mjpolytools: just impliment already!

[beaker]

Send them a request or put it on the maya feature request page. Many people don't actually tell alias and just bitch to the forums and expect them to read their minds.

[TheWraith]

this stuff has always bothered me too. like the .3ds importer, caustic plugin, mjpolytools etc... why do they make you go in and download it everytime a new version of maya comes out? just throw it in the installer already! we have to end up waiting for them to fix it so it works on the current version of maya and then download it each time theres a new version. just add the damned things to the program already! sheesh. same with max and that stupid obj importer/exporter. why don't they just include the damned thing? it's already made, it can't be that hard to throw it in the program.

[dmcgrath]

Ummm.... Many times it is because of legal issues. Most people overlook the influence that lawyers have over the business world. Also, everytime you add someone else's plug-ins into your software, you have to spend extra time and money intergrating them, and then lets not even get into customer support.
The overall cost of adding things like MJPolyTools doesn't make it worth it to a business that has to mass produce a product, and then provide supports and patches.

[drunkirishmic]

ok well it doesnt hav to be mjpoly, but i mean come on, maya doesnt even have and edge loop or connect function, this is fundamental to poly modelling.

[beaker]

Originally posted by drunkirishmic
ok well it doesnt hav to be mjpoly, but i mean come on, maya doesnt even have and edge loop or connect function, this is fundamental to poly modelling.
Edge loop has been in maya since 3.0, its called "select continuous edges". What is a connect function?

[thomaspecht]

beaker: "connect" connects selected vertices and draws an edge-loop between them. often works on edges, too.

mjpolytools are slow as hell due to limitations in mel, no wonder why they didn't include them. but i'm wondering as to why alias never bothered to write this essential modelling stuff themselves.

a german guy recently showed a demo of his maya-plugin that adds alot to improve modeling in maya, incorporating most of the meshtools/mjpolytools-functionality, just much faster. apparently this isn't out for download yet.
demo-video: http://sebastian-thiel.bei.t-online.de/ByronsPolyToolsAlphaDEMO.wmv


btw. meshtools (the downloadable script) works better than what discreet wrote/incorporated... ;)

[yinako]

I guess these tools are not stable, not for me atleast(see maya bevel thread) and perhaps better to push complexity to the edge.

[Levitateme]

Gi joe

that video is might impressive. i really like how there is a "push "once you do a loop split. does anyone know that guys web page? email? if enough people bothered him. i am sure he would get it to people. i saw his blend shape script awhile ago. maybe not his. but the model in the video was the same. also the mjpolytools are slow for a few of them connect is the slowest i find. i juse almost eveyone of the mj tools, but to get a semi update on them would be amazing.

[iC4]

not sure if I should post his email here?

well, he included it in the docs of his automatic unwrap tools......so I guess it's not a problem at all

Sebastian-Thiel@T-Online.de

[thomaspecht]

i've contacted him about the release a few weeks ago and he simply wasn't finished with the implementation and had a few other issues to sort out. i guess this will pop up sooner or later on highend3d anyway ;)

it would be cool if linux and macxos users who are willing (and able) to recompile his source mail him, because apparently he only has access to windows boxes and isn't willing to make the source public. he wouldn't mind sending the source to selected users, though.
i'm taking care of the irix port, as soon as the source is there, btw.

[Elliotjnewman]

Is there MJPolyTools available on 4.5 under OSX?

Ell.

[Byron]

Oh, I didn't know that the information about my tools went that far :).

So, now, as you know about the tools, I think its appropriate to tell something about them.

I started to write them in MayaAPI about 2 month ago to create a tool that breaks the limits imposed by MJPolyTools in terms of speed and workflow and features.

The keyfeatures are the
smartSplit
and the
SolidChamfer/chamfer
functionality.

Additionally, there is an implementation of edgeRing, edgeLoop and boundary, and the Loop/Ring stuff further allows to stop the loop by selecting another edge on the path, allowing to create complex edge selection quite easily.

With the smartSplit, I think I pushed technology a bit further, because my split is not edgeBased as common, but faceBased.
This allows to create much more complex splits, creating as many quads as possible.

When the split is once created, you can slide it in realTime (works well with a 40k polygon basemesh on a pIII800) to the sides and "up and down" (->along normal).

Furthermore I decided to implement my own version of chamfer and solidChamfer because I was quite unhappy with the mayaBevel (which works quite well with a cubePrimitive actually :thumbsdow ).

When I did the solidChamfer, I wanted to have one which "just works" as you would expect. In MAX for example, you can solidChamfer only single lines of edges properly, but when they cross you realize that this SolidChamfer is catually based on a chamfer routine which doesnt create the results you want.

