If you are working with a lot of previz assets, this allows you to move things from there center without having to set their pivot.
On 2 April 2014 23:33, John Richard Sanchez <youngupstar...@gmail.com>wrote: > I don' know if you saw my rant about this on a Maya job I did last week > but all I can say is HELL YES we use the center a lot. I am not sure why > you even have to ask. > > > On Wed, Apr 2, 2014 at 5:50 PM, Ponthieux, Joseph G. (LARC-E1A)[LITES] < > j.ponthi...@nasa.gov> wrote: > >> I'm not sure I see how that would easily solve my problem without >> introducing other problems, risks, or complex workflow. I don't even see >> how it competes with Softimage's method. >> >> I have geometry that is sometimes generated in CAD or provided from other >> sources. The geometry, and its relative components often have to remain in >> their relative positions. But I need to define custom articulations. I >> often have more freedom to cheat on the articulations than I do on the >> topology. >> >> If in Maya I select the aileron, rotate it till the pivot matches the >> rotation angle I want, then select all the points of the aileron and >> attempt to back rotate them until the geometry matches its previous >> position against the new rotation angle, can I do that? Yes, but with >> caveats: >> >> 1. If I select components and proceed to back rotate the geometry by >> using the Channnel editor, why do I lose the numerical channel editor >> transform entries. This would have been the intuitive approach because >> that's how we do this with object selection. But there is no congruency >> here. It would be my first anticipation on how it might be achieved. >> >> 2. Might it be possible to eyeball the back rotation with just the >> manipulator? Yes, but what does that do to the accuracy of my geometry >> position? I might possibly be less concerned for the accuracy in the >> rotation angle than in the placement of the geometry. Either way one or the >> other must sacrificed. In this scenario Maya forces me to sacrifice >> geometry position. What if I don't want to sacrifice that? >> >> 3. What if I am rotating this on more than one axis? Can I use the >> Channel Editor's CV list to accomplish this? How do I know what vertex >> coordinates to enter here? Can I use it at all? Strike three in >> anticipating a potential method. >> >> 4. polyMoveVertex . So yes there is a way to do this in Maya. Assuming I >> have an object under another in a hierarchy I: >> >> a. select the child object that I want change its pivot angle >> >> b. rotate the object -30 degrees in Z >> >> c. select component type >> *in the event you were in component type already and selected the object >> from the outliner, component type is still active but object is selected, >> you then have to select object type and reselect component type just to get >> back to component selection or make a new component selection. >> >> d. select all components on the object >> >> e. go to polygon module (if you're not there already) >> >> f. go to Edit mesh -> Transform Component (I now get a >> polyMoveVertex operator in my Input stack). >> >> g. enter a positive 30 degrees in Z, geometry is now back rotated >> >> h. return to object type >> >> i. hit Edit -> Delete by Type -> History ( Assuming I have >> construction history on. Further why can't I just >> right-click delete history on this operator?) >> >> >> Yet how simple are any of these approaches compared to: >> >> Select the Object, Select Center, enter -30 at the Rotate >> transform? >> >> Yes in Maya I can do this, but is it easy? Is it risky if I tried to do >> it using solely a manipulator? Is it intuitive? Why must I use a >> polyMoveVertex operator to do this? Why can't I just switch to Component >> Type and maintain use of the Channel editor's Transform entries? How much >> planning is required? >> >> Is there another way in Maya to do this? I don't recall, I got used to >> making null rigs. >> >> In Maya its easier, more forgiving, and simpler to just go the null rig >> route. I think its potentially appropriate to argue that it might also be >> good form. It introduces far less risk or possibility of mis-selecting >> vertices, putting the vertices in the wrong place, damage to geometry. But >> it's not more intuitive than Center. >> >> Yes the null rig method can also be done in Softimage as an alternative >> method to using Center. Softimage also supports the vertex back-rotation >> through a Cluster. >> >> This is not an issue of whether Maya provides us the ability to do these >> things. It does. And very reliably. The question is whether it provides >> these abilities in an intuitive and user friendly manner. It's a matter of >> human factors. >> >> But to be fair, Softimage had its own issues with this problem. Just far >> fewer than Maya. >> >> -- >> Joey Ponthieux >> __________________________________________________ >> Opinions stated here-in are strictly those of the author and do not >> represent the opinions of NASA or any other party. >> >> >> > -----Original Message----- >> > From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:softimage- >> > boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Luc-Eric Rousseau >> > Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2014 11:26 AM >> > To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com >> > Subject: Re: Center mode (was RE: humanize Maya, SOFT top 5) >> > >> > On Wed, Apr 2, 2014 at 8:30 AM, Ponthieux, Joseph G. (LARC-E1A)[LITES] >> > <j.ponthi...@nasa.gov> wrote: >> > > 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. >> > >> > Is that always true in your scenarios? Moving center in Softimage is >> like >> > moving all the points of the geometry. (What brent calls "transforming >> the >> > geometry") Knowing that it does that, wouldn't the simplest work-around >> for >> > your specific scenario in Maya be to select all points and move/rotate >> them. >> >> > > > -- > www.johnrichardsanchez.com >
