Combine and Merge

# 1 24-05-2005 , 03:33 PM

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Join Date: May 2004

Location: Utah, USA

Posts: 369

We all do things without knowing exactly why but I'd like to know the answer to this one;

When building a model, if you duplicate your "half" model to become the other half (like in the dinosaur tutorial) then COMBINE the original half and the copy, why do you have to MERGE vertices from the 2 halves? Is it a must or is it just something you have to do if you plan on converting to SubDs?

Also,
I noticed that if you combine 2 poly objects, they keep their own UVs and material. When I made my dinosaur model this worked well for the inside of its mouth. I didn't have to worry about trying to paint each of the model's teeth. The teeth were grouped together then combined with the gums model.. The gums model had one texture and the teeth had another.. The question is, what if I didn't want them to have seperate UVs and materials. Would I have to Either Boolean them together or merge their vertices/edges? Can someone explain this?

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# 2 31-05-2005 , 09:14 PM

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Booleaning them together would make them share uvs and therefore at least initial textures.
However, some things to consider;
- if your model is not a totally enclosed volume (ie - the centerline split of the dino is not a face or series of faces, but is rather an open hole), then the object is (if I remember correctly) non-manifold geometry, and will not Union along that edge/face. Depending on the situation, it will not boolean at all, even if you close the face or combine it with another shape.
- secondly, if you have initially textured your model, then booleaned it, wierd things 'might' happen to your textures (especially if the have maps assigned). This is largely due to the fact that the program will try and fit all the new connections (and the stuff from both previous objects) into the square - you can end up with several different pieces using the same texture this way (probably not what you want). Most likely you'd have to re-map the mesh (so texture after the entire model is done).
- you might be able to get the object to share a single map if you tell it re-auto map the object, but I haven't tried it (that I remember), so no idea what will happen....

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# 3 01-06-2005 , 06:55 PM

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Thank you for the information. user added image

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# 4 01-06-2005 , 07:25 PM

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combining places mutliple polygon objects under a single node, but it does not make them a single continous mesh. this is way the retain their own UV sets. if you plan to animate, I believe the preference is to have a single mesh, at least of the main body. accessories and acoutrements may be parented to a model

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