Question about creating objects

# 1 19-08-2013 , 07:47 PM

Trying
Join Date: Aug 2013

Posts: 38

When you create any object, say a Polygon Cube for example, the help info will tell you drag on grid and then up, which works good. But I was wondering if you can create objects without having to return to the grid though?
Like if I have a large object I'm creating and I want to add a shape somewhere far from the grid but make it right where I am already so I can just fit in the shape without having to move it from the grid to the place again.

Also, can you customize the grid so that it goes on like the x-axis for example so if I'm viewing from another angle I still see the grid? I looked at the grid options and on the maya user's guide but I don't see any options for that, though perhaps I missed something.

Thank you.

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# 2 19-08-2013 , 09:16 PM

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You can make this larger object 'live'(Modify>Make Live or hit the right most magnet icon on the status line). Now interactively draw the new primitives on said live object. Make 'unlive' when you're done.

I'm not quite sure I completely understand the second question. If you show grid numbers then they are visible through objects but the actual grid lines aren't. If you want to see the grid lines then you want to try turning on xray mode(Shading>Xray). Unfortunately it does become difficult to impossible to see the grid through multiple objects shaded in xray mode. If this becomes the case then I guess good ol' wireframe mode will work best.

- Genny
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# 3 19-08-2013 , 10:19 PM

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Join Date: Aug 2013

Posts: 38

Thanks for the reply! Yeah, sorry for not being too clear. Maybe this screenshot can help:

user added image

For the first question, when I create something it restricts me to only create it on the grid. But say I wanted to make a box that was under that huge box, out of range from the grid, how could I do that?

For the second question, I mean the default grid you get when you start a new scene with the black crosshair and the gray lines and all that. It's like flat, facing up/down on the y-axis. So if I rotated my camera to like the Front perspective view for example, I'd see the grid flat, but could I see another grid that faced forward on the z-axis? Sorry if this still doesn't make sense.

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# 4 20-08-2013 , 01:24 AM

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Yep, you can make the larger cube live then draw the new primitives on it or use the ortho views to draw them. It makes sense that the interactive primitive creation needs a 2D plane because I doubt Maya can take an arbitrary 2D mouse cursor position and translate that into actual 3D coordinates. As for the second question, as far as I know, Maya does not work like that, you can use the ortho views for this as well.

- Genny
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# 5 20-08-2013 , 04:27 AM

Trying
Join Date: Aug 2013

Posts: 38

Alright, I'll do that.Thanks again!

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# 6 20-08-2013 , 03:22 PM

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Go Create>PolygonPrimitives and uncheck Interactive Creation. This will make a primitive at the origin without having to 'drag' one out. As for the creation in the local space you are looking at, that I am not sure of.

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bullet1968

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

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# 7 20-08-2013 , 03:26 PM

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I will add, if you leave the Interactive checked, you can hit the insert key and use a vert as a base grid...my bad...just tried it and it works. Didnt check the snap to grid sorry.

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bullet1968

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

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