Pivots and snaps
 

Here are two questions that may seem silly to native MAYA users, but a MAX user like myself... they are real killers


1.- Is there a way to set for the pivot to be created in the center of a newly created curve by default?.. or am I stuck to doing [center pivot] to every curve I draw away from 0,0,0?

2.- In vertex component mode, when I try to snap a group of vertices to another vertex... they all literally move to that one point. Is there a way to translate the group of vertices as a whole (maintaining their relative position to each other) while still using the snaps? Is there any way to produce this effect?

thanks

I don't know about the first problem. I made Center Point a shelf button and also use Recent Commands in the hotbox to fix this problem as quickly as I can, but I agree this is annoying and would love to hear if there is another solution to change the default position of the center point of a new object.

The second problem can be overcome with Modify - Snap Align Objects - Point to Point. In component mode, you choose the point you want to "get" to, then the point you are moving, and then the tool. The whole surface then connects to the chosen point. I use this constantly.

Sometimes I wish there was a way to snap the pivot point when you are in the mode where you can freely move it around.

Hope this helps, and I would love to hear from anyone who has easier methods than the ones I've mentioned.