Quote - > Quote - I see you have asked this question elsewhere, without success.

I appologize for that. I did ask something along these lines in the 3ds max section but it seemed like an impossible task using that perticular program, so I figured to ask again but this time search for an entirly new program to achieve my goals.

What I'm aiming to do is create a set of fruit themed charecters through a series morphs applied to the popular victoria and micheal charectors. I have some fruit shaped objects that I would like to take attributes form to create morphs of. I don't just want huge fruit with faces and legs, I want to try to get something a good deal more interesting.

I can go into more detail if needed.

It's not impossible in 3dsmax.  In fact, if my understanding of your question is correct, there are probably 3 different modifiers you can use, and probably 2 or 3 plugins I can think of offhand that can do it.  Not to mention maxscripts.  There's a "wrapper" maxscript for free that does this, and several others free plugins.  There's also standard tools in 3dsmax 2010 and higher in the Graphite Modeling ribbon that can do this, including the "Conform To" tool.

If you haven't found a solution you like yet, and you have 3dsmax, contact me and I'll try to help point you to the right tools in Max to do what you need, as efficiently as possible.

Quote - Thank you!

You're welcome.  Enjoy.  I found out the Daz file isn't loading in DazStudio for some reason, but the OBJ will import just fine, using the Poser import preset settings in the import dialogue.  I didn't include material definitions, but the objects are UV mapped, so you could apply procedural materials, or slap on some tileable textures if you want.  There will be a warning that there are no materials defined when importing the OBJ, but just ignore that, and they should import fine.

If you open the .max file in 3dsmax, it's only compatible with 2012 or above.

BTW:  The chairs are now available for download in the Freestuff.  You can find them here:

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/details.php?item_id=70712

I got word that the Daz Studio scene file I provided isn't working for some reason, but if you want to use them in D|S, you can still import the .obj formats using the Poser preset unit scale option in D|S.  I don't have Poser, but I exported them from Max at a 0.04 scale ratio, which means the OBJ should import fine in Poser.  You may get a warning that there's no material definitions, but that's because I didn't include any, just ignore it.  The models are UV mapped, but there's no textures.  Procedural materials work fine for them.

The .max file format will work in 3dsmax versions 2012 or higher, without issue.  Feel free to contact me if there's anything else.

Thanks, all.

Quote - Things like this should be posted in the "FreeStuff" forum.

Yeah, well I included a Daz scene file of these objects in the zip, which is why I posted here.  Unfortunately, the .daz file format either became corrupted, or something went wrong when saving, since I had reports people couldn't open it in Daz|Studio. The OBJ file formats are included also, however, and those should import fine into D|S 4 or higher, using the Poser import scale presets.  If this thread is a problem in this forum, then I ask the mods to please delete it.  I don't believe I can do it manually myself.

Quote - it's possible to misclick and hide forums by mistake - I've done it a number of times! it's in a bit of a daft place really :)

I'm not even really sure where it's located.  I suppose I could have done it unwittingly myself.  I wasn't in the "My Forums" category, if that's where it is, or in any of my settings screens, so that's why I was so confused.  When my bro comes home, i'll ask him if maybe he was in my account.

Quote - Hi,

I don't see anything wrong with the Forum but I have logged in as you so that I can see what you are seeing and you have this forum unchecked as visible.  I have rechecked it for you and you shouldn't have a problem now.

Please let me know if you do.

Thanks

That's strange.  I never personally did that that I know of, unless my brother, who also has an account here, logged into my account accidentally on this computer, and made that change somehow accidentally.  Anyway, it's back to normal now, as you have said.  I appreciate your response.

Modo is a great application, but I haven't used it in about a year, because i'm used to a non-destructive modeling workflow, and Modo doesn't, or didn't at the time, didn't offer this.  Some sort of non-linear workflow, I suppose, could be had through reorganizing the command history options, but I'd prefer a much more parametric workflow, where modifiers, deformers, or even polygon and edge operations could be stacked and reorganized very simply in the process, as in the Modifier Panel of 3dsmax, or even to a lesser degree, hypergraph in Maya.

Have the newer versions added any kind of non-linear modeling features?

Well, I got this sorted with the help of some formula in Mathsurf 2 for 3dsmax.  PhilC: Let me know if you ever decide to release your cool looking plugin for Poser as a standalone product, or a plugin for other apps.  If it could output to OBJ or some other useful file format, I'd be happy to take it for a run.  Thanks.

Quote - Oh wow! :)

http://www.spidron.hu/main.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spidron

Nice!  Yep, that first website shows exactly what I'm trying to do, but there's no documentation or tuition on how to attack it from a modeling standpoint, using subdivision modeling techniques.  At least not that I read.  Perhaps I missed it.  I got close a few times just by messing around with edges on a icosahedron primitive, but that's about it.  I need this to be modeled as a solid, or i would simply use a 2D tessellation, and subpolygon displacement to give a quick result.

Quote - You may be interested in this:-

http://www.philc.net/freestuff.php

I say that to say this, do you have links to pages illustrating the geometric solid and its mathematical representation?

Is this for Poser?  I don't have Poser, but can I still download and use this?  It looks interesting.  I'm currently using this plugin for 3dsmax to explore some parametric and minimal mathematical surfaces:

Mathsurf 2

However, i don't have a formula for Spidron tessellation of a polyhedron.

By the way, if your goal is to create content for Poser, then go with Carrara.  After all, it's owned by Poser content manufacturers, so no doubt it will have shortcuts to allow this type of thing to be more efficient.

RPM can be tweaked in 3dsMax too, Mark, using "normalize time" settings in the Motion tab. No, it's not a simple slider function, but it's nowhere near a 20 min operation.  Anyway, check out Scriptspot.com or Maxplugins.de, and you will see that not everything is wallet-busting upgrades and plugins.  Max has a HUGE comminity of people creating FREE stuff for the application as well.  Perhaps one of the largest free repository communities in the industry.  So funny you should mention cost in a thread where someone has already said they will have to pay nothing for 3dsmax, as a student.  No offense to anyone.  Not looking for a fight, nor am I downplaying Carrara's usefulness.  Just seems funny that someone who can get 3dsmax for free would post in here if they should, and not even bother to post in the 3dsmax forum to get contrary or secondary opinions.  Seems the leverage is in favor of the "home field advantage" if you ask me.

Happy new year.

Quote - A couple of years ago, DAZ hired me to demo Carrara at SIGGRAPH. I was showing some other animation pro's how Carrara handles animating a helicopter and how easy it is use the Carrara tool set. They commented what I did in a couple of minutes would have taken 20 minutes in Max. But, stuff done in Carrara can't be ported to other render engines or exported consistently into something like FBX with predictable results on the other end. So, they walked away, wishing they could use Carrara in the work-place but knew it was never going to happen. 

Wow.  Wonder what studio they work for?  20 minutes to animate a helicopter in Max isn't exactly accurate.  Although, it would depend highly on the animation and model in question, but just to get propellers spinning, it would literally take 10 seconds.  Just hit the animate button, move the timeslider, and then rotate the blades.  To make them spin faster, just rotate them more.  To lift off, just create an animation path from a spline, and link the entire helicopter to it, then it's off.  That's certainly not a 20 min operation in Max. ;)

However, for a much more complex model, with many animateable parts that may need to be scripted, etc., then even a Maxscript to animate those complex functions would only take 10 min to write. Oh well.