'm out of luck. The "Space Navigator" really solved the problem, but I wonder if it will become a crutch before I learn keyboard shortcuts?

[3dwannab]

You can zoom in/out with the mouse wheel and there is a setting in in preferences somewhere to use the cursor location as the zoom center, this allows you to "pan" by "zoom out to here then zoom in to there".

 

 

IS THIS THE SETTING YOU WERE LOOKING FOR?

[Peter M. Gruhn]

> turn the corner

 

Interesting. I'm going to have a go to see if I can figure out what's happening to you...

 

Yeah, I'm keen to try a 3dConnexion thing one of these days. Glad to hear a happy report.

 

I was at a product demo/preview a few years ago and the guy was using one of those. Showed off all sorts of neat "coming soon" stuff. At the end, "Questions anyone?" And the whole theater raised it's hand and asked "what's that thing at your left hand?"

 

... nope, failed to duplicate. Wonder what's going on.

[3dwannab]

if you want to draw basic splines or arcs with precision and been able to arc rotate there's a tool called Poyspline v.3

 

On the Scriptspot website I've left a comment on how to use it, and its so easy to use e.g right click undoes your last command & escape to close spline "BRILLIANT"

 

I've also emailed the creator to have an option to allow the maxscript listener to to hidden, and cant wait for THAT

 

http://www.scriptspot.com/forums/3ds-max/scripts-wanted/desing-lines-with-values-typed-in-the-keyboard

 

ENJOY......