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 16-08-2010 , 02:13 AM
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3 shortcut - too many smooth divisions why?

Hi i was hoping i could get some help or a solution.

Has anyone done this tutorial?
https://www.digitaltutors.com/09/trai...cid=5&pid=3442
(2. Blocking in geometry for the head)

I am on video 2, and i am blocking in the head, but for some reason when i hit my 3 shortcut on my keyboard whilst using maya 8.5, it creates too many smooth divisions, and i am not sure why.

Can someone explain to me why this is happening as i am trying to do this tutorial, and it's not doing the same number of divisions as in the tutorial, i may post photos of my head model and the one in the tutorial to show you the difference in divisions, i have tried polygon settings etc. but no difference or could not match it.

If someone out there who is an expert in Maya 8.5 or knows what i mean then feel free to post some insight or if there is an explanation, then feel free to show us.

Thanks!

# 2 16-08-2010 , 07:28 AM
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Post some pics I think??

cheers bullet


bullet1968

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# 3 16-08-2010 , 07:48 AM
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here are some picc to give you an idea

Here are some pictures i have uploaded to show you what my maya 8.5 is doing every time i hit the 3 shortcut key, it adds wayy too many divisions when i am blocking in the head.

So if anyone has any ideas feel free to post them or tell me the whole reasoning to what the 3 shortcut does or through the menu's what is close to this shortcut etc.


-- By the way look at the title of the file name for each picture, they are named, before/after and from what the tutorial is meant to do.


Thanks heaps guys.

Attached Files
File Type: zip smoothing.zip (206.3 KB, 353 views)
# 4 16-08-2010 , 10:33 AM
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I cant replicate this mate. The only way I can get it to do anything is to add divisions throught the edit mesh menu. Have you set some hot keys of your own??

cheers bullet


Anyone else had this?


bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes
# 5 16-08-2010 , 10:38 AM
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hey, how do you mean, does your shortcut key also provide too many divisions, or smooths it way too much?


yehh i have the 3 key setup to smooth, but you can access the same control through the menus. Under Mesh - SMooth and you can access the options by clicking the small box in the menu.



does anyone else know why it is doing this?

# 6 16-08-2010 , 10:45 AM
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Ok there are 2 smooths....one is setup by default. I dont think 8.5 has a smooth preview (I cant remember my last version dammit!!) Ok I had ver 8.0 and there wasnt a smooth preview...8.5 I cant remember.

If you use 'Mesh-Smooth' dont forget to CTRL Z otherwise it will bake with the smooth on...and you cant get it back. Trust me Ive done it...

DID you setup the 3 key yourself to smooth???

On the 'NUM' pad press 1 then 2 then 3 and see what happens??


bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes
# 7 16-08-2010 , 10:45 AM
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Have a look at "windows, preferances, modelling" scroll down to the bottom default tangant smothing should be at 0.............not sure if this is it as Im in the middle of something but give it a try..........dave




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# 8 16-08-2010 , 10:59 AM
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If you are using 'Mesh>Smooth' from the menu at the top or the icon it WILL double up on the faces...its a proper smooth. The other "Smooth" is just a preview smooth...it is set by default in the numbers 1,2,3 for different smooth tolerances. 1 is none..2 is half....3 is total smooth (what it will look like when you use the Mesh>Smooth).

I got the two confused when I first started. If you have changed the 'Mesh>Smooth' to a hotkey and assigned it to number 3 then you would have overwritten the original default.

Hope this helps

cheers bullet


bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes
# 9 16-08-2010 , 11:18 AM
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i had a go, but still the same - tangent is on 0

OK i had a look at the preferences and i changed them, it was on 0 as default, i changed the value also and it didn't do much when i went to Mesh - SMooth.

I set up the 3 shortcut myself, but by default it should be the same thing as mesh smooth.

I tried both ways though 3 key and mesh smooth, no difference. I also tried 1 and 2. nothing happens, thats why i went about setting up the 3 shortcut.


Thanks for the explanation, thats what i was told, but i wasn't quite clear before.


hmm. so how would i go about doing this tut then, a smooth is used but not as sophisticated as the result im getting/too much of a smooth.


Is there another setting within maya that has been overlooked, i have had a play with the mesh smooth settings, maybe i didn't hit the exact one?

# 10 16-08-2010 , 11:27 AM
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If nothing happens when you hit 1,2,3 that means Maya 8.5 doesnt have the smooth preview.

Smooth preview and Mesh Smooth are 2 different things mate. The preview is just that...a preview. The Mesh Smooth is a final proper smooth...if you use that then save it...you are buggered as it will BAKE it with all those divisions.

Remember they are TWO different types of smooth

cheers bullet


bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes
# 11 16-08-2010 , 04:19 PM
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Bullet's right... 8.5 doesn't have smooth mesh preview I'm pretty sure.
Create a nurbs sphere, and hit 1,2,3, and 1 again. That's what smooth mesh preview does for polygons in newer versions of maya. I think it's probably not a good idea to have 3 be the shortcut for mesh > smooth, since this is an actual operation on the mesh, instead of just a preview that can easily be reverted.

Not sure how to replicate what the tutorial is doing, you could just hit undo after every smooth, but be careful not to forget and also delete the history. You can change the number of divisions the smooth does, which might get you closer to what you're seeing in the tut. Hope that helps.

# 12 16-08-2010 , 11:39 PM
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Ok i created a nurbs sphere and pressed the 2 key and then 1 key, 1 key takes you back to the original state of the sphere, 2 makes it with a few more divisions.

The only thing is my imac is not intel so i can't upgrade to Maya above 8.5.

I will try to do what you have said, though i have for months been trying to do this tut, and this is where i am at a block.

If anyone knows a quick way around it, then let us know, but i will still be trying out your method.

Thanks guys.

# 13 17-08-2010 , 12:14 AM
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Ok if it gives it more divisions it means it has smooth preview. I would set you hotkey back to the default. Otherwise it will bake in that Mesh Smooth if you delete history or save...then you will have to start again...its really hard to get it back to low poly.

IF you have set the 3 key to Mesh Smooth you have overwritten the default program smooth preview. Just undo it if you can. With the Smooth Preview added to the program using Mesh Smooth is unnecessary.

cheers bullet


bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes
# 14 17-08-2010 , 12:46 AM
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Sorry bullet, EsSentiallyMaYa was using that for NURBs, cause I wanted to show what the functionality of the preview was (i.e. going back and forth between different smooth preview states without actually changing the mesh).

So I don't think there is smooth mesh preview on 8.5, but it would still be a good idea to unbind the 3 hotkey, it won't do you any favours. Note that you can always set the divisions in the smooth history back to 0 if you have saved, but still have the history.

# 15 17-08-2010 , 01:08 AM
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Yeh stwert I realised that after I posted...had to run out and level some sewers....all good man.

cheers bullet

Unbind was the word I was looking for too mate...thanks


bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes
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