Maya for 3D Printing - Rapid Prototyping
In this course we're going to look at something a little different, creating technically accurate 3D printed parts.
# 1 15-06-2012 , 01:32 PM
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Bevel plugin for maya similar to max baevel????

Is there a plug in that makes maya bevels similar to max? I started working in an animation company and will be needing beveled edges most of the tme. And its killing me to work with bevels in maya. I found an old release by a guy named Byron which is ByronsPolyTools. But can't find it anywhere. My problem is the triangles and selecting the last beveled edges again to bevel for the second time. Is there a plug-in that will work as max? If that can provide an plug-in for me i would be glad.

# 2 15-06-2012 , 06:25 PM
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# 3 15-06-2012 , 07:39 PM
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You've lost me. I use max and there is practically no difference between its bevel and the version currently implemented in maya 2012. Is there some feature you could describe that you are looking for?

BPT I believe stopped working for maya somewhere around version 8.5 as most of it's features were rolled into maya 2010.

Can you possoibly toss up some screen shots to show the issues youare describing with the triangles???


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# 4 15-06-2012 , 08:06 PM
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Rick does maya 2012 bevel not need so much clean up as it does on 2009...........dave




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# 5 15-06-2012 , 08:25 PM
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About the same but they added some edge selection improvements in 2010.

I used BPT for quite some time, in fact is one of the reasons that I no longer like to use addons because I really became addicted to it and then he stopped updating it and I felt forced to keep an old version of maya around (until most of the features were rolled into maya 2010).


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# 6 16-06-2012 , 10:12 AM
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I am adding 2 different bevel screenshots.

First one is with the inner edge selected.

Attached Thumbnails
# 7 16-06-2012 , 11:06 AM
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Hi,

I'm afraid that it's just the nature of beveling that you often have to do cleanup. I've not used any plugins though, so can't comment on how much better they are.

However, in a case such as this, a little merging pre-bevel can go a long way, as shown in the next two images.

cheers

gubar

# 8 16-06-2012 , 11:07 AM
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Here you go:

Attached Thumbnails
# 9 16-06-2012 , 11:21 AM
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yes, gubar beat me to the punch,yes you have to set the geo up properly before the bevel for that corner bevel to produce a better result.

By the way if you have the same geometry that you started with you will get the same kind of garbage in max or with any plugin or other modeling package. Just to confirm I tried it in modo and max. In all apps you get garbage at the corners unless to modify the geo prior to beveling as per gubars example. So whoever told you bevels work better in max was blowing warm water up your skirt!

PS - modo actually gives the best result with the initial geometry but it still is much messier then starting with the proper mitered topology.

The bottom image is the result from max which is only slightly better then what maya produces in that you do not get open edges. But it's still crap.

Attached Thumbnails

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

Last edited by ctbram; 16-06-2012 at 10:41 PM.
# 10 16-06-2012 , 11:55 AM
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Ok so my extruded corners are causing this?

# 11 16-06-2012 , 12:02 PM
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Not sure what your question is gubar. I was saying your solution is the best / proper one. First redraw the topo to be a miter at the corner and then add the bevels.

The attached images show that the max solution produces crappy results using the initial topology, it's only slightly different then what maya produces.

The modo result does the best job of trying to create a decent result but for my money I'd still say set the topo up as a miter first will produce the best results in any package you chose.

Bottom line is there is no magic bevel tool that I have seen. You have to learn through trial and error what topology bevels well and not so well. Also the order you do the bevels in can affect the results. But it's alway a bit of a chore.


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# 12 16-06-2012 , 12:54 PM
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Not sure what your question is gubar. I was saying your solution is the best / proper one. First redraw the topo to be a miter at the corner and then add the bevels.

It was googles asking, not me user added image

# 13 16-06-2012 , 02:55 PM
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googles - yes the topology at your corners is causing the bevel to behave badly. You want the topology to have a miter at the corner


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# 14 16-06-2012 , 04:54 PM
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christ, not sure I find the modo beveling very attractive.

The maya bevel is just crap. Googles, what animation company?? And why dont you just use poly subd?? bevels at render time...far easier to just add singular loops around the edges and do it that way.

Jay

# 15 16-06-2012 , 05:00 PM
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*goggles x3

Edit: Sorry, I realize that's not helpful to the question. I cower in fear from beveling.

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