With my SolidChamferRoutine, every combination of edges can by solidChamfered properly. Its real cool :), can't get enough of it, and its a great timeSaver.

And last, but not least, I made the tools completely adapt wo the user. This means that you don't have to care about the type of component selected, because it will implicitly convert it to the type it needs, no matter which command of the tools you are using.

[Byron]

Currently, ByronsPolyTools are complete in terms of features. But there is still a long way to go until final release.
I will test it with my current modellingProject (I create a model based on Cyberspawn), and refine it were necessary, kill bugs and so on, so what you will get is a tool which just works and saves time.

After that, I will rewrite my unwrapTools, creating an API Version of them to make them fast as hell and more stable, and I want to create some softSelectionTools because thats something always dreamed of :).

So, there is a lot of work to do, and I will keep you informed from now on :).

Bests
Byron

[iC4]

sounds great!

oh....and what about a poly bridge tool? ;)

softselection sounds also great

[Byron]

Actually, the tools will be all I need be model fast and without any stress.

And I never needed a polyBridge tool, so I won't implement it.

But when I will need it, I will do :).
Let's see what time brings :).

[Levitateme]

Byron

soft selection? i havent used 3ds in years. is that anythign like wings tweak? were you have a falloff? are you going to make a tool that does that? since you already have made an amazing bevel, have you thought about raycasting tool? im sure eveyone agrees when you need to select alot of stuff its extremly time consuming having to click every componnet. this will be out for maya 5? is that what you are going to release on byron? thanks gain.

[Byron]

Oh, now i now what you mean with raycast selection.

I use the PaintSelectTool to select masses of components, and it does well :).

And yes, softselection are something like tweaks in Wings.
I checked it out, and got some Ideas how to do them.

Actually, I plan do take the best things of Lightwaves magnetTools, MAX's softSelections and Tweaks to deliver a tool which will suit a lot of situations (because I took the strenght of all these tools mentioned and put them into maya).

In Fact, the softSelectionTools which will come sooooon will be something I always wanted to have in Maya, so I will do it :).

Bests
Byron

[Levitateme]

wow byron, i have heard lightwave has some great poly tools. same with 3ds. man this is going to be amazing.

[SheepFactory]

there is a poly bridge tool for maya.

you can get the script from highend 3d.

[Levitateme]

oh byron. will your "soft selection" will it have features like wings? were as soon as you touch a component, it will move?

[Byron]

I really do want softselections, as I wanted to have fast modeling tools.

The Modelling Tools will be ready soon, and the softselections will come, but it will take a while because I have still a "nonProgramming" project to do.

But they will come, because I want them :).

Bests
Byron [who will go offline now until next week]

[muckywetnoodle]

Just a suggestion if you are working on a magnet/soft select tool: something that can limit falloff to surface rather than spherical is very nice. (for example, pull a character's cheeks without effecting the teeth inside the mouth)

[rebo]

I have been using wings for most of my raw poly modelling, however when this new set of tools gets released i may swap back to maya :).

[gundog]

Hey Byron,

your poly tools looks very promising. I'm looking forward to trying them out.

thanks.

[thomaspecht]

looking forward to using the tools and - as mucky said - soft selections make even more sense when the falloff is applied to the surface instead of determined by a spherical radius (like for example with max's soft selection tools).

sounds like you're planning to finally make a nice poly modelling package out of maya.

btw. to everyone who wants soft-selection in maya NOW ;)
check this really nice script: http://macvizion.com/Claydough/Docs/clayDoughNotes/clayDoughNotes.html

[Levitateme]

claydough works, but its very slow. you have to pick your components, then apply it then move it . in wings you just grab and move, its incredibly fast. you never have to wait. i hope byrons is going to work like that.

[thomaspecht]

sure, it's just an alternative for now. the whole "pick the right component level fist"-thing is really annoying in general. in addition maya never makes operations non-selectable that do not apply to the currently selected component level. try-and-error is so much fun...
i've never understood why they did it that way. that's my main reason for doing all my modeling in another package at the moment.

seems that byron is working on that kind of stuff which makes me especially happy :)

[Levitateme]

yah its neat someone has finally shown what there doign, and goign to give to the public. i just hope his softselection is like wings. that way is very very fast. i dont know how anyone could not agree with me on that.

[NUKE-CG]

I'm really looking forward to your tools, Byron.

I'm not a programmer, but I am making tracks inwards to make an environment for users to group together and push Maya's toolset in a more informative, and open fashion.

Definately keeping an eye out for your toolset, and hope that other users could maybe jump in and help you out.

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