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View Full Version : Strange max behavior (tip for fixing)

Darv
09-06-2003, 04:35 AM
If while modeling you have ever noticed any strange behavior... for instance, you try to draw a straight line, but it comes out jagged between the two verts. Vertices disappear while working on them. The object disappears when using zoom extends.... Lighting behaves unexpectedly... Then you should check the following things.

1) Is the scale of the object really really small, or really really large?
2) What is the position of the object relative to the center of the scene (World cooridnate 0,0,0). This usually happens when importing an object to a scene.

What you may be seeing is effects of a rounding error. Math within the computer sometimes gets rounded. Normally you can't see this rounding effect but if your objects scale or position are extreme, the rounding error may cause very strange behavior.

What to do?

If the object is small or large, apply an XForm modifier to it and try scaling it up (or down) as needed.

If you find the positin is way off, try selecting it from the selection menu, then with the viewport set to World coordinates, right click on the Move icon. This brings up the position of the object. Right click on each the X, Y and Z spinner to move the object to the center of the scene. If you have many objects, it may be useful to group them first so they do not loose position relative to each other.

Hope someone finds this useful.
Cheers,
Darv
Aldaryn
09-06-2003, 05:38 AM
It's unusual to see somebody post a solution as a thread, not a problem. (Hmm, yop've posted both of them, but I think that matters not...)

Thanks. However sometimes the lack of precision (especially at small scales) can do some good as a modelling aid: You can draw horizontal and vertical lines without any snap tool. And by the way, MAX lacks those aid tools, like the ones you can find in any CAD, e.g. continuing a line, or horizontal, and vertical, or to a line (2 vertieces) aligned extension of a line... (*talked too much... :( )

Cheers!


- A.
Darv
09-08-2003, 05:44 PM
I am not sure I totally follow.

To draw a horizontal or verticle line, just press the Shift key after starting the line. The line should snap to a perfect horizontal and verticle line.

To continue a line, just remove the check mark from the "Start New Shape" option at hte top of the shape tools list.

Does this help any?

Darv
Equinoxx
09-08-2003, 06:00 PM
I was wondering Darv, would it be really hard to add 45 degree angle snap to the shift function, I often find that horizontal & vertical linedraw snapping just doesn't always cut it . . .
Darv
09-08-2003, 06:44 PM
For angles (realitive to the previous spline) you can use the CTRL key instead of shift. The amount of the angle is based on the settings in the Grid and Snap settings.

For instance, if you set your angle snap to 45 degrees in the Grid and Snap settings, then draw a verticle line, you should then be able to hold down the CTRL key (note, snap to is not turned on) and snap to 45 degrees. Of course you don't have to set it to 45 degrees, you can use any amount and max will respect it when using the CTRL key while drawing a spline. By default it is set to 5 degrees and I find that works pretty well in when trying to do 45 degrees.

Hope that helps.
Darv
Equinoxx
09-09-2003, 08:09 AM
allright, didn't know that . . . thx for that darv.
this falls nicely into the category

'things i wish for that are allready there and never noticed'
JayCMiller
09-09-2003, 10:01 AM
yeah thanks Darv.
when I've created a line and I need to extend it I'll use move with local set on, though sometimes the lines normal will dissapear and the local will just be the same as view. any ideas?
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