In SI we use both pivots and centers. Pivots lack rotation or at least I've never found how to use them so we use Centers for that.
Being able to use SRT in custom angles is quite useful. In SI you have centers and reference planes. You have also pivots. In Maya you only have a pivot that you can only specify it's position. The rotation axis works only for rotation and custom axis orientation are Translation and Scale tools options that work separately from the object rotation axis and you can only manipulate it in the viewport. And since it's a tool option you can only have 1 custom angle for translation and scale (1 per tool). You can't move, let's say, an object 10.54 units in diagonal 30 degrees without calculating it or scripting. In SI you can do it in a few seconds with precision and you have multiple ways to do it. You can't do this with components either in Maya. So, I think Maya needs at least half of the Softimage MCP. Martin On Wed, Apr 2, 2014 at 9:30 PM, Ponthieux, Joseph G. (LARC-E1A)[LITES] < j.ponthi...@nasa.gov> wrote: > All the time. Say I have an aileron, flap or other control surface on an > aircraft. Most of these surfaces ( in planform view) are similar to > trapezoids, parallelograms, or other irregular surfaces. More importantly > however most of these shapes have sides which are never parallel to an X or > Z axis and are often deviant in both axis (or diagonal). The rotation angle > for these surface are 99% of the time on the diagonal. So how do I deal > with this in Maya vs Softimage? > > > > Maya: I have to create a set of multiple nulls with custom rotations to > set up the angle of rotation properly for the surface. If I want to rotate > the surface I have to dig through all these nulls to get to the right one, > select and rotate it just to rotate the surface. > > > > Soft: I select Center, rotate it to the angle I need, select the object > and rotate. > > > > > > If I have to change the pivot after the fact: > > > > Maya: I have to deconstruct part of the hierarchy, rotate the null > responsible for the rotation angle, and then reconnect the hierarchy so > that Maya will not adversely rotate the objects underneath the rotation > angle. > > > > Soft: I select the Center and rotate. > > > > -- > > Joey Ponthieux > > LaRC Information Technology Enhanced Services (LITES) > > Mymic Technical Services > > NASA Langley Research Center > > __________________________________________________ > > Opinions stated here-in are strictly those of the author and do not > > represent the opinions of NASA or any other party. > > > > *From:* softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto: > softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] *On Behalf Of *Brent McPherson > *Sent:* Wednesday, April 02, 2014 4:56 AM > *To:* softimage@listproc.autodesk.com > *Subject:* Center mode (was RE: humanize Maya, SOFT top 5) > > > > So, do you folks really use Center mode all that much? > > > > That was really a pre-pivot workflow that XSI inherited from SI|3D and it > simply applies a transform to the object and a mirror transform to the > geometry thereby giving the *illusion* that that center has changed. Of > course, reset transforms will mess up the center. (unless you also set the > neutral pose) > > > > As someone who worked on that area in SI I'm really curious to know what > the main use cases for Center are? > > > > Thanks. > > -- > > Brent > > > > *From:* softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [ > mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com<softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com>] > *On Behalf Of *John Richard Sanchez > *Sent:* 27 March 2014 16:38 > *To:* XSI List to post > *Subject:* Re: humanize Maya, SOFT top 5 > > > > So I got my first Maya job in years and here I am trying to figure out how > to rotate a Pivot ( center in xsi). No you cant rotate a center in Maya you > can just move it. WTF???? > > > > >
