scale axis

# 1 13-12-2002 , 11:49 AM

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Join Date: Jul 2002

Posts: 3

Hi, anyone know a good way to scale along an arbitrary axis. Say in the pic here i wanna scale that arm along an axis that follows the direction of the arm rather than the global x,y,z one. Seems you cant change the pivot? In Max it would let you pick another object's axis to scale around surely you can do this in maya too!?

cheers - Aten.

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# 2 13-12-2002 , 04:26 PM

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Join Date: Aug 2002

Posts: 1,135

Good Question!
I want to know this too!!!

Anybody?

I do not support Bush! Nor Saddam! Long live UN!

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# 3 13-12-2002 , 04:34 PM

The Maya Mountain
Join Date: Aug 2002

Location: Seattle, WA

Posts: 8,245

I believe I know, but I need to confirm... I'll get back to you. user added image

-Mike
The Maya Toolbelt

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# 4 15-12-2002 , 11:51 AM

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Join Date: May 2002

Location: Faringdon, UK

Posts: 1,480

ooh interesting, mines seem to use local coordinates all the time when scaling
you would expect there to be an option for the scale to be run using world and object

- Simon

My Website: www.Glass-Prison.com

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# 5 15-12-2002 , 12:49 PM

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Join Date: Aug 2002

Posts: 1,135

Here is a trick!

I think I used this once or twice.

Instead of trying to manipulate the pivot points axis';
1) Make a primitive
2) Rotate the primitive to align it to the objects you are about to scale bigger
3) Parent the whole thing to the, say a cube.
4) Adjust the cubes pivot point if needed, to make your bunch of objects scale bigger or smaller from a certain centerpoint.
5) Then scale the children by scaling the parent cube.

I'm sure this works. Your objects will inherit the scale-axis' of the cube.

I do not support Bush! Nor Saddam! Long live UN!

Last edited by undseth; 15-12-2002 at 12:51 PM.

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# 6 15-12-2002 , 12:51 PM

The Maya Mountain
Join Date: Aug 2002

Location: Seattle, WA

Posts: 8,245

Ok, I took a look at this...

When you create an object and try to scale the vertices, it will scale along the object.

UNLESS

You've frozen transformations... Freezing transformations makes the object "freeze" at its current position and resets the channel controls back to default, which when you created the object were aligned with the world coordinates. So, it's still scaling with local coordinates, but your local axis happens to match your world axis...

Hope that made sense. user added image

-Mike
The Maya Toolbelt

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# 7 16-12-2002 , 09:37 AM

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Join Date: Jul 2002

Posts: 3

Yeah the parent thing worked, but it doesnt work on a selection set of verts unfortunately - only at object level. Seems stupid you cant change the scale axis easily - should tell A/W. I was thinking there must be a simple way of doing it if no-ones missed it til now.

cheers.

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