Introduction to Maya - Modeling Fundamentals Vol 2
This course will look in the fundamentals of modeling in Maya with an emphasis on creating good topology. It's aimed at people that have some modeling experience in Maya but are having trouble with complex objects.
# 1 22-03-2009 , 02:41 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 2

building windows, an easy way?

Hello,
I'm trying to model a large towerblock, and the windows need to be recessed, with a window ledge sticking out under each one. There are many windows and I can't find a simple method for doing them all. I'll describe how I'm doing them (which is very slow) and if anyone can tell me a nicer way it would be greatly appreciated.

for each column of windows I've used the split poly tool to cut two vertical lines for the window edges, then for every window I've made similar horizontal splits, after making sure these were aligned I used extrude to push in the windows then again on the faces below to make the ledges... then after they were all made I did vertex manipulations to get them all the same size. It's a very time consuming processes.
Any advice would be greatly apprecated.

thanks.

# 2 22-03-2009 , 08:28 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: NZ
Posts: 3,125
if everything is the same you can just make one part of the wall with a window
duplicate that
move the duplicate around to get it into position
you can change the pivot point and snap it to a particular vertex so then you can precisely move the duplicated geometry inline with the other one
or you could use duplicate special and do a translate

select all the geometry, mesh > combine (or hit the button on the polygon shelf), go to vertex selection mode, select all the verticies, find the merge vertecies option box button in the modelling menu set, change your threshold to something low, like 0.01, hit apply and everything is combined happily

if things are all different then you don't have much of a choice but to do them one by one, or do what i said above and then change the windows after.




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# 3 22-03-2009 , 11:14 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2007
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That's very good advice thanks. I'd rulled out doing duplicates because I wasn't sure how to build the wall around the windows... I never thought of duplicating a piece of wall with the window, that makes a lot of sense, thanks very much.

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