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3 Dimensional Chat / Is it okay to connect different objects together and still have proper texture/animation?

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Sid Sinister
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Posted: 25th Aug 2008 19:54
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I'm making a character but I made his body, head, and feet with different objects and I want to connect them. I don't think I can perfectly weld them on there to make it look like I made it with the same object (no intersecting shapes), but I can make it so the shape passes through the other object so the rest of it is hidden, then connect them that way. Would that be okay? Would animation and texturing still work? Or am I mistaken and I can actually weld them perfectly together? I'm using 3DSM9.

Thanks for the help

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Omega gamer 89
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Posted: 25th Aug 2008 20:01
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I believe that if you made them one shape, each with their own texture, it would be fine in 3DS max, but not if you exported it as a single object.
For example, if you were to make a texture for a sphere, then make a texture for a cone, then weld them together to make an ice cream cone, the texture would not work on the welded object. This is because some of the faces that are mapped on the texture would be covered or even cease to exist.

So, no. If you welded them together into one object, you would have to make a new texture for the new, complete object.
HOWEVER!
If you just merge them in 3ds max, and keep them SEPARATE objects, each with its own texture, it will look fine.

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Sid Sinister
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Posted: 25th Aug 2008 20:04
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Wow, fast response, thanks Omega. Define merge though? Meaning connected, just not welded or merged into one object?

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Omega gamer 89
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Posted: 25th Aug 2008 20:12
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in 3ds max, you do "File>merge" and select the file you want to merge with the currently open scene. It is essentially the same as using "File>Import", but you do it with a .max file, so you can keep everything the way it was in the other scene. (When using import, it typically comes in as a single shape with no texture.)

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Sid Sinister
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Posted: 25th Aug 2008 20:29
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Well all the objects are in the same scene already, so I don't think I need to do that. I'm just wondering if I need to group them so they are all under the same object in order to properly do things. Is that what you meant by merge?

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Omega gamer 89
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Posted: 25th Aug 2008 20:40
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Ah, okay. If they are all in the same scene, then, no, you don't need to do that. Also, you would definitely have to make a new texture if you welded them.
But, here's an idea: KEEP them separate. Just add the legs, arms, and head to the torso as limbs in DB.

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Sid Sinister
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Posted: 25th Aug 2008 21:03
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I don't even have a texture for it right now in the first place, so welding now wouldn't hurt anything. If I did decide to weld, do you know how to do that in 3DSM9? I can get them to merge and stuff to be one object, but I can't get the two geometries to merge. I'm afraid I don't that the texture would be weird.

Plan B is to just do as you said and keep them as separate objects, but I'll probably at least group them (think the term is connect?). I'd prefer this welding method a lot more.

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Omega gamer 89
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Posted: 25th Aug 2008 21:12
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The best way I know is to use booleans. BE WARNED!!! booleans are often unstable and CAN crash and corrupt you files!!! So...
1) save a few copies of your file.
2) select the main object (IE, the torso or main body.)
3) go to the create panel, and select compound objects from the drop down menu.
4) select boolean, and make sure that "union" is selected for the operation.
5) click "pick operand B" and then click the second object you want to join. (IE, the arm or leg.)
6) repeat for the other limbs.
7 Tada! you have a complete model! WHEEEEEE!
that should do what you want.

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Sid Sinister
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Posted: 25th Aug 2008 21:50
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Awesome, that's what I was hoping to be able to do. I then choose "Match Material ID's to Material" so when I go to unwrap it, it works right?

Also there is some excess polygons that are sticking out into the inside of the model after the union. Will those get in the way of the unwrap or texture? Should I subtract first, then do union?

Thanks for all your help

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Omega gamer 89
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Posted: 25th Aug 2008 23:15 Edited at: 25th Aug 2008 23:15
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1) yes.
2) I can't really say whether or not those polygons will get in the way without seeing them. Post a screen shot, and I can tell you.
OR you could just do a union, then convert the whole thing to editable polys and move those pesky polygons manually.
To convert to editable poly, right click in the modifier stack, and select, "Convert to editable poly". This will also make the affected booleans stable and not crash-inducing. YAY!

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Sid Sinister
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Posted: 26th Aug 2008 00:10 Edited at: 26th Aug 2008 00:16
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Your looking at the inside of the head as it intersects with the body. You can see the extra poly's on the inside.

I'll try deleting them after the union, that sounds like a good idea

EDIT: Yeah, that did exactly what I wanted it to. Thanks a lot for your help

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