#Suggestions
18 messages in this thread
Here are three things which I would like to see in 3DS 2.0:
1. While scaling objects in the 3d editor, it would be helpful to have
the ability to first measure the object with the tape and then have the
actual change in units (feet, inches, etc) show in the display — in
addition to the percentage of scaling. Example: If I want to scale a door
from 8 feet to 7 feet high, it would be nice to have the display tell me
when I've hit 7 feet — so I don't have to get out a calculator.
2. I would very much like to be able to 2d scale an object from one
side. In the example of a door, if I scale it down I then have to
reposition it as the 2d scale function affects both top and bottom instead
of just the top OR bottom.
3. I would also like to have a "show materials" command which would
list all objects with the materials assigned to them.
I realize there may be ways to do all this now that I don't know about. I'd
appreciate any tips.
Thanks
Alec Jason
2. Check out the Local Axis icon on page 4-5 of the Ref. manual, plus the
Modify/Axis branch in the 3D Editor and 2D Shaper.
3. Try Scene Info in the Info menu and Surface/Material/Show or
Surface/Material/Acquire.
– Jack
2. Yes, the Modify/Axis function will do it. Thanks. (I could not figure
this out from the reference manual.)
3. I was asking for a "show materials AND objects" feature on the screen –
not on paper or disk. If there is a way to display this data on screen, I
have still not found it.
Alec Jason
Surface/Material/Show
and
Surface/Material/Acquire
– G
Alec,
#2. Try selecting just verticies of the door that need to be scaled
(probbably all the verticies except the bottom-most). Select the top
verticies of the door and then do a modify/vertex/2d scale(selected button
on), this will leave the bottom of the door in the same place. (Make sure
that you hit the tab key until you get the exact scaleing you need.)
You can also set the tape to the height that you need (from the bottom of
the door) and scale till it hits the right height.
Hope that helps,
James
James,
Thank you very much for your advice. Your method seems a bit more
complicated than just placing the axis at the bottom of the door and then
scaling from the top (I THINK that is what Yost Group Jack was trying to
tell me).
I have only briefly tested the axis method and I'll try yours. I am very
grateful for your help. thank you.
Alec Jason
You're right, Alec, that's what I was "hinting" at. In fact, that's one of
the main reasons there's a moveable axis. You can get a lot of strange
effects using the Modify tools in both the 3D Editor and the 2D Shaper by
first moving the global axis.
– J
Yes, I have worked with the moveable axis method last night and it does
work very well for 2D scaling from one It's probably just me but I have no
idea why it works as the term "axis" would seem to relate only to a
rotation function. But it does work and it saved me quite a bit of work
Question:
I have noted that a flic file I created was reduced by about 50% when I
changed the walls (its the interior of a house) from blue wireframe to
white matte. I was surprised that the file size would be reduced that
much.Does the wireframe to solid change reduce the file size simply because
the machine does not have to draw the otherwise hidden lines?
Also: is the rendering time of a frame affected by the amount of objects
in that particular frame? Example: If I have a scene with many objects,
will the rendering time be different for a wide view and a close-up view
(of just one object) ?
Alec Jason
Uh, have you read the documention? Axis is very clearly described.
The flic was smaller when you made the walls solid because the wireframe
walls caused more deltas than the plain, solid, surface. Plus, your matte
material didn't have a highlight, and you probably weren't dithering the
output. Both of those things contribute to very small delta updates.
Rendering time is more affected by the number of pixels the objects are
occupying, rather than the total number of objects (unless you've got a
HUGE number of objects, or lots of transparent objects in front of each
other).
– G
Uh, yes I have read the documentation and I think it could be better. Uh.
Alec Jason
Uh, to quote from the description of Modify/Object../2D Scale on page
7-111, "With Modify/Object…/2D Scale you can scale one or more object(s)
to and from the global or local axis. For detailed information on the
difference between the two axes, see "The Local and Global Axes" on page
7-13."
Pretty clear. Uh.
– G
Well, here wer are flicking "UH" objects at each other. It is not what I
want to do. I love 3DS and plan to do much with it in the future.
I have become quite aware that you do not welcom my questions and comments.
You appear to dislike me for reasons I don't understand. If I have
offended you or your fine program in the past, I did not mean to do so. I
thought one of the primary functions of this forum is to allow users to ask
questions and get answers from you or your staff. It may be that you resent
or otherwise find objectionable "dumb" questions. Some of my questions
have been in that category. I did not know that this was not permitted —
and I must say that it is difficult for a new user to know which questions
will turn out to be the dumb ones until the answer comes.
Several users have contacted me to ask "what's going on?" I've told them
that I have no idea what started this. I really don't and again, I'd like
to apologize for offending you if I have. I'd like to be able to
communicate with you regarding 3DS but only on a friendly, professional
basis. I'm here to learn and to help other users — not to squabble — and
I think you share those goals.
My feeling on this matter is that if you do provide assistance to users via
this forum as a matter of policy, then I think you should be more
professional in your response and please don't be so quick to take offense
(particularly when none was intended.) If, as I now suspect, you are not
providing assistance as a professional responsibilty but only as a courtesy
to those whom you find worthy, then please state that and I will not
contact you in the future. You need not respond to this; I'll get the
message.
Alec Jason
Gee, I had no intent to upset you so much with my "uh's". I must be
getting a littly touchy due to sleep deprivation. Sorry about that.
This is nothing personal. You can probably tell that I've gotten a little
curt with most people on the forum lately due to my workload with r2. I
haven't had two days off in a row since early September, and my psyche is
starting to wear a little thin.
Feel free to ask any questions you want, and I promise to keep my "uh's" to
myself.
– G
My 2 cents (for what it's worth). I was really getting a kick out of your
dialogue with Gary <g>. He merely pointed out that your question was
answered in the manual. Dont' forget: he WROTE it <g>. And most of us
have had the same thing happen. It's no big deal. Uh, whatta ya think?
Ken Loss-Cutler
Hey Ken, are you trying to "UH" me? <G>
I guess we've been entertainng a bunch of people from the non-forum
reaction I've had over this stuff. My response wasn't about something being
in the manual — it goes back further than that but its all over now. I
want to get along with The Creator, the Apostles, and everyone else. I just
hope to keep moving objects and keying frames. I do like this 3DS.
Alec Jason
-G,
Okay, I've just gotta ask this question…
What do you mean by "delta updates"?
-L (SF Users group—You wanted me to ask this, so I did. So please quit
calling me about it!! <:*)
Laurie:
The difference between each screen in terms of the movement of colors
between pixels is called the delta information. To make modifications of
the screen contents, Animator tracks only those pixels that require a
change. Thus, when ALL of them change as opposed to ONE of them changing,
the amount of memory required to manage the task is obviously considerably
different. Get a copy of 'Using Animator' for a bunch of other definitions.
C#
Craig,
Got it!
I have the book so I'll check it out in detail. Thanks.
Laurie
(SF Group: Got it? 😉 )