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View Full Version : Loft objects: Instancing problems

gnarlycranium
02-03-2003, 09:24 AM
I keep coming across situations where I would truly love to use Loft objects, but can't-- at least, not without an inordinate amount of work.

I am wondering-- is there any way to have a whole lot of loft objects (like clumps of hair for a head) that all have instanced Loft parameters (like the Shape being lofted, path steps and scale deformers), but that all have different paths? Ideally, I'd like to be able to fiddle with all of the paths at once as a mass of editable splines, and also be able to change the scale and poly detail of the lofting itself all at once.

The problem is... if I make instanced copies of the loft object, they alllll have the same path instance. If I want that to change, I have to COPY the loft object instead of instancing it-- which means the loft parameters aren't instanced anymore. And even when I do that, the only way to access the new copy's path is to root down into the subobjects. I can extract an instanced path (Put to scene) of the new object if I want-- but the extracted path pops up way off in space somewhere, instead of right smack in the middle of the loft object where it SHOULD be. It's all very, very frustrating.

Am I completely barking up the wrong tree, or what? :curious:

*edit* this is in 4.2, btw
gnarlycranium
02-04-2003, 10:16 AM
Wow... okay, guess that was REALLY the wrong tree. I'll have to stay given up on it. Damn. :p
gaggle
02-04-2003, 01:17 PM
It sadly obviously requires a lot of work to do, but wiring the controls together would work.
Wiring 5, 6, 10, or more? spinners together per lofted object is likely not the most fun one can have though.. scripting could do that work I'm sure, but I'm no help on that.

..
oh hang on, another idea:

Do one path per loft, each loft and object being unique, just like you describe as the boring slow way.
Then select all of those objects.
Then in the MAXscript editor type in:

$. -- er..
I don't know if the Loft can be controlled through MAXScript? I can't find the available commands to change, say, the polydetail setting..

It's supposed to work like you where you can do a "$.size = 20" and it will set the size of all the selected objects to 20.
That knowledge is courtesy of mr. Brandon btw, whom I shall give many thanks to for originally explaining all this.

But again, I don't actually know if maybe the Loft object just can't be controlled though MAXScript? That'd be mighty lame.. but.. idunno.. sorry.
Maybe you can crack the puzzle.. or someone else can chime in explaining the various valid commands.
gnarlycranium
02-04-2003, 05:13 PM
Ouch..... yeah, I bet it could be taken care of with scripting, but that just basically means a big fat NO, YOU HAVE TO PROGRAM IT YOURSELF to my first question. Hehehh... seeing as how I can't script, it must be easier to just use some other method of making the objects I want. Thanks for the insight, gaggle!
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