modeling in 5 over 4

[kary]

A lot more stable would be a big feature imo ;).

Modelling isn't hugely changed from 4 to 5, the main thing would be integrated scripts (meshtools). A few new commands (eg: repeat last command which is reasonably handy). D3D's viewport performance is pretty good now (not much different when working on a mesh, but once they're cached it is very brisk). The stability improvements are probably the biggest thing.


Hmmm not exactly building an award winning case here, I'm imagine someone else will chime in with the features that might sell the upgrade ;)

[BrandonD]

If Poly modeling is your thing, then you'll get more out of R5.

[dvornik]

UVW mapping tools are significantly improved. Although according to maxforums you can get similar functionality in max 4.2 with UnRapper4:

http://www.fileplanet.com/dl/dl.asp?/planetquake/polycount/Tools/discreet/unrapper.zip

[CactusJack]

To those that have posted thus far, thanks a ton...
I'm gonna check out that unwrapper4...thanks for the link.

[Chris Thomas]

Are you only modelling in max? how much of your pipeline relies on max? if you are using it to texture and light, then there are quite a few major features in 5, like GI, Radiosity and the ability to bake these to textures (or in Radiosities case verts). Plus there are the improvements to polymodelling. There's a major one which no one has mentioned, CONSTRAIN, it allows you to constrain a vertex to the edge or face its on, its very powerfull and something I've wanted for an age. Get 3DWorld magazine this month, I understand it has a max5 demo disk, install it and try it yourself. cheers :)

Chris Thomas

[CactusJack]

thanks jmonkey2000 for the info...i think we may be able to get a copy of 5 from our software dealer...guess i just need to dive in and check out the goodies myself if i ever want to build a strong enough case.

[Bobo]

Originally posted by kary
the main thing would be integrated scripts (meshtools).


Laszlo's Meshtools are a great extension to max 4, but I find this statement a bit misleading.
Not a single line of Meshtools' script code has been used in the new EditablePoly. They do certain things in a similar way, some differently, and some features (Hinge from Edge, Chamfer Vertex etc.) look like stuff I have scripted for 4.x. ;)
But after all, the features were mostly known from Nendo/Mirai, and the max 5.0 implementation should be credited to the ever-busy Steve Anderson of the Discreet 3ds max development team.

I hear so often that "max 5 is max 4 with some scripts". This is just unfair to the developers who had to work hard to ensure all the new features can be implemented without breaking the SDK compatibility to 4.
Btw, for me, the plug-ins compatibility is probably the best feature in the new release :thumbsup:

[kary]

Very true. I probably should have been crediting the Mirai origins of those tools, instead of only Laszlo's max popularization of them. I was using the Meshtools example to illustrate the type of functionality one could expect.

To be honest Bobo from a strictly modelling point of view R5 works just like R4 (with scripts) does. Credit where credit is due, but they did their job so well that the end user doesn't even notice that they did it* -- which is probably their aim anyway, cudos for that ;).

*Some things (like erase vertex) perform differently from Laszlo's scripts. Also CSpolytools doesn't work very well in R5.

______

This made me remember Bobo's Bevelman :). It is a really interesting tool and really speeds up modelling -- particularly dramatic during the 'roughing in' phase. It works only with R5 =)

http://www.scriptspot.com/bobo/darkmoon/


Lastly: seeing soft selections on all sub-obj levels is quite handy.

[martinc]

You may also want to check out all the new animation stuff in r5. The new curve/dope sheet editor, and the new auto-tangent is great.

Also, if you are into animation, check out the updates to the list controllers. Now every sub-controller can be weighted.

Martin

[Fozzie]

I agree here with Bobo, Max R5 is a massive upgrade to essentially the entire product (with just particles needed upgrading, but that might not be too far off...).

My personal opinion is that anyone who claims that R5 is just R4 with some free scripts is full of $#!! and either doesn't know WTF they are talking about or simply hasn't tried it enough to see what its like. But of course that's my personal opinion :)

Foz

[visualboo]

Simmer down Foz...... simmer down ;)

[kary]

Hey Fozzie when did we start talking about " essentially the entire product "?

From what I see see the original question was about modeling and Bobo's point was that the R5 implementations don't have any code in common with his/Laszlo/Chris's/whoever's code. I'm not sure what you're basing that I'm full of shit on.

[CactusJack]

Even though I was only inquiring about modeling, all of this information is helpful....Thanks to everyone who replied....:applause:

:shame: Ding - Ding!

Now everyone leave this thread before someone gets a bloody nose...its starting to feel a little hot in here!:scream:

Thx Again...:beer:

[Doobeh]

Ive been messing with max5 and polymodelling in it, is just incredibly frustrating, they've made the menu look nicer, but it (for me anyway) slows down my workflow, click for extrude menu, change slider, click again to apply, close it.

I'm sure it's just because ive only been messing about in it for a few hours, but the old extrude sliders on the main flyout just seems so much more logical, one click and drag, or just a rightclick for a 0 extrude.. simple is usually better imo :)

saying all that tho, the ink and paint, seems more stable then the illustrate version im running in 4.2, even if it is slower. Reflections are nice :)

[martinc]

Doobeh,

do you not interactively extrude, or anything else for that matter, in the viewport? I can see if you constantly used the spinners for modeling, that the current workflow would slow you down.

For me personally, I use the spinners about 1% of the time when modeling. I think they were trying to make things as interactive as possible. If I do need to use a spinner for a exact amount, I can now call it up through the QuadMenu, and have it right there on the viewport.

One thing I would like to have is control of the spline extrude dependant on the curve until I I decide to "bake" it in. Other than that, I think they have a hit.

[spec0r]

Originally posted by jmonkey2000
there are quite a few major features in 5, like GI, Radiosity and the ability to bake these to textures (or in Radiosities case verts).

where would one find these features D:?

:beer:

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