Hi Michael,

> On the ones I saw, I couldn't find anything wrong with the n-gon, it was well formed, points were spaced well without
> anything stacked up or reversed or anything.. Just the triangles for the n-gon display were coming outside the n-gon.

Actually, I've found this kind of problem, but I kind of expected something like this to happen with some complex n-gons.
The thing is, it's something very easy to fix. Using 'divide larger than' option in Moi, or just slice that polygon directly in
LW/modo.

> Because if you do see problems with the n-gon structure such as duplicate points within one polygon or n-gons with messy
> edges that cross over other edges, etc..., then those would be things I need to fix up in MoI. Otherwise if there is nothing
> wrong with the n-gon these look to me like triangulation bugs in LightWave. But so much fewer in number than with OBJ import.
> I guess they must have 2 totally separate pieces of triangulation code, otherwise I can't see how the LWO one would be mostly
> pretty good and the OBJ one so bad...

And here comes the problem. I've got messy edges in some n-gons as well. Actually the only way to fix it was remove those
n-gons and create them again in modo/LW. I'll send you some screen captures tomorrow, and I'll see if I can send you the
problematic object.

> Hmmm, this sounds like a bug. Normally it is intended that every different single joined object in MoI should go on its own
> separate layer in the LWO file. If you can send me the smallest .3dm example file you've got that has this problem, that
> might help me figure it out.

I'll get one of the objects that gave me that problem and I'll send it to you tomorrow as well.


> Was this with weld turned on or off? If weld is turned off then that's normal, but if weld is turned on it is supposed to merge
> those and that's probably a bug. If you have an example that needs merge vertices even though you exported with weld on,
> please send it if you can.

I've noticed that it was disabled by default (I guess for the LWO exporter... I didn't try the OBJ in the new beta), so I did another
test with that option enabled, and I still got unwelded vertices (they seemed not so many than before though).
And sure, I'll send you an example of this tomorrow!


> Thanks very much for the testing! I'm glad this is working better for you than the other ways of exporting before.

No problem! :) Thank you for the new beta.

Jacobo.

Thanks so much for the new update Michael, the bond between MOI and Lightwave for me is getting deeper and deeper!

So for the shapes I've been working with, I've had ZERO rework to do - I'm even texturing stuff now, something I rarely got the chance to do due to having to deal with reworking first...

GREAT release! MOI is definitely v1.0 ready!

-Will

More greatness Michael!
Thank you. This is one massive update :)

Hi,

here is the updated German translation.

MfG
sk2k

Hi Pilou,

> No AI export format?

Not yet, this one only has AI import, not export.

Export will be coming for the next beta though.

- Michael

Nice update...
Currently, I don't really have time to play with MoI but I will certainly make some tests on the LWO export for Modo and the AI import.
And also the update on the loft command. Is it related to the "problem" I had with mesh symmetry ?

And AI export in the next beta ! Yessss ! ;-) (And I see on French ZBrush forum that Steph3D waits for it too !)

Thanks Michael

Hi Bernard,

> Is it related to the "problem" I had with mesh symmetry ?

Yup! A closed loft should behave better now and not have the slight shift in it that caused your previous symmetry problem.

The quad meshing improvement also helps with symmetry - this enables an n-gon that looks exactly like a single column of quads to be split into quads instead of triangulated (in quads & triangles export mode). This also improves symmetry for that shape you previously posted.

- Michael

>> The quad meshing improvement also helps with symmetry - this enables an n-gon that looks exactly like a single column of quads to be split into quads instead of triangulated (in quads & triangles export mode). This also improves symmetry for that shape you previously posted.

Cool ! I think I'm gonna enjoy using MoI objects inside Modo and ZBrush... ;-) I'll try to find some time to make tests during the next week-end.
The news in another thread about vertex smoothing support in Modo 301 is interesting too... Things are going in the good direction, hehe...

Greetings

Wow Michael! You and MoI continue to impress.Really great work. I've been a bit scarce lately I just wanted to let you know that I'm still lurking waiting for the buy button to pop up. I just wish I would have paid some attention to that geometry class 20 odd years ago.

Cheers!

