edge weighting [subD]

[h4sh]

that's exactly what i'm trying to find out. I have modo and when it saves to maya ascii, it saves models as polygons, not sub-d. So the edge weighting info is lost. It's only saved in lwo2 format, so I don't know if there's any way to import lwo2 into maya

[poly-phobic]

that would defeat any purpose of doing high subdivions tweaks onb the mesh if it could not export the subD info somehow....
can any user of modo please clarify this little issue.

[kursad_pileksuz]

i am really not sure how maya can handle such information. Can maya use edge weightining ? i do not think it is modo loosing information, it should be something to do with maya. and maya`s subd is somewhat different than modo`s subd as far as i know. i use maya alot, but subd was such drag in maya i gave up on that sometime ago.

[silba]

I have yet to figure out how to export sub-div and weight map info into Lightwave. I know sub-patches are not a problem when exporting to LW but then it defeats (to some extent) the purpose of modeling in modo. Don't get me wrong I like modeling in modo, but at this stage if I am limited to 3 or 4 vertices required for subpatching I can do it much faster in LW.

Since no one using LW has mentioned this problem, I may have missed someting to get around this problem and would appreciate some info on this.

[Griffon]

Maya's creasing is pretty crap. The solution we're looking at is any crease in modo between say .3 and .7 would become a partial crease and anything over .7 would become a full crease. More info to be forthcoming.

[brap]

Would it be possible to create a function that adds geometry just to the crease region in order to replicate the crease for apps that don't support it? This would be very useful for LW exports as well.

[h4sh]

griffin: that's what I'd excpect, cause maya has only partially and fully creased. But modo exports to maya only as polygon, not sub-d so that should be changed as well.

[poly-phobic]

Would it be possible to create a function that adds geometry just to the crease region in order to replicate the crease for apps that don't support it? This would be very useful for LW exports as well. that would be a good idea...
but i am a high rez modelor, and adding more geometry would give me a painfull blow to my unmentionables when rigging or animating.
but maybe there are work arounds... [exporting some kind of normal map information my be ideal]

and yes, maya's creasing is very lacking and limited in functionality... and the lags on high rez models are painfull to watch....
and the .3 to .7 partial crease would seem a little bias and might give weird results if u are doing hard surface modeling. but oh well. modo seems like a great tool nonetheless.

[h4sh]

well yeah, great, but what the hell would I use modo's great edge weighting for, if I can't transfer it to an animation/rendering app.

[Nikola]

u can always freeze it and transfer :hmm: :)

[poly-phobic]

u can always freeze it and transfer :hmm: :)
what do you mean by transfer?

[Nikola]

hehe transfer 2 maya :)

[poly-phobic]

hehe transfer 2 maya :)
u mean u can transfer a subD model to maya?

[BertD]

u mean u can transfer a subD model to maya?

What he means is, Freeze [Geometry>Create>Freeze] your model first, then transfer to Maya.

Bert

[Xacto]

Yea, thats what I have to do with Lightwave as well. Freeze is the only way. :shrug:

[Griffon]

griffin: that's what I'd excpect, cause maya has only partially and fully creased. But modo exports to maya only as polygon, not sub-d so that should be changed as well.

That was done on purpose. It gives people a choice between polysmoothing and converting to subd.

I am currently investigating a better method of getting subds to Maya with creasing. If you constrain your creasing values in modo to 0.0, 0.5 and 1.0 they should map favourably to the Maya equivlants.

[c-g]

How about an export options popup/settings panel? :)

[h4sh]

hehe, yeah great, freeze and then animate high poly ;]

"I am currently investigating a better method of getting subds to Maya with creasing. If you constrain your creasing values in modo to 0.0, 0.5 and 1.0 they should map favourably to the Maya equivlants."

griffon: ok that's a way to model, but still when modo saves to the maya ascii file it doesn't save as sub-d, so all vertex maps are lost anyway.

I think the only workflow available so far is to:
-model in modo like you said, with constrained values,
-then go to maya, convert polygon to sub-d
-crease prope edges once more.

That's a pretty crappy solution.

What I thought modo would do is:
-if you're in polygon mode and export it'd save as polygon
-if you hit tab and go to sub-d mode i'd save as sub-d.
pretty straight forward.

or just make an export popup ;]

[Nemoid]

i think this latest solution would work very well, even if a panel with export options or something similar would be required as well. I think there's no prob on having these 2 ways to work implemented.

