Beginner - Mirror Object - Center Axis? - Simply Maya User Community

# 1 11-03-2014 , 03:28 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2014

Posts: 3

Beginner - Mirror Object - Center Axis?

Hey hey,

so i'm a beginner in Maya because i worked with cinema 4d for years now.
My Problem is that i want to Mirror an Objekt by using the "duplicate special" function,
but when i do this i always get this little gap between the parts.

user added image

I think the problem is that my "pivot" isn't centered?

user added image

but i realy can't figure out how to center this thing with my vertexes on the edge,
is there some kind of numeric window i can just type in the coordinates of the pivot?

would be gerate to get some hints about how to solve this problem! user added image

best greetings,
haiqu

Quote

# 2 11-03-2014 , 06:42 PM

Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006

Location: South FL

Posts: 3,522

Center pivot is under the Modify menu, however, in this case I think what you'll need to do is snap the pivot to the grid. Hit your insert key and turn on grid snapping(it's the leftmost magnet icon on the top of your screen) or just temporarily activate it by holding down the x key. Hit insert key again to get out of pivot mode.

- Genny
__________________
::|| My CG Blog ||::
::|| My Maya FAQ ||::

Quote

# 3 11-03-2014 , 06:54 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Jan 2004

Location: Bolton - UK

Posts: 2,457

What Gen said is true but in case you built the model off the grid line vert snap it to the edge of the model by hitting your insert key and holding "V" instead of "X". Hit insert key again to get out of pivot mode.

Quote

# 4 12-03-2014 , 06:50 AM

Lifetime Member
Join Date: Apr 2007

Posts: 73

Im probably wrong...

I have not been a student for years, only returned to 3d last night after LONG hiatus....
Also I am at work on my tablet and cant test this...

However. Tweets reply seems to me to be missing something....

The way I do it is to hit insert to get the pivot 'thingie' up.
You briefly move the x axis handle (if your mirroring that way)
you hold V as tweet says...
but Im certain you also use the middle mouse button as you ( scrub/drag ) over a vert on the edge you want to snap your pivot to?

maybe newer versions are different but thats the way I learnt here many many moons ago... and still do it this way.

Learn from others mistakes, it takes too long to make them all yourself.

Quote

# 5 12-03-2014 , 10:30 AM

Subscriber
Join Date: Jan 2004

Location: Bolton - UK

Posts: 2,457

I not wrong or missing anything - what you have explained to do is line up a set of verts to match another vert. (eg creating a straight line of verts) what this guy needs is to move the pivot point of the model.

See image for difference between tips given

Attached Thumbnails

Click image for larger version

Name: tips.jpg
Views: 626
Size: 257.7 KB
ID: 55510

Last edited by tweetytunes; 12-03-2014 at 11:14 AM.

Quote

# 6 12-03-2014 , 12:37 PM

Lifetime Member
Join Date: Apr 2007

Posts: 73

....?

Someone here has a tagline that says there is are a million ways to do something in maya and only 500'000 of them are wrong - or something??

I read your post today and I couldn't visualise what you were advising...
So I tried to help by offering my approach... I allowed that I might have been wrong, I never said you were...

However I'm not, my way is spot on. I've failed to communicate my way to you.

Now I just need to remember how to attach images??

First Image-Half a shell, no relation to grid. Pivot centre.

Second Image-Hit insert and activated handle.

Third- holding v I drag over top right vertex with middle mouse button

Lastly- Then I ctrl+shft+d (Duplicate special)

All told took me 30 secs. Not the only way.. but the way I do it.

Attached Thumbnails

Click image for larger version

Name: dupespecial.png
Views: 604
Size: 13.5 KB
ID: 55514

Attached Images

Learn from others mistakes, it takes too long to make them all yourself.

Quote

# 7 12-03-2014 , 12:57 PM

Lifetime Member
Join Date: Apr 2007

Posts: 73

Sorry if I offended BTW

Using this method I snap all sorts of things to other things...

Last night PM'ing someone here made me think of ants...?

So this is what I have been doing for the last hour or two.

I mirror instanced him using this technique.
I snapped his legs to where I wanted them using this technique, first I snapped their pivots to the vertex at their end..
I learnt it in the Apache tutorial and I would be lost without it.

Attached Thumbnails

Click image for larger version

Name: anty.png
Views: 612
Size: 132.3 KB
ID: 55517

Click image for larger version

Name: anty2.png
Views: 608
Size: 271.3 KB
ID: 55518

Learn from others mistakes, it takes too long to make them all yourself.

Last edited by 3dStudent; 12-03-2014 at 01:06 PM. Reason: I said something twice.

Quote

# 8 12-03-2014 , 01:57 PM

Lifetime Member
Join Date: Feb 2010

Location: Australia

Posts: 4,255

Guys....why the hell do you use insert key? I never do

bullet1968

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

Quote

# 9 12-03-2014 , 02:02 PM

Lifetime Member
Join Date: Feb 2010

Location: Australia

Posts: 4,255

Hold CTRL and V together, drag the manipulator x arrow with RMB held down and drag to the lateral line of verts (left edge) realease keys, pivot is now where it should be. Then hold down X key and 'snap' model to grid....happy days. You dont need to use or hold MMB down to do this...same as you dont need to use the insert key....Rum? some one say Rum time.........exits stage left

cheers bullet

P.S make sure "Retain component spacing" is on user added image

bullet1968

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

Quote

# 10 12-03-2014 , 03:10 PM

Lifetime Member
Join Date: Apr 2007

Posts: 73

Always have..

I 'Believe' insert lets you permanently adjust the pivot? Which I want to do when im ready to mirror??

But tommorrow I am going to try that way... always good to learn new things.. right now im assuming your way lets you manipulate your mesh with tools around different pivots Without affecting/changing your objects assigned pivot?? Its 1am now..not turning on maya despite my eagerness to find out.

As for the x button... I never have anything lining up with grid intergers. I tweak and pull organically and the co-ords im snapping to almost definately wont match any grid line.

E.g
What do you do if your modelling a castle say, and on one of your four corner 'towers' you want to create a structures roof supported by pillars? I create 1 pillar put it where I want to, move its pivot to the centre of structure then duplicate/ rotate out my other pillars.... if you do it your way, your castle will look like it was built by a surveyor!

Sorry it is late that was a really lame example...

Learn from others mistakes, it takes too long to make them all yourself.

Quote

# 11 12-03-2014 , 04:00 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Jan 2004

Location: Bolton - UK

Posts: 2,457

Bullet - When I hold down Ctrl V - I get "error file not found". No idea what that short cut is set up for but not working for me

Quote

# 12 13-03-2014 , 01:12 PM

Lifetime Member
Join Date: Feb 2010

Location: Australia

Posts: 4,255

My bad tweety I was pretty pissed when I wrote it...addenda

when using the move tool...hold down 'D' plus 'V' whilst RMB for vert snap and 'D' plus 'X' whilst RMB to change the pivot point origin in singular or multiple verts. Sorry for the confusion tweety... I owe you a Rum

Insert key is not required

cheers bullet

P.S I am a Surveyor boy..you want to know about building things user added image

ask me.....I get paid a lot of money for it LOL

bullet1968

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

Last edited by bullet1968; 13-03-2014 at 01:59 PM.

Quote