3ds Max 2012 Bible - Kelly L. Murdock [325]
In the Advanced Options rollout are options for updating the scene and for reducing the complexity of the object. The Decimation value is the percentage of edges to remove from the result. If you plan on smoothing the object or converting it to an Editable Poly object, then you want to enable the Make Quadrilaterals option, which causes the polygon reduction to avoid triangles in favor of quads. You also can set the Quad Size, and you can select how planar edges are handled.
Note
If you plan to deform the mesh as part of a skinned object or a cloth simulation, the resulting mesh has to be clean or the deformation will have problems. •
Tutorial: Creating a keyhole
What was it that Alice saw when she looked through the keyhole? The ProBoolean feature is the perfect tool for cutting a keyhole through a doorknob plate.
To use the ProBoolean object to create a keyhole, follow these steps:
1. Open the Doorknob.max file from the Chap 27 directory on the CD.
2. Select the doorknob plate object positioned where the keyhole is, and choose the Create⇒Compound⇒ProBoolean menu command. In the Parameters rollout, select the Subtraction option.
3. In the Pick Boolean rollout, click the Start Picking button and select the Box and Cylinder objects positioned where the keyhole should be.
Figure 27.26 shows the finished keyhole.
FIGURE 27.26
A keyhole built using the ProBoolean object
Using ProCutter
The original Boolean compound object included a Cut option. This feature has been replaced with ProCutter, which offers many more features than the original option. ProCutter allows you to cut a single object (known as the Stock object) with multiple cutter objects.
You can pick both the Stock and Cutter objects using the buttons found in the Cutter Picking Parameters rollout. You have four options with each selection: Reference, Move, Copy, or Instance. The Auto Extract Mesh option automatically replaces the selected stock object with the extracted result. The Explode by Elements option works only when the Auto Extract Mesh option is enabled. It separates each cut element into an object.
Within the Cutter Parameters rollout, you can select from three Cutting Options. The Stock Outside Cutter option keeps the portion of the stock object that is on the outside of the cutter. The Stock Inside Cutter option is the opposite, keeping the stock portion inside the cutters. The Cutters Outside Stock option maintains those portions of the cutters that are outside of the stock.
All selected cutters and stock objects are added to a list in the Cutter Parameters. Using the Extract Selected button, you can restore any cutter or stock object that has been operated on as a Copy or Instance. Materials and Decimation also work the same as for ProBoolean objects.
Tip
The ProCutter features are helpful for dividing an object that will be animated exploding into pieces. •
Tutorial: Creating a jigsaw puzzle
The ProCutter is useful for creating destructive scenes such as shattering glass to pieces and breaking down buildings, but it also can be used for constructive cutting such as creating a jigsaw puzzle.
To use the ProCutter compound object to divide an object into a jigsaw puzzle, follow these steps:
1. Open the ProCutter puzzle.max file from the Chap 27 directory on the CD. This file includes a simple box mapped with a scenic image and several extruded lines that mark the jigsaw puzzle's edges.
2. Select one of the extruded lines that mark where the cuts should be (known as a cutter), and choose the Create⇒Compound⇒ProCutter menu command.
3. Then click the Pick Cutter Objects button and select all of the remaining cutter objects. In the Cutter Parameters rollout, enable the Stock Outside Cutter along with the Stock Inside