Good export options owf geometry with weighted edges towards the apps that support them like maya (but don't forget XSI and others ) is important and surely a system like Griffon explains seems to be a good thing , if maya's creasing is quite crap. such possibilities are what we consider a good behaviour with other apps for Modo.

Having to freeze geometry is a solution, but it's not the best solution, because u'll have to go let's say in Maya and reduce poligons with some of its tools or whatever, with a logic waste of precious time.

[h4sh]

Is there any way to transfer selections to maya?
----------------------------------------------

If it's possible in any way I suggest following:
write a script that would select weighted edges in modo and save 2 selection sets:
-first edges with weights close to 0.5
-second with weights closer to 1.

In maya load these selections and reapply creasing. Or better just write a mel script that does it automatically.

[Kaptain Kubrick]

As you all said the problem is with mayas dud sub-d creasing -- but to me the whole sub-d layout in maya is awkward, but that could be another thread. -- So, if the problem is maya................. would it be possible to make the changes in maya. Either a plug-in or an upgrade. It definately seems like thats what is going to be needed.

I don't actually use modo (yet)-- but yesterday was working out how to make a sub-d model from blender and then bring it into maya. I prefer the ability to toggle between the polys and sub when modelling, weighted creases are good aswell.

kk

[Griffon]

hehe, yeah great, freeze and then animate high poly ;]

"I am currently investigating a better method of getting subds to Maya with creasing. If you constrain your creasing values in modo to 0.0, 0.5 and 1.0 they should map favourably to the Maya equivlants."

griffon: ok that's a way to model, but still when modo saves to the maya ascii file it doesn't save as sub-d, so all vertex maps are lost anyway.


Like I said, that's why we're looking at changing it.

[WPTV]

With any luck lux will release their rendering package sometime soon. Im sure that will work better than exporting to another package. The rendering I saw on the apple keynote speech is what sold me on modo. But for now I have to get better at modeling before rendering issues. just my two cents. not helpful.

[Nemoid]

Agree, but good compatibility between Modo and other apps, at least the main ones like Maya, XSI, Lw ,Max is needed. This would be very good for 3D industry in general, just like many times Kaydara's .fbx format is for export/import objects and scenes between apps. Point Oven too...

In the opposite case, IMO Modo/Nexus would be someday in a similar position of Lw now. despite astonishing modelling tools and great rendering engine.

[h4sh]

With any luck lux will release their rendering package sometime soon. Im sure that will work better than exporting to another package. The rendering I saw on the apple keynote speech is what sold me on modo. But for now I have to get better at modeling before rendering issues. just my two cents. not helpful.
C'mon, a lot (if not most) people model for animation, not stills, so the rendering package wouldn't help.

[h4sh]

ok, griffon, I'm waiting for a fix.

Temporarily, is there any work around, to transfer edge selections to maya?

[c-g]

C'mon, a lot (if not most) people model for animation, not stills, so the rendering package wouldn't help.
I'd wait to pass judgement until the rendering app is out.

[Auctor]

hi,

i have to agree with h4sh. At least in most of the points. I think that most of the people bought modo to speed up the modeling process and because they are not happy with the modeling in their main app. And im am also quite sure that only a veeeery small percent of the people bought modo to replace their whole packet. For me it is sure to stay with Maya in terms of Animation and effects.
Rendering... well... i depends. *G* We are all sooo curious about "nexus" (call it like that because we don´t know the real name. *G*) and what we have seen is really great. So... MAYBE (for me, it depends on the price too) some will switch completely with rendering also.

But still. The main point of modo is (i am just expecting. it is just mho), to work with the "big" packets like Maya, XSI, Lightwave and not against them. and that is what people waited for.
I am beginner in 3D. But what i have seen so far from modo is, that it works quite well for most of the stuff. Some improvements in points that are already mentiond here in the forum and i will never touch a modeling tool in maya again. :)

The "bugs" that are in modo now, are not THAT bad. But also small things can stop the process completely. Like for me with the Symmetry bug. It is nothing really serious. But i just don´t feel comfortable modeling like that.

Anyway, i hope at a bugfix release soon and let´s see how fast we will get a 1.x update with feature improvements.
Till that happens, i will just "play" with modo. :)

greetings

Martin

[Griffon]

ok, griffon, I'm waiting for a fix.

Temporarily, is there any work around, to transfer edge selections to maya?
If you mean selection sets, not currently.

[CGTalk Moderation]

This thread has been automatically closed as it remained inactive for 12 months. If you wish to continue the discussion, please create a new thread in the appropriate forum.