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Adobe Illustrator and 3ds Max Modeling Problem


JustinTuaylou
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Hello All,

 

I have a question regarding importing Adobe Illustrator linework into 3ds Max and applying an extrude modifier to it. I have included images to show my problem. I save the AI drawing as version 8, then import it into 3ds Max, then when I apply an extrude modifier to the editable splines that are created, the result is way out of scale. If I create a editable spline in 3ds Max right next to this linework and apply the same extrude, the scale is correct. In the images, both extrudes are 3/4", but both are very different. This also happens if I export the AI file as a DWG. Does anyone know how to solve this issue?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Justin

Edited by JustinTuaylou
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I'm glad to hear someone is using Illustrator to create line work. I think it is an often overlooked option, but a very powerful one depending on what it is you are trying to create.

 

Anyway, I assume you are scaling the line work when it comes into Max since rarely does illustrator work happen at 1 to 1. When you are scaling the line work, you are scaling the parameters of the line work. So the 3/4" of an inch now has a multiplier applied to it.

 

There is a way to reset the multipliers after you scale the line work. Go to the 'Utilities' tab, and select 'Reset XForm,' then hit 'Reset Selected.' This will apply a XForm modifier to you line work. Now when you extrude the 3/4" of an inch, it should be extruded to a multiplier of 1, meaning it will extrude to a real world size.

 

You should do this after you scale the line work, but before you apply the extrusion.

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Sure, the image on the left is the original scan from a book. Live Trace didn't do a good job of picking up the pattern, so I painted over it with the blob brush, middle, on a new layer using my Wacom. This is fine for an opacity map, but I was also impressed how clean the splines were when the AI file was imported into Max, right. The blob brush is great, like an automatic steady hand! If you don't have Illustrator, you could paint over an alpha mask in Photoshop, make work path and export paths to Illustrator. It's not quite as much fun though.

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