Normal align with z up

By titane357 · 2009-10-02

Description

Hello
I'm very frustating with normal align :
I'd like to select an object in my scene and clic on a surface to put this object on the surface (object Z axis aligned to surface normal) without the need to clic on the object surface to define the normal.

My dreaming workflow could be :
- select object
- run script
- clic on surface
- drag on surface to put object in the right place
- unclic and move the mouse right/left to rotate the object around Z
- clic to finish....

With artlantis you can place cars, people trees in a breeze.
With Max I find this more difficult.
I know HCG Asset Browser PRO, but I'd like to work with objects in the scene.

:-)) Hope somebody could help me !

Comments (5)

titane357 · 2009-10-20

really cool Clavery. Hope you'll can make something good !! I'm soo poor scripter that I'm sure I can't do this in a decent amount of time :-((

Clavery · 2009-10-22

ok i feel kinda dumb, it seems every node has a property called 'dir' which is point3 rotation value based upon a z up cordinate system. z up local space.

so im going to keep reworking it, it works great now, but im not happy with it spinning kinda randomly on the z axis.

in a bit ill post my script.

if you want to make it yourself, just remember to use the dir of the intersectRay as the dir of your node, if it doesnt orient correctly just affect the pivot to point the way you want on your node.

titane357 · 2009-10-11

pleazzzz

Clavery · 2009-10-19

im currently making a similar tool

first you need to make a mouse tool (just search up tools and mousetool in max help)

im doing a ray intersection with a select piece of geometry and placing another object on its surface.
(just search up pickObject,intersectRay)

now im trying to find a way to rotate my object to the intersections normal... ill inform ya if i find it out.

good luck

titane357 · 2009-10-05

:-(((