Hello, Michael I got a feature idea while working on a model. I am using MoI to design a walking robot in order to quickly and efficiently design the basic concept before going into more details in SW. One of the reason am doing it in MoI besides the speed of modeling and ease of use, is to visualize how each component is able to move. That led me to realize that if MoI had a constraint system it would be a lot easier to do that, plus people would be able to position there model before export, or even export constraints to other file formats. IE: so that I be able to move a part while it follows a certain pass and other parts move with it while attached to it.

Also, an ability to undock the menus would be very nice.

Thanks!

Hi Val, you mean like a kind of "inverse kinematics" system where you could set up an armature and then drag the end of it and the connected pieces move to follow as they can?

That kind of a function is often times more frequently done in an animation type program rather than a modeling type program.

It's not really a very easy function to add, especially since it would require a bunch of additional UI to set up the system... Unfortunately I think it will be pretty difficult to work on this area anytime too soon, maybe in a future version?

- Michael

(I like the last sentence! (Vals))

Taking any MoI model into , say Carrarra, where it is so easy to build "Bones"--with constraints--into the model--and from there animate them, is why I use Carrara just simply for rendering MoI models as well.

Buy Carrara, or anything you can find as well suited, to be a companion app to MoI!

Brian

Mentioning Solidworks which does "Mating". May just have to go to solidworks sooner in the workflow!

Here is a clear sample of swx mate : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59-8IcrW2X4

Yes, you are right. This definitely can wait until later versions, its not something very important. Undocking menus is actually more important. I just needed a way to visualize the mechanism that is all. This way I won't have to change a lot of things later down the line if I made a mistake or the design could have been improved. Construction lines could be used to create axis of rotation, and groups could be used to lock objects together. Would still need a way to pin two mechanism together, and to pin one end into place, etc.. But this can definitely wait, its not that important. Like others said if I really need to I can just export it into Carrara/blender and rig it there.

I own Carrara, but if I could move objects in MoI I could easily edit the model right there until everything is cleared. Doing an export/rig until I finally get things right would take forever.

Thanks for link Anis, I know how to do this in SolidWorks, but having those videos is still very handy.

>> Also, an ability to undock the menus would be very nice.

This is something I would like too - but then I've said that before ;-)

Hi Val & All...

Is carrara have a "mating" feature like what SWX already have like in those video ?

No Carrara does not. Carrara does not recognize work planes or edges/faces for mating. It does have constraints for motion types like slider, single axis and such bot you would have to place the item manually and then constrain it's motion.

So Motion in SWX is better in this situation ?

Edit : Michael, Have you ever work on a project like this ?

Yeah, Carrara is just a polygon and a bit of Splines application, its mostly for 3D graphics, and animations via rigging. SW and Carrara are not backward compatible.

I suggest it is pretty hard to find a good, genuine, value for money, comprehensive all round. easy to learn/use 3D app that, for most average users, can be improved on than that of Carrara ,(Pro especially!)

It makes an ideal companion to MoI.

Brian