Basic Modelling Question

[Jock]

Alright guys,

 

Can i just ask as it comes up a lot, is there an easy and accurate way to say in this example, take the selected edge and have it so it moves in the same plane as the two polys it seperates. I knopw how to do ths ahd i to be creating the edge from scracth with slide, pinch etc, but the important thing being that its an existing edge.

 

 

Also, in kind of the same vein, Is there a way, that when you do shift-move to extrude from an edge like in this example, thats theres an accurate way to ensure that the extruded edge will go along the same plane as the poly it just came from?

[Peter M. Gruhn]

1) On the Edit Poly has a rollout Edit Geometry. There is a section Constraints. I use Edge all the time.

 

2) I think the best option is a Pivot2Edge script. I had one that worked great. Now I can't get any of the ones on the web working. Maybe I'm installing them wrong but I don't have time right now to look in to it.

 

There are approaches involving grids that work, but if you need more than one it can get tedious.

[FreakyDroid]

There is another way, its not a one click solution but it will do the work. Create a plane with segments 1,1, turn on autogrid, turn on snaps to vertex and create the plane on top of the polygon you want to extrude the edge from. Change the coordinate system to Local (default coordinate is View, right next to the Scale button) and the plane will move like you need it to. Then just attach the plane to your editable poly and snap+weld or target weld the verticies.

[Peter M. Gruhn]

In this particular instance, you can just shift-move a copy of the face then adjust the edge. But that may not suit your general case.

[zhopudey]

1) As Peter said, use constraints in editable poly.

 

2) Turn on autogrid, create a dummy on top of that inclined poly. Due to autogrid, the dummy's z-axis will be perpendicular to that polygon. You can check this by switching to local space and moving the dummy.

Now select the edge you want to extend. Switch co-ordinate space to "Pick" and select the dummy. The edge will now move exactly along that polygon.

[Jock]

Excellent guys, thanks a lot.

[TJunkers]

I love learning new little tweaks that end up being huge. I never use edge constraints and now I know I am going to be using these every day! Thanks!!!!