Aligning Points On An Edge

[roberte]

If I have a number of vertexes along an edge and they are not in alignment to create a streight edge how may they be aligned to do so?

If in an object I want to align seperate sections of that object to each other, take for example the front and back edges of a roof, how might that be done. All reference in the help is to alignment of different objects.

Thank you for any assistance.

Robert
www.robertellisonimaging.com

[toddburch]

Robert,

Use the various snapping tools for this. Maya allows you to snap axes independently...for instance, you can snap a vertex to another vertex in only one axis, which will line them up in that axis:

1. Select the vertex you want to align, then with the move tool active, select the handle on the move tool associated with the axis that you want to snap.

2. Hold down the V key (to snap to another vertex), then middle-click on the vertex that you want to align to.

For example, if you want to align a vertex's y-position to the y-position of another vertex, you can do so with the above procedure without affecting the x or z-position of the vertex.

(Note: You can also do this with multiple vertices at once by deselecting "retain component spacing" in the move tool settings).

Hope this helps!

[roberte]

What if the edge & subsequently, the points are at an angle in one of the ortho views going from top left to bottom right in one axis?

Robert
www.robertellisonimaging.com

[toddburch]

Robert,

You can orient the move manipulator to any point in 3 dimensions.

1) Select the first object (or vertex or edge or...).

2) In the move tool settings, choose the "Orient Axis to Point" button (assuming you have Maya 8...might be different in earlier versions).

3) Select the vertex you'd like to orient to.

There you go--the move manipulator is now oriented toward that vertex. Cool?

[roberte]

Todd,

Well, I'm using 6.1 and the move tool doesn't have the option you mentioned. Suggections?

Someone else suggested :

"Aligning vertices
-want them in straight line? select all you need at one line and type (for instance) move -z 2; on the command line. Then all those vertices are at x(something) y(something) z2."

Following these instructions they aligned but how do I get them to align at the coordinate they should be at? By trial and error or is there a method of determining the desired coordinate?

I feel I'm making minute progress toward my goal but if you all could clerify the instructions you have provided it would be appreciated as 2 out of 3 did nothing.

Also, I know it is advised that everything you need to know is in maya help but, for the life of me, I can't find any of the information provided anywhere. All I found is how to snap seperate objects. If anyone knows where in help this info is please advise.

Robert
www.robertellisonimaging.com

[roberte]

I have posted a screenshot here of the image to which this problem relates:

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/5267/screenshot43pa3.jpg

This is the current example of what I need to use this technique on. As you see, the house has various angles which, even in the ortho views, are not following the normal x,y,z, orientation. I want to be able to streighten out the edges throughout this (and other images) which have been distorted dduring modeling. So, I need 3 things:

1) to have a means of selecting a number of verts and streightening them.

2) to be able to modify the xyz orientation so they are streightened in the angle and position they are in

3) to streighten them without their changing the overall position they are in the scene.

Robert
www.robertellisonimaging.com

[joojaa]

Use scripting.

you must aswer yourselfd do you want

http://mathworld.wolfram.com/LeastSquaresFitting.html

or lline between furtermost points, or betweev last 2 selecte dones or what.

Ps problem with psiting stuff on cgsociety is that no one thats not a member cant view them... and quite frankly while i am Im noit THAT interested in your problem.

[naughty]

I've been meaning to write a script which does something like this for ages, but there are just so many factors and problems to account for that I've kept putting it off... what I tend to do is build models using similar techniques to when you do technical drawings, by creating lots of "guidelines". Lets say you have a row of verts down the edge of your roof that you want to align between the vertex at the top, and the one at the bottom (the two extents of the edge) I'd create a 2 CV LINEAR EP curve snapped to these two extent verts, then simply turn on curve snap (actually I'd just hold down "c") then snap each "inbetween" vert to this curve.

:nathaN

[roberte]

Joojaa,
Well, another answer that requires me to go to school to learn rocket science. lol,

Naughty,
In another thread on cg talk the person below gave this answer, the first of which I tried and it worked, except I could see no way for the finished result to remain at the co-ordinates it was originally except to move it back by eye. If you know how to determine the original co-ordinates they can be inputted to solve that problem. Combining the two might give you enough info to make your script.

The second of them seems like your solution.

"ruukki

Aligning vertices
-want them in straight line? select all you need at one line and type (for instance) move -z 2; on the command line. Then all those vertices are at x(something) y(something) z2.
-want them to follow a curve? Build the curve where you need it and snap the vertices to it.
-want them to stick to a surface? Make the surface with some reliable method to keep the flow good, and make it live, snap the vertices to the surface points."

Robert
www.robertellisonimaging.com

.

[joojaa]

QUOTE(roberte @ 10/03/06, 07:14 PM) [snapback]249111[/snapback]
Joojaa,
Well, another answer that requires me to go to school to learn rocket science. lol,

Not realy, very basic calculus taught to most univeristy students. Its not even hard mathematics but just standard curve fitting. If you have ever been tested for anything in a laboratory the laborant allmost certainly did this to you. Not even high grade maths very basic infact.

Now this is this has a underlying problem assoiated with it naughty is getting at.

Se problem is not taht i couldnt snap the points to a line but we are talking of a 3d space here. id need to draw a picture for you to get it fully but. here goes.

Becaus it needs to work on all kinds of options youd need to define how to snap. The snaps you normaly see in different align directions snap along plane to said point. However nothing states thet you dont want to snap it by closest distance. Form the problems description. WORSE yet theese 2 arent the oly acceptable solutions, theres still aunlimited nuber of sane solutions that are sane such as placing them on line by chord length precentage.

then theres the wich curve problem, do you want the outemost poits to define it or is it astandard fit, or is it defined explicitly.

So wich solution you want depends on how you EXACTLY define the problem.

I cont give you amacick answer unell i know wich solution your after. And the computer cant either.

However i can whip up a script the snaps to closest point on curve quite quickly. However you might want to snap in some other metric!

Loke this:

[roberte]

Joojaa,

Thank you for your response and illustration.

I can certainly see that there are many variables to this problem.

Applying it to the problem at hand:

let's say that I have an edge, either following an axis or at an angle to an axis, (whatever that angle might be). Without the co-ordinates of the edge being changed I want to snap all points on that edge so they are aligned to a streight line down the existing edge.

If you are willing to "whip up a script, (which I am sure you more than capable of doing) to accomplish that I would eagerly use it!

Robert
www.robertellison imaging.