Matt

Hi Jacobo,

re: Weld setting

> I've noticed that it was disabled by default (I guess for the LWO exporter... I
> didn't try the OBJ in the new beta),

It's one of the few settings (along with display type and polygon type (ngons, triangles) that is remembered between different sessions. So probably in a previous session you had turned it off.


> so I did another test with that option enabled, and I still got unwelded vertices
> (they seemed not so many than before though). And sure, I'll send you an
> example of this tomorrow!

An example of that one would be great, that sounds like a bug. Just one more note - surfaces have to be joined for the weld setting to have an effect.

It could also possibly be a bug in join, if join does not manage to properly glue together 2 edges (even though others were combined), it would result in this kind of a thing too. I can tell that by examining the model though.

- Michael

Hi Josu, thanks for testing the new LWO export!

99% is pretty good for version 1.0 ! :)

On ones that do generate a few incorrect polygons, if you can send any example models to me, that would help me figure out how to solve that. (it is helpful if you narrow it down to the smallest piece that shows a problem).

I would like to get closer to 100% !

But I am glad that the LWO format is working well for you - at least it is quick to fix 5 or 6 bad polys out of 80,000 - it's a lot better than fixing 2,000 bad ones...

I'm almost ready to take a look at some of the other bugs that you sent previously.

Thanks!

- Michael

Hello Michael,

Thanks again for this enhanced version. One question (for me at least) remains however. In several instances you promised us support in V1 for the 3dconnexion navigation devices, such as the spacemouse for example. Will it still be included in the V1? (I most certainly hope so).
Best Regards Hans

Hi Hans, yes I'm planning on including this with the next beta. Sorry I wasn't able to get it into this one.

The main remaining features left to work on are Adobe Illustrator export, and 3D Connexion support.

- Michael

The spanish translation...

Enjoy it!

Bye

Thanks David! By the way, do you remember those boat hull sections you sent to me a few months ago that would not loft?

The new beta fixes this, those now loft fine. That's what the new stuff about the Profiles option is about.

For lofting through a larger number of curves, it is often nice to use Loft Style = "Loose" to get a more relaxed surface, the ones you sent work pretty well if you use the loose style. The regular style can cause sort of bumps when you use many sections.

Another thing that can help get smooth lofts through many sections is to use the new Profiles: #Points option, this will further simplify the resulting loft by using only the number of control points that you specify for rebuilding the profiles. This will only be a somewhat rough approximation of your input curves, but the result will be even more smooth yet.

So for instance using Loft Style = "Loose" as well as Profiles = #Points with 10 points, will generate a really smooth surface from the 13 cross-sections that you had for that boat hull.

- Michael

Hi Michael,

Sorry for not sending you some samples about those problems before. The last two days have been a bit crazy.

/*****
It's one of the few settings (along with display type and polygon type (ngons, triangles) that is remembered between different sessions. So probably in a previous session you had turned it off.
*****/

Oh, yeah... you're right. I did realize about that later... it's remembering my sessions settings :).


/*****
An example of that one would be great, that sounds like a bug. Just one more note - surfaces have to be joined for the weld setting to have an effect.

It could also possibly be a bug in join, if join does not manage to properly glue together 2 edges (even though others were combined), it would result in this kind of a thing too. I can tell that by examining the model though.
*****/

I'll send you an example about this. Now, to be honest, I'm not totally sure if I've used 'Join', and then with 'Weld' enabled exported the object, and
that object was giving me those problems. But I think I did... I'll check it out again, and I'll send you some samples.

Thanks!!

Jacobo.

HI Michael,

I just found one issue which bothers me a bit,
when you export to 3DS the uv's created are a mess, in OBJ it is fine,
I attached a picture for you,

Best regards,

Thor

Hi Michael,

I'm having a look at PDF import and it doesn't appear work at all. I have been trying out a lot of file but none of them seems to be loaded although they are processed fine in Rhino. Could you post any PDF file that works?

Petr

Hi Michael:

As soon as I saw the new features, I though to take the hull up. :-)
I´ll tell you about that...thx

to tyglik: Yesterday night I made a probe. The "normal" pdf (like a document) doesn´t work, obviously. :-). After that I tried with an AutoCAD drawing converted to a PDF and it worked.

I send you the file:

Bye!

What is exactly the format PDF who is not the normal "document" format?