Complex UV Layout in Maya
Over the last couple of years UV layout in Maya has changed for the better. In this course we're going to be taking a look at some of those changes as we UV map an entire character
# 16 13-04-2012 , 08:12 PM
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Seriously? When it says "Open Script Editor for details."? What part of that is confusing? I am just asking that he post the full error message from the script editor or am I being unclear?

The reason it seems like a pissing contest is because he can't seem to provide any helpful details other then his poly to subd conversion is failing and everyone is trying to guess an answer with no bloody useful information!

If the message he posted on the original post is all that was all the data from the full detailed message in the script editor then is it hard to say that?

If that is the full message form the script editor then the most likely caused is bad geo although, in my experience, you normally get a message about non-manifold geo or internal valance verts, etc in the full error message in the script editor or as mentioned blind data nodes in the subd node graph.

In his reply he still does not show the full message from the script editor for the convert poly to subd and is clearly trying to apply a convert subd to polygon on a polygon surface! So that is no help!

All I was asking for was a complete description of the problem and the full error message from the damn script editor otherwise you may as well say "There is a yellow light on my dash board. Please tell me exactly what is the problem and how to fix it?".


I just saw this....man!!

CTBram: Dude, we are all clutching at straws when it comes to helping people out, its Maya, it could a hundred things, but I have had this stuff with Sds before over the last 8 years here and its the same old thing over and over.....Enough info was provided...he cant convert the poly to an SD - period.

My own comment was purely a reaction to Bullets comment, being the cheeky chappie that he is. So lets please keep in on a level. Thanks


Omegaend: its a simple fix on the mesh as it always is...mail me dude and I'll have a gander, should take 5mins.....

Jay

# 17 13-04-2012 , 09:07 PM
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I have also seen my share of the // Error: Command polyToSubdiv failed. Open Script Editor for details. // message but I have never seen it give absolutely no clue to the error in the body of the detailed message in the script editor and therefore I asked to see the full message.

The requirement to be all quads was removed years ago. Models with ngons and tri's will convert although you will not get the best topology. The five most common errors are:

1. insufficient base mesh size
2. exceeding the maximum number of edges per vert but the default is 32 which is quite high and this will be displayed in the script editor.
3. non-manifold geometry which always shows up in the script editor log
4. it used to complain about valence-2 vertices (verts in the middle of an edge) but I believe that no longer throws an error, same with faces with zero area, and edges with zero length, and lamina faces, co-linear, and co-resident edges and verts.
5. The only one that I am not sure shows up in the script editor log is phanton subd nodes in the objects DAG. But this is easy to spot by simply looking for and cleaning phantom nodes in the object from the hypergraph or exporting the object as obj and then importing it back.


Since the error message is unclear, just upload the .ma so we can look at it.


"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

Last edited by ctbram; 14-04-2012 at 01:56 AM.
# 18 13-04-2012 , 09:31 PM
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The 'phantom nodes' are usually the blind data that only show in the hypergraph, they are complete bastards that just clog any scene up of this sort.

Mesh Cleanups thru maya are somewhat a lottery especially with edge lengths etc, the tolerances are just not accurate especially in 2011. As I work with smooth poly even on hard surface models Ive found with the cutting of loops to edges to keep them sharp throws up errors as maya thinks they are otherwise regardless of edge tolerances and so on, a real pain in the poly. The export of obj is always a last resort. But seeing as though .ma has been mentioned, try saving the file as an ma, this type of maya file does have its uses too as it can help clean the scene too, the file will possible be bigger but it also chucks the crap out of the scene, very useful when you have uv's on a model that tend to jump out of position too....

But yeah throw us an ma file

Jay

# 19 13-04-2012 , 10:12 PM
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The 'phantom nodes' are usually the blind data that only show in the hypergraph, they are complete bastards that just clog any scene up of this sort.

I still have that cleanup script you gave me years ago user added image


Imagination is more important than knowledge.
# 20 14-04-2012 , 12:31 AM
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Yeah, NURBs, and SubDs are notorious for leaving the blind data nodes. I have called them all kinds of names zombie, ghost, orphaned and some much less nice names and they can be a bitch sometimes to make go away and trying to make them go away can make all kinds of annoying things happen like materials go missing, the proxy cage and subd model become disassociated, things go invisible...

The sad thing is Jay, there is really no excuse for all these things to have lingered in Maya for so long. They really should have been fixed many revisions ago and if not fixed then made a priority but sadly it seems Autodesk is happy to leave a poorly implemented and outdated NURBs and Subd tool set in Maya simply to be able to claim in the marketing brochures that Maya supports SubD modeling and NURBs surfacing.


"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

Last edited by ctbram; 14-04-2012 at 12:35 AM.
# 21 14-04-2012 , 11:15 AM
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John: hahahaha awsome mate so do I, it comes in handy still

Rick: Totally, I'm in complete agreement. Apparently though the subd blind data nodes have their uses for animation and the more tech side of things in Maya, but dont ask me how LOL, they are a bloody hinderance in Modeling LOL.

Jay

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