Hi JTB,

>How else can you identify the parent circle from a group of 30 circles when you open the file a week after?

You can
1) mark the parent object with a point object or
2) allocate a specific area of the modeling space for placing the parent object

I admit this may not be seem too attractive to you...


>And yes, I know that MAX does that.

There is a relationship between the parent and child and child and every child or parent in MAX?
So you can grab child's control point of object, move it and the parent object and every child updates?


Petr

It's MAGIC!
This is from MAX 's help files

Copy method: Creates a completely separate clone from the original. Modifying one has no effect on the other.

Instance method: Creates a completely interchangeable clone of the original. Modifying an instanced object is the same as modifying the original.

Reference method: Creates a clone dependent on the original up to the point when the object is cloned. Changing parameters for modifiers that were applied to the object before the object was referenced, will change both objects. However, a new modifier can be applied to one of the reference objects, and it will affect only the object to which it is applied.

I mentioned before that there are things are love in MAX and things I hate... This is absolutely a nice thing to have.
Another thing is that the copy command is in some way an array command too. For example, you make a box want to copy it 1 meter to the right. Before the command finishes, you see a dialog where you choose the method (copy,instance,reference) and a number of copies spinbox. If you set it to 5 for example you get 5+1=6 boxes each 1 meter from the other. Nice isn't it?

Max has many commands and methods because it has many capabilities. I am just trying to choose some of them that are easy to add to MoI not because they are Max's features but because I've found them useful. I would never add a wishlist item for animation because it is too early but I would like to see more flexibility like the one I just described.

More wishes...

http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI

http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI

Import SVG outlines.

Text shape support.

Drag an object over a surface, and have it snap to the normal of the surface.

Extrude relative to surface normal.
Draw a curve on a surface.

From these two, we get some common polygon modeling functionality in a CAD modeler. Draw a closed curve on a surface, and then extrude it.

From an older post... a small wish

The way we make arcs using 3 points is not the easiest. I believe it should be : 1. Start point, 2. End point, 3. Third point.

> The way we make arcs using 3 points is not the easiest. I believe it
> should be : 1. Start point, 2. End point, 3. Third point.

I can certainly change it.

If anybody likes the current way better, speak up!

- Michael

While the current mesher for obj export is nice, large flat areas get divided irregularly or not at all. The resulting mesh is a poor choice for importing into Zbrush or Mudbox if you want to detail those places.

What would be nice is a setting to allow subdivision of large flat areas. There is a option called "Avoid Larger Than", but it seems to have no effect in subdividing large flat areas. Would it be possible for there to be some method to divide a flat area into patches of quads?

Also, could we have a mesher export option to export a model as a mesh that represents x-y-z slices of a object? So I could say "Export mesh a mesh using 10 slices per x unit, 10 per y unit, and 10 per z unit"? This would give a nice regular mesh of tris/quads suitable for zbrush detailing.

Arc has Start On End

Circle Start On End or Start End On
Seems stricly the same?

Maybe something useful will be the possibility to move "one" of the 3 points before close the function Circle (or Arc)?
Because when you select "Show Points" you have many points of the "curve circle" (or Arc) !
And move a point of "Show point" of a circle is not the same than move one of the 3 points construction :)

Please change the 3 point arc, it's hard to set the curvature accurately if you set the mid point as the second step!

Star->end->point on circle would be much better! As you drag the point around, you can easily see the circle you are drawing.

Please change! :)

Seems reasonable for the circle :)

Maybe less for the arc when you draw in 2D (view Top)
when you search a good form Start On End is better as End is not yet defined :)

Maybe add an icone of choice :)

Hi Crusoe,

Re: mesher

Can you post an example file of something that is not meshing well for you? That will help me to understand your specific problem.


> There is a option called "Avoid Larger Than", but it seems to have no effect
> in subdividing large flat areas.

There actually isn't any "Avoid Larger Than", but there is a "Divide larger than", and "Avoid smaller than".

Divide larger than is the one that lets you put in a distance and will subdivide lengths larger than this value. So that's the one you want. However, it doesn't do anything to completely flat planar surfaces, it only affects surfaces that are curved in some manner. I suppose I can add in an option to include planes or not if this is causing a problem for you.

Right now you can try the Aspect ratio limit below that - try putting in a value of 4 or 3 in here and see if that helps you, this setting does work with planes.


> Also, could we have a mesher export option to export a model as a mesh that
> represents x-y-z slices of a object? So I could say "Export mesh a mesh using
> 10 slices per x unit, 10 per y unit, and 10 per z unit"? This would give a nice
> regular mesh of tris/quads suitable for zbrush detailing.

Unfortunately this would be extremely difficult for me to code except in a few special cases for stuff like boxes. Any kind of curved surfaces would involve a huge number of intersections of the surface which are slow to calculate.

- Michael

My little wish:

1) Like Cinema4D, expand the current view with Central Mouse button;
central again, to put into splitted mode! ;)

2) Great the Pen table movement view, but are great if have the possibility to use same mouse Movement like cinema4D! (into 3d View)

Tnx Michael for this great piece of software! ;)

add: arc 3pts method
  I think that Start,End,Point method is more useful.
  - I usually know end point or I can find it with a construction lines.
  - When I pick start and end point, the third point influences only an arc radius while with current method the arc radius and point location are still unknown.
  - When I have three explicit points, there is no problem with picking end point first

So if Crusoe begs for an alteration, I join him!

Petr

Hi Michael,

I'm also finding that the current settings for the 3 point arc difficult to use.
For me personally, Start>End>Point would be far easier to position correctly within a model.
But I'm only stating this as a complete novice??

regards Colin

I am not agree with you!)
Say you want draw a rosace
You have the circle
Start Arc from anyway on the circle
On = center of the circle
End = somewhere you want on the oposite side folowing on the circle and inspiration
due the design wished : can moving "end" on the circle is an help for the eyes!
So for me Arc 3 points by Start On End is a good thing :)

Maybe Michael can make 2 variantes: one for you, one for moi (me in french) :)

And can move these "3 points" a big help also! (before "validate" Arc function)
(idem for the "3 points" of a circle)

But you can still draw the rosace using the other method as well.

Pick start
Pick end
Pick "On" point to overlap other "ON" points.

Going in this order makes it easier to use for other things, not just rosace.

Ok, I have tuned up Arc with 3 points for the next beta.

There is now an option for Style: where you can choose either "Start, End, On" (the new method as requested), or "Start, On, End" (the old method).

The initial default is the new method.

Thanks for all the feedback!

- Michael

Cool!
That's avoid war between classics against the moderns :D
You say "Style" : it's applied to Circle also or just Arc?

> That's avoid war between classics against the moderns :D

Yes, now everyone can be happy! :)


> You say "Style" : it's applied to Circle also or just Arc?

Just Arc - this doesn't really apply to circle since 3 points define just one circle no matter which order they are picked in, there isn't really a start or end point for the circle.

- Michael

ok:) And about the move of the 3 "points" before validate function?