Convert line to poly object makes it disappear

[tricky]

Could anyone explain how to turn the attached line into an editable poly - i.e. a face? If I right click and convert it to a poly in the normal way, it just disappears

curved object.zip

[AJ Jefferies]

If you apply an extrude you can see that max views the spline in the 'wrong' plane. There are multiple ways to fix this but as your object is already rotated 90 in the Y axis it's simples to rotate it back to zero in that axis, reset the xform then rotate it back. That should do the trick

[tricky]

If you apply an extrude you can see that max views the spline in the 'wrong' plane. There are multiple ways to fix this but as your object is already rotated 90 in the Y axis it's simples to rotate it back to zero in that axis, reset the xform then rotate it back. That should do the trick

Sorted. Thanks. Bugs the hell out of me when I can't simply right click and say 'turn to poly object' though. Why have these extra steps?

[super gnu]

i usually create a circle or something in the top view, convert to editable spline, attach my shape to it then delete the circle spline.

[AJ Jefferies]

Why have these extra steps?

The simple answer is - nothing in 3d software is as simple as it looks

[zeronove]

i usually create a circle or something in the top view, convert to editable spline, attach my shape to it then delete the circle spline.

This is exactly the same I usually do, but it's a workaround; I'm wondering if somone else know which should be the "correct way" to fix that kind of splines?

[plastic_]

I think this is a pretty correct way. The problem is that splines have some kind of normal-coordinates stored into it, it depends on the viewport side it was created. It's like a pivot, but there is no way to change it later in max, so the best way is to attach it to a empty spline with the desired direction pivot, which is usually a spline generated in a top-view.

[AJ Jefferies]

It's like a pivot, but there is no way to change it later in max

As I mention above you can also rotate it 90 degrees to correct the axis then use an XForm modifier to rotate it 90 degrees back - or select the spline and rotate it at the subobject.

They're all doing essentially the same thing though

[trixian]

These kinds of modifiers and operations will use the objects transform matrix to determine its direction in relation to the world. The extrude modifier always extrudes in the objects Z axis.
Using the "helper spline" way is the absolute easiest way to quickly get splines set up correct. Turn on autogrid (set the settings to local coordinate in the snap setup first) and draw helper splines on all surfaces you need your splines aligned to. Then attach them through each helper spline.