mel challenge!

[matt-elliot]

Hey people!

I’m trying to find a Mel script that will select polygon faces seen by a camera  (maybe using photons?) does anyone know if this exists? I can’t find it

here’s the problem:

whenever I make a static model I always try to reduce the polycount by deleting any polygons that can’t be seen by the camera/viewport..

E.g. I have a model of a bed with a pillow in the middle. I will never see the bottom of the pillow that touches the bed so I can delete these polygons, and also those on the bed touching the pillow...

backface culling doesn’t work as this will just select all polygons from a certain direction.. e.g. if I have a folded towel and use box/paint select the top polygons I can see, it will also select the ones behind it that are facing the same direction...

so im guessing it will need to use photons? I think that when Maya uses photons it keeps a list somewhere of the polygons that the photons hit? (this would only select the outer and viewable polygons)

if anyone knows of a script that will do this please tell me :D:D:D

or if anyone wants to do this as a challenge I’m guessing it would be difficult..

Unfortunately I can’t pay

take care!
Matt

[joojaa]

I’m trying to find a Mel script that will select polygon faces seen by a camera

what version of maya? I mean this is part f the functionality of maya 2009 and up its called camera based selection and can be found in the select tool options.

In older mayas this is indeed a bit tricky, but yes you can do it with a software render. Search the forums its been posted how to do this.

I’m guessing it would be difficult..

naah been there done that.

[matt-elliot]

ah amazing! i never knew that was there thanks!

[joojaa]

i never knew that was there thanks!

you should read the whats new sections every time you upgrade your maya (and all the mayas in between), it will contain a lot of info you WILL want to know that's not necessarily repeated anywhere else. Sometimes as in case of replace mel commands 2 arg variant, ever again.

It stops you from becoming obsoloete. Yes you can opt it out as having more things to do right now. But on the long run you loose if you cant spend 15 minutes in becomming better every year or so.