My Stupid Modeling Question How-to Thread

[Legacy_WoC_Builder]

               This is the point where I'm going to ask stupid how-to questions.  I'll generate a new response for each one, to make answering easier (if you are so inclined).

I'm poring over all cheat-sheets, tutorials, etc I can find, but sometimes the most simple answer still eludes me.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_WoC_Builder]

               I'm working through "CC Tutorials - Making a Smithy" and have run into a hiccup.  The writer speaks of creating a dummy object.

1)  Is this a special type of object, or does "dummy" refer to any object that you are using just for the convenience of it.  I just created a box in this example.

2) I am supposed to "parent" a few objects to my dummy object.  However, I cannot find "parent" anywhere; I even looked it up in help.  There is a "group" button, but it is greyed out.   How do I go about this?  '>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_WoC_Builder]

               Regarding number 2, I just tried VelTools, where they have a linking function.  I set my boxed named "dummy" as the parent, and tried both "link" and "autolink"; no joy.  '>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_WoC_Builder]

               Ahh!  I've got to remember NWMax and VelTools!  I see where in NWMax, there is function to create a dummy node.  I also see parent and child.  Now to experiment.  More on this continuing saga...stay tuned!!  '>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_WoC_Builder]

               *sigh*  I think ~I'm~ the dummy.  '>  I  can't make the parent/child thing work, although I did notice at one point the group menu option was selectable.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_The Amethyst Dragon]

               Perhaps "parent/child" refers to just linking the objects?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Zwerkules]

               If you link an object to the dummy, the dummy becomes its parent and the object is the dummy's child.
If you want to link an object to another one, select the object, then select 'select and link' (next to the redo button), press the 'h' key, select the object you want to link the other one to and press the 'link' button.
There are also other methods to link objects, but I'm not going to list all of them here.

The 'child' button is for selecting every child of a parent when the parent is selected.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Zwerkules, 29 décembre 2013 - 10:34 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               "Parent" is another word for linking. You can, as Zwerk notes, use many methods to do this - I prefer using the link/unlink buttons (circled in red). Link is the furthest to the left, unlink is the other.

To link an object to another...

1) Select the object to be linked.
2) Click the Link button
3) On the EDIT menu go to SELECT BY NAME
4) Select the object you are linking to and click LINK

The object you selected in step 1 will now be linked to the object you selected in step 4. After completing the link, click on the original object and verify it is linked to the correct parent node (in the object properties rollout).


               
               

               
            

[Legacy_T0r0]

               That button to the right of the blue square box in pic above will also bring up the select by name menu.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Rolo Kipp]

               <trying to figure out...>

A dummy is a special helper object with no mesh attached, basically it holds other information and is used to organize the object tree.

There are many types of "Helpers" including quite a few NwN-specific ones


Parent means an object linked above the selected object.

Child means one or more objects linked below.

In this one, the "hfx_halo02_am" dummy is parent to the three parts of the Mage-halo. (Note the different icons in front of the names).

<...family affairs>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Rolo Kipp]

               <jumping...>

LOL, that'll teach me to start a response and get back to it an hour later without refreshing the blasted thread :-)


<...in startlement>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_WoC_Builder]

               Thank you all for replying.  '>

For the life of me, I must have done it about half a dozen times, exactly as described.  But I could not get my dummy mode to "register" its offspring in the object tree list.  It must have known about college tuition.  '>

So, what I ended up doing was dragging a box around all 6 objects, and selecting "group" from the toolbar.  Then I moved my grouped object into place, and ungrouped them.  It seemed to have the same effect.  But I am just curious why the linking would not work.  I'm using Gmax; I assume just because your screenshots show (what I assume to be) 3DS Max that this simple functionality is not different.  But you know what they say about assume.  '>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               I haven't used GMax in years so maybe it is different. I know that linking has a slight glitch - that being that if you don't reselect an object in the scene after making a link, sometimes the link doesn't happen. Its like it reverts to whatever parent it had before you linked it to the new object.

You can also link an object by selecting it in the viewport, clicking the link button, then dragging your cursor from the object to the new parent (your cursor will change to look like the link button and a line will appear connecting the two objects).

If you are just linking the object to the AuroraBase then you can use the QuickLink tool in NwMax to link them, Just select the object and the AuroraBase then click QuickLink under the General Utilities tab in your NwMax rollout.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_ShadowM]

               I have used nwmax v.8 b60 for years and had not problems with linking. What version are you using WOC? I like to select the child then click the link button then open the list by name it will even say parent and click the one I want to link it to. You can see the parent of any object by selecting it and outside clicking and choosing properties. I will say in the box of parent.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Frith5]

               When you Select by Name, make sure you check the box Display Subtree. This will show a 'threaded' list of everything. Child objects are indented from Parent objects. You may be actually Linking the objects, but not seeing that they are linked.

Hope that helps!

JFK
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Frith5, 30 décembre 2013 - 03:51 .