Grids, Grids, Grids
 

Hi,

First off, thanks to all that have replied to my other posts !!!

Okay, currently my GRID is setup as follows:

Preferences > Linear > Foot
Display >
Length and Width 12
Grid Lines every 1
Subdivisions every 12
Axes BLACK
Grid Lines RED
Subdivisions YELLOW

The documentation is really SPARSE on Grids ... which is really weird cause I think they are extremely important.

Anybody out there have a better explanation of the parameters above ??? What I believe that the above is giving me is 12 foot sections that are shown with red and 1 foot subdivisions that are shown with yellow. ???

I just know that when my screen starts they are all pretty much RED in the viewports which makes me wonder what use the grid really is and that I probably have it all whacked up.

What are others out there doing as far as their grid setups go ???? and why and how etc. etc. Weird it's not really covered anywhere and its the basis for most object creation :o)

Cheers,

Don.

Well, it's 4:00 in the morning and I feel like singing a beetles tune, but I figured out the grid parameters in REAL english :o)

I now have :

Length and Width > 1000
Grid Lines Every > 10 Units
Subdivisions > 10

and various colours (Yep, I'm Canadian .. it's Colour, not color <grin>)

Anyway, the Length and Width is for how large the grid is: In my case under preferences I have set my linear mesurement to be feet, so given my length and width setting of 1000 my grid is 1000 * 1000 feet in size. Grid Lines Every ?? Units is how many units before another grid line, so given my setting of 10 I get a major grid line every 10 feet. Subdivisions is how you want your Grid Lines Every ?? Parameter to be cut up, so given my setting of 10 I get 10 cuts of subdivision lines between my major grid lines that are every 10 feet, or to be more exact, I get a subdivision line every 1 foot and a Grid Line every 10 feet.

Now, I know this is quite basic, but it sure as heck is not explained that simple in the documentation :o)

Anyway, it would still be cool if others had examples of how their grids were setup and when used and when changed etc. etc. and how they perform accurate measurements of everything if doing precise modeling.

Cheers,

Don.

I never use the grid for measurement. Symmetry is my tool for keeping thing "accurate", in that way objects can be duplicated around the axis and fit perfect on the other side of the model.

undseth,

Can you explain the commands and how you use symmetry please. ... extrapolate

will help me and possibly others ... never know.

Cheers,

Don.

Hey, did you notice that symmetry has two m's together in just the right place ... is that just coincidence or a re-inforcement for the word. Somebody is smilin somewhere :o)

Did you know that IF is in the middle of the word LIFE :)

About "symmetry";

When making, say a nurbs-circle-curves, for making the fuselage of an airplane... I usually tweak the vertices in pairs to keep the symmetry... This is done with the move and scale tool... And afterward, when I am making parts to fit to the fuselage, I usually only model one of the sides and then duplicate the parts around an axis, by typing -1 in the appropriate place in the duplicate options menu. Then the parts will fit exactly on the other side of the model.

Thanks unseth,

Now, last question is when do you use mirror over duplicate .... the main difference that I see is that with a mirror you can merge the geometry and with duplicate you can parent and create a instance .... ??

After your duplicate operation how do you merge the geometry ???

Thanks again,

Don.

Hmmm... is there such a thing as a mirror function in Maya???

And I usually model with nurbs, so any merge of geomtery is made by other means. I'm pretty newbie at attatching nurbs surfaces to each other.

That's cool,

Thanks for the previous help and any other help you might provide in the future.

Hey, I'm 42 senior and even newbier :o) Nice Avatar.

Cheers,

Don

Yes, there's a mirror function in Maya 4.5: Polygons -> Mirror Geometry. Very handy. :)

Regarding the grid questions, I don't think it was as much a question about object symmetry but more of how to set it up to build objects to scale...explanations of subdivisions, grid lines, etc....effective use of the grid. For example, if you were building an architectural model and wanted to model the pieces to scale with blueprints, then what would be the best way to set the grid up?

Is there anyone out there who does use grids for this purpose and if so ..... what methods do you exercise to accomplish precise measuring. I have noticed that when you use the measurement distance tool it does not give you a scale after the measurement (i.e. ' for feet or " for inches or some marker).

Cheers,

Don.