Snapping objects
 

Okay this should be simple but I can't get Maya to cooperate.

I've attached an image so you can see what I'm talking about . . .

I've got an object we'll call a "pie piece" that I need to duplicate 6 times (making a total of 7 pieces). All the objects need to snap together to complete the pie.

I've been using the Duplicate Special tool, and I have it so the object duplicates with the correct rotation (Y).

But I need to snap them together so they all fit perfectly without intersecting. I've tried Maya's help and I'm apparently not doing something right because I follow the directions there and get no response at all. Nothing happens.

Help? :confused:

my best advice for this i would suggest is that you first;

1) Put it into top view. Select an object (piece of pie)

2) Move the view close to where you want it snapped to. Now with the move tool, hold v and mmb and snap to to where you want it.

If need be, press insert to change the pivot point and rotate it as and when you need to.


Hope this helps

;)

Thanks.

My concern is that I've already got a lot of other elements (not visible in the screen shot I attached) all lined up perfectly. If I could make the duplicated pie piece objects just snap to/butt up flush against what I've already got in the scene, that would be ideal.

Is there a good way of doing this without reorienting everything else?

uh,
where abouts is your pivot point for a pie piece?
from the picture i assume you want all 7 pieces on the same plane touching each other at the sharpest end of the triangle?

maybe you need to relocate the pivot point. if you hit 'ins' on your keyboard then yo ucan move the pivot point around.
if you hold down 'v' and dragon along one of the lines sticking out from the pivot point then you can move it in that direction
then you can just move the pivot point to the sharp angle on your pie piece and then hit duplicate special.

if you need to get the pivot point back to the center of the object just hit modify->center pivot point

looks like a complicated piece of geometry.., id be surprised if you didnt already know how to move the pivot, so there must be another problem??? the geometry is not still connected to the 'base'.., it IS separate geometry you are duplicating?? Looks sort of extruded.

maybe thats the ticket you could probably pick all the faces and build up the model by extruding in world mode??