Local Pivots!!!!!!

[skotten182]

Hello everyone!

I just can't seem to find a way to manipulate the local pivot point. What I want is for me the most logical thing:

Say I create a polygon in world space. Now since it is not parallel to the world coordinate on all sides or if it is drawn in an odd angle. I now need to manipulate the pivot point to the extent that it can be animated both in local translate and rotate axes...here is the problem. I can easely enough rotate the local "Rotate pivot" but as soon as I enter back into object mode the "Translate pivot" is still oriented the way I created the polygon????? How can I rotate the Translate pivot point?? Like in 3D Studio Max, when you rotate the pivot point, all the local axes are affected NOT only the rotate pivot.
If you don't have a clue of what I am talking about see this illustration http://www.vrmedialab.dk/~peters/maya/pivot.jpg

Thanks

Peter

[jeffd]

Check out the Component Translate Manipulator tool that is in the Bonus Game tools that was release a couple months back. This might be helpful to you.

If you don't have the Bonus Game scripts, try...

http://www.aliaswavefront.com/en/Tmpl/Maya...ml&style=normal

--JeffD

[campbell]

Heya,
You want to check out Modify>Freeze Transformations. Local Rotate Axis is only for rotate, which can be offset from the Local Axis as you were doing. Scale and translate stick to the Local Axis (tho they call Local Rotate Axis this sometimes ...i guess they are same orient most of the time), ... which, apparently, cant be rotated directly like Rotate's can (someone please tell me otherwise?). Freeze Transformations returns trans values to zero w/o shifting the local/object space. The orientation of the local axis when returned to its initial, zero translations state will _always_ be back in alignment w the world axis where it started. So to get the local axis pointing in the desired way, you have to orient your object with respect to the world axis such that after a Freeze Transformation you'll have recast the local space as desired around the local axis.

If you want a little widgety axis to do this reorienting then go back and rotate that Local Rotate Axis 'component', kill the componesatory rotations (easiest if they were initally zero) and Freeze Transformations ...same idea, but you got an axis to play with. If you need object to stay put, then jot down trans changes (or copy from attrib spread sheet) and take them away after.

Easier way? Simple to script the value plugings, but wouldnt this be a rather core operation?

C.

[stevesayer]

Not sure if I'm understanding this correctly, but let me try.

First, rotate your axis so it's how you want it. Then select the Move tool... as you observed, it will be aligned with the default XYZ axes.

But now, open the Move Tool's Options box (yes, it has one!) and select 'Object' instead of 'World'. The move gnomon will rotate to align with the object's local rotation axes.

I hope that's what you were looking for. Good luck!

-Steve