Max like Photoshop/Quark Guides

[jujubee]

Does anybody know of any scripts/plugins that would simulate a photoshop/quark type ruler guide that could be dragged out in a viewport? I only really care about the side, top, and bottom views- not the user, camera, or perspective. It would come in so handy if there was one just because I use them to align so much. I'm sure that everyone that uses these other programs would certainly agree.

-jujubee

[J_Bug]

A workaround I've found is to use the edge of the viewport as a temporary guide. The snap function is useful also.

--Jon

[jujubee]

I do that as well as make boxes. Still a pain any way you look at it.

[RErender]

You can create a grid object and align it to view and move it where you want it.

[jujubee]

guess that works too- it must mess with your selections however- must be a constant pain to have to turn it on and off. so far- no guides like all other 2d graphics packages?!?

There's a plugin idea for somebody. it would be nice if you could pull up a ruler bar also. I think everyone would use it too...

[Dynedain]

so far- no guides like all other 2d graphics packages?!?

Max is not a 2D graphics package and as such the workflow is much different. However, using snap, invisible objects, grids, etc, you should have no problems doing what you are thinking of. Just take a look at any other 3D package, its not really a viable method of workflow.

[jujubee]

I think anybody with half a brain would know its not a 2d graphics program.

But I have to respectfully disagree with you- using snaps is a totally different method of workflow albeit a very very handy one. I've found the guides I described to be extremely useful in other packages and there's really no reason why they couldn't be incorporated here (as well as some border rulers.) If you took those guides away from Quark, Illustrator, Fireworks, Flash, and Photoshop, people would be screaming bloody murder. That would be outrageous. Agreed? And why can't they be implemented? Just because you wouldn't use it doesn't mean other's couldnt. Chances are you don't rely on them much in other graphics packages. And chances are you never have really worked in print either...

[Dynedain]

Chances are you don't rely on them much in other graphics packages. And chances are you never have really worked in print either...

I work with print and 2D every day. And yes I use the snaps, guidelines, and rulers in those 2D packages extensively.

My point was that workflow for 3D is drastically different from 2D. Guidelines and rulers quickly become more of a pain in 3D than a solution. FormZ is a 3D modeling program that has the rulers on the sides of the window. They are completely and utterly useless. As soon as you drop into a perspective or orthographic 3D view, they dont do anything. And from a theoretical standpoint, they can't. How are you going to determine where in the scene they are measuring? Where is the 'projection plane' (if you've ever accurately constructed 3D perspective drawings by hand you'll know what I mean). Guides and rulers are relative to the viewport, so in 2D they work since the viewport is 2D. But in 3D they are ineffective since they are still 2D, but the space your work is in is 3D.

I use Photoshop on a daily basis (and not just for 3D work) as well as Flash, PowerCAD (and AutoCAD), Dreamweaver, FormZ, Illustrator, Max, Combustion, Premiere, etc, etc, on very frequent basis. So yes, I fully understand the difference between a 2D app and a 3D one and how that impacts the workflow and methodolgy.

[Syclone1]

Actually guides like the ones in the 2D apps would be kinda useless as your dealing with 3D space. If you realy need something like guides you mite want to try using straight spline lines as they wont render unless you set them to. Or you could do as suggested before and use the grids as these are basically your 3D guides.

-dave

[suurland]

Sonds useless to me too.

/Thomas

[jujubee]

you guys can be harsh critics.

When I'm modeling an object (especially working in vertex mode) I'm often working from a flat perspective- top. right, front, and left. Perspective at that point is just for reference. It's 2D as far as I'm concerned when viewing from fixed 90 degree angles. When aligning vertices it would be nice to have something to guage with. And I don't understand how it could even remotely be a hindrance as I know shortcuts in other programs to toss these guides in a split second. If it's that much a pain- don't use it then. Turn it off. Or better yet don't install it to begin with.

Earlier today I was trying to fix someone else's incorrectly modeled beveled corner with its opposite corresponding vertice without having to redo everything. This was a highpolygonal model too with about 250,000 plus vertices in one single mesh. You can imagine it can get a little bit too confusing when seeing a whole sea of confusing blue dots in front of you. My monitor isn't the biggest (this is a luxury for some)- so I often have to scroll back and forth constantly in order to 'guess' if something is on the same vertical/horizontal plane. Or I have to go through the pain in the a** method of making a box or a grid object in order to see what I'm doing (which has turned out to be quite a regular mind-numbing habit- I'm more of a short-cut person.) I'm unaware of a vertice align tool for Max like Illustrator has (which I find truly indespensible in that particular application.) That would also be a good workaround. Most of you know that scrolling across a viewport often pans a screen up and down- therefore making you lose vertical positioning. Perhaps there is a shortcut for this- I'd love to know.

I understand that some of you wouldn't rely on something like this. For scenes that can be based on primitives it's not really useful- though in subobject mode on a very minute and detailed objects such as a sculptures is where it would come in handy. It's completely uneccesarry if you have a large monitor, an extraordinary sense of balance, or working on architectural models based on primitives that don't have all sorts of funny angles. There are many people that aren't anal about symmetry- and to me that's extremely bad mojo and it often reflects somewhere down the road in their designs.

I'm not trying to put down max or bash anyone for that matter for their particular work habits. All I'm saying is that you can give someone the option to have it. I guess one man's trash is another man's treasure.

[axesaxes]

Re: Max like Photoshop/Quark Guides

Does anybody know of any scripts/plugins that would simulate a photoshop/quark type ruler guide that could be dragged out in a viewport? I only really care about the side, top, and bottom views- not the user, camera, or perspective. It would come in so handy if there was one just because I use them to align so much. I'm sure that everyone that uses these other programs would certainly agree.

-jujubee

illusratotor is a good package for modelling in 2d. it's only a pain in the ass to import it in max. so what you have to do is to import it first in FormZ and export is as 3ds.

[suurland]

sorry jujubee but I just can't follow you, I can't see the use of such rulers.

Also if you want to align a bunch of vertices to the x, y or z axis all you have to do it select them all and non-uniform scale them to 0% easiest is to use the transform type-in and just right click the spinner.

/Thomas

[Syclone1]

Well if you could get some sort of guides that you could drag in I imagine that they would end up looking like a Transform gizmo because your dealing with 3D space the guides would have to apear in all the viewports and droping just a few in the scene would end up making the scene quite congested. I imagine this is why most if not all 3D apps use some sort of grid system for "guides" rather than the type you find in 2D apps.

-dave

[jujubee]

I dont think they need to be part of any 3 dimensional perspective- they would just need to overlay in strictly the front, top, left, right, and bottom viewports. Doesn't have to appear in all of them. Then they would just automatically disappear if you rotate the view- reappear if you go back into that particular view until you decide to clear them.