LazyBridge

0 votes
Version: 
V1.2
Date Updated: 
02/17/2015

A simple tool to save a lot of time if bridging a lot of polygons is part of your workflow.

[V1.2] UPDATE!

Now LazyBridge works even if the editable poly in question has modifiers on top. Also, the GO button is no more, now the script will automatically select an bridge polygons when you click the direction button.

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This is the first script I've ever written. The idea is that when you are modelling for archviz, often you might find yourself bridging polygons to make holes for windows or to connect two segments of a wall to make a beam etc.
LazyBridge is especially useful if you have to do a lot of those.

You simply select only one polygon from all the polygon pairs you want to bridge and LazyBridge will find the other ones, effectively cutting the time you spend selecting individual polygons in half.

It has two modes, "inward" and "outward". The inward mode searches along the inverse of the given face's normal (what you would use for holes) and the outward mode searches along the actual face normal. Bear in mind, that due to the way the script finds matching faces, they should be more or less the same size. If the originally selected polygon is much bigger than the one on the other side it will probably miss when searching for the exact match.

Additional Info: 

Download the zip for your max version and copy the contents to the root max directory as usual. A category "ChopmeisterScripts" will be created in your customize user interface panel.

This should work in all max versions, but inexperienced as I am, I may have missed something. In that case please let me know.

Also, any feedback, suggestions or such are very welcome.

If you had the V1.0 installed, please delete the folder "LazyBridge" from your scripts folder.

Since I plan on making more scripts like these I have reorganized the file structure, so all my future scripts will be inside the "scripts/ChopmeisterScripts" folder.

Version Requirement: 
3dsmax 2009 - 2015
AttachmentSize
lazybridge_v1.2_2013-2015.zip57.44 KB
lazybridge_v1.2_2009-2012.zip43.31 KB

Comments

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MaximuM's picture

Great but ...

Great script, works fine with max 2015, thank you :)
Just like already said harumscarum below, it would be nice to have a "one step bridge solution". I mean:
_ select polygons
_ choose inward or outward and that's all ! Polygons are automatically bridged together when pressing inward or outward button instead of still having to manually bridge them together.
Another small critic: this script only works with editable polys so you have first to convert your objects into editable polys and, that way, you lose all your modifier stack. It can be annoying in some situations.

chopmeister's picture

I'll definitely look into it.

I'll definitely look into it. I was already thinking of adding an auto-bridge option, so you don't have to click it if you don't want to.

But I see no reason not to have all of the variants packed into it so you can choose what you want. :) Thanks, all of those are great suggestions!

harumscarum's picture

good!

nice idea! but is it only selects polygons, which need to be bridged manually?
would be great make your script ever simpler - get rid of GO button and make it select+bridge polygons when inward/outward buttons pressed.

or just two separate macroscripts (inward/outward) for whose prefer shortcuts rather than UI script

thank you!

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