Hi all,
I'm discovering this revolutionary software that is MOI and as a real newbie in nurbs modelling, I'm struggling a little. I was wondering if it's in the nature of this type of modelling not to be able to manipulate an object's edges (see attachment) or is it just me who hasn't got the right workflow ??

I've search the forum, did find interesting posts but none concerning my present issue :)


Anyway congrats for this nice software!

Thanks, I'm glad you like it!

Yes, as you suspected with this type of geometry you often times can't just grab edges and move them around, except in special cases.

Here is one post that explains some of the reasons why: http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=170.25

There are actually some types of fancy (expensive) NURBS CAD systems that do let you perform some types of edits like you are showing there for stretching and moving faces around, but it actually requires a lot of calculations and specialized editing program code to do this, so this probably won't be in MoI anytime too soon.

Probably the easiest way to do that edit is to hack out a piece in the middle using Trim, and then move the pieces together and join them back together.

Another possibility that will leave you with a cleaner result but is a few more steps would be to to do Edit/Separate to blow that object apart into individual surfaces, then do a trim just of the longer side pieces (you can trim to a vertical line in that same view that you are showing), then move the rounded endpieces over to the new cut and join them back again, that will leave you without any extra edges like a simple slice out of the middle would do. If you want some more details on this method, please post your model and I will show you some steps.

In general often times you can do more "major surgery" on an object if you blow it apart into individual pieces with Edit/Separate, then edit the pieces and join later.

- Michael

Hi Michael and Neodreams,

In this case, it's probably more work than slicing out an end section and
joining everything back up as Michael suggests, but one way
to shorten the main body of a design like Neodream's
would be to scale the model as it existed prior to adding the button.
You could scale it 1D and then put the button back into the re-sized model.

This idea brings up a feature that I'd like to put on the wish list.

I'm in the habit of saving iterations of a model in progress, so that
if I do need to go back to a particular stage of construction, I can
import the version I need and make revisions. After the model is complete,
I delete the non-essential versions of it, keeping components that I can
sometimes use for other jewelry projects. Matrix has a "Job Bag" thing,
which is a folder system built-into their interface.

I just make regular folders for each job and if it's
a complicated piece, sub-folders to organize my work.

So what I'd like to add to the wish list is an Incremental Save option,
to rename the model automatically as in Rhino.
ex. Model,3dm, Model 001.3dm, Model 002.3dm, etc.

The main benefit for me is that I don't have to interrupt my
work flow to rename it manually. In Rhino, I can just hit Alt+F, C and it's done.

( sorry if I have I asked for this before, now that I mention it, it does seem familar :-)


BTW, would users of MoI be able to use a little program called Rhino Preview Image?
It enables you to see 3dm files as thumbnail images in IE, so that if you save a model
in a visible position in the viewport, (and you have thumbnails turned on in IE folder options)
it shows up as an image.

Here's a link to it, if anyone is interested. It's for free! :-)

http://www.rhinocenter.fi/tools.php

-Jesse

> So what I'd like to add to the wish list is an Incremental Save option,

Hi Jesse - this actually exists. But it doesn't currently have a button in the UI, you have to set up a keyboard shortcut to access it. If you set up this keyboard shortcut inside the moi.ini file:

[Shortcut Keys]
S=IncrementalSave

Then hitting S will do an incremental save with 001, 002, etc like you are asking.

In future versions I am pretty interested in doing more in this area, to try to add some UI inside the program to help manage multiple versions of a model.


> BTW, would users of MoI be able to use a little program called Rhino Preview Image?

MoI currently doesn't write a thumbnail image into the .3dm file, so probably this won't do anything for MoI-generated .3dm files right now, I think it works by just displaying any embedded thumbnail snapshot that might exist within the file.

- Michael

Wow thank you so much, your dedication is limitless ;) I had thought of these "trim" steps as everything seems so logical in this software. I was just wondering if I was missing a feature here or if there where quicker ways. But as you said it every type of modelling system as it strengths and weaknesses and that's why after polygonal modelling I'm now digging into NURBS. I'll wait for other pitfall to submit my model because when I said that I was discovering MOI I really meant it I've just played with it a couple of hours. But yet I do feel the power and above all the efficiency of this modeler.

Again thanks for your initiative.

neodreams.

Thanks Jessie!!! My Rhino model files are growing out of control. This definitely helps me... I hope Moi will eventually get preview bitmaps as well. It makes life so much easier for importing parts...

jonah

I have download Rhino Preview image and install it
But seems I have missed something else nothing particular is viewing :(

The toto file is a "toto.3dm" created with moi
is that the same for you? (I have not rhino)
"View 3dm file thumbnail images in Windows Explorer - even without Rhino"
Does exist something special to config?

> I have download Rhino Preview image and install it
> But seems I have missed something else nothing particular is viewing :(

This utility will display any thumbnail image that is stored in the .3dm file.

But MoI doesn't currently write any thumbnail image into the .3dm file, that's why it doesn't show one there.

- Michael

Understood :)
This will be made in the futur or it's just a little gadget?

> This will be made in the futur or it's just a little gadget?

It should be possible to add later on at some point.

- Michael

Thanks Michael,

The keyboard shortcut is going to be very helpful. :-)

Jesse