Diomede asks for Hexagon help - usually about the interface or a specific tool
Diomede
Posts: 15,188
Greetings
I'm trying to model more stuff in Hexagon. Will be having questions when I encounter obstacles. I have some experience modeling in Carrara. Usually similiar modeling programs, but sometimes a tool name will be confusing, or the interface will do something unexpected, or I can't find how to do something, I will use this thread to ask questions, and I hope you don't mind helping me out.
First question
Topic - Selections not identfied on interface
What view settings should I use to edit a mesh sent to Hexagon through the Daz Studio-Hexagon bridge if the selected polygons are not being highlighted?
In the pic below, I selected two polygons on the lower row of the top, hit loop to select the entire row, and then used shift-plus to grow the selection upwards. At no point have I been able to see my selected polygons change to a different color than the base mesh. I know I have selected the polygons because of the manipulator tool's movement, and because I can delete or alter the polygons. I'm assuming that I must be in the wrong view settings that run along te bottom of the interface, but experimentation has not been successful in identifying the view settings that would allow me to see the selected polygons.
The shirt mesh is an obj that was imported to Daz Studio then sent to Hexagon through th Studio-Hexagon bridge.
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Comments
Your settings visible in the screen shot look fine to me.
I can't think of any setting that would cause selections to not be displayed (Unless you changed the default selection color). Perhaps try resetting the preferences to the default.
Do selections appear properly on objects created in Hexagon?
Do they appear properly on other imported obj objects?
Does it only happen with objects imported with the Studio bridge? (If so, I can't help, since I don't use Studio.)
Also, you're not using the latest version of Hexagon. I would recommend downloading version 2.5.2.137:
https://www.daz3d.com/hexagon-beta
They call it a beta version, but in my opinion it's no more of a beta than the version you are using.
Let's start with the typical "Turn Local Redraw Off" answer we give whenever there seems to be display issues in Hexagon.
Second to that, any time I've having selection issues, I always do a few things to see if I can clear it up...
Are all of those steps strictly necessary? Probably not. It's just the routine I've gotten used to which has cleared up these issues for me. I'm efficient with it now, only takes a few seconds and I'm back to editing.
No 2 programs read all the materials and/or shading domains the same way, and Hexagon is very particular about how to read things. So yes, imported mesh can look rather different than where it came from. If any of the materials are named the same as the figure's [if the figure is also imported] that can really make things look strange.
Check its material colour and change or remove it, the .obj should then turn white.
Here are a couple of screen shots which may [or not] assist.
Thanks very much to each of you.
I guess the first step should be to download the current version. Thought I had. Must have missed an announcement.
Solved!
Thank you, again, everyone. I updated the software to the public beta and it appears to be working properly. Perhaps I inadvertently changed some preference and the update process restored the defaults?
New Problem - Quick Extrude Undesired Results
I am having trouble extruding the top polygons of a cylinder. I inserted a cylinder primitive, turned it sideways, selected the top two polygons, clicked quick extrude, and translated the top arrow upwards. Unfortunately, the extrude didnt work the way I expected. The top middle vertex remained welded.
Thoughts?
That is strange. I just tried several ways to force it to do that and I couldn't get it to make the same shape. It always kept the cap on the end and added faces. I tried all the different extrude options. I'm really not sure what's going on there.
I can't reproduce this either. However, there are a couple of peculiarities in the screen captures that you posted.
1 - In the first image the red handle of the extrude widget is pointing toward the camera, and in the second image it is pointing away from the camera.
2 - In the second image, the Scene Tree shows that your object is called "Form5". However, when I create a cylinder it gets labeled "Shape" instead of "Form".
Perhaps a step by step description of how you are creating the initial cylinder to end up with it being labeled "Form" would be revealing.
Mystery Problem with Unknown Solution - But Solved!
No idea why it happened, or why it stopped happening.
Thank you, JonnyRay and de3an for trying. I guess sometimes you just have to close the program, turn off your computer, and go to sleep. The next day, the probem will be gone. Today, the tool works as expected. Yay!
Just in case this comes up again for someone else, I was following some Hexagon tutorials by Dreamlight. Nothing to do with them except it explains why I was up to "form 5." The first primitive I put in my scene is labeled "Shape." The second I put in is labeled "Form." I didn't close Hexagon between following the Genesis Cloth tutorial and the Concept Car tutorial, so my cylinder was not the first object I put in my scene.
The cap of the cylinder is not poperly welded to the sides. Weld it or remove it.
Well, I'm glad it's working for you now. But it still doesn't explain how you managed to get a cylinder labeled as a "Form".
No matter how many times I try, cylinders and cones are always labeled "Shape". All of the other primitives are labeled "Form".
I still think that this is a clue to why your extrusion wasn't working as expected.
Create a circle. Extrude it. You now have a cylinder named "Form".
I just tried... my cylinder is named Form..
the name changed from Shape to Form after the extrusion.
How bizarre.
As you can see, mine retained the "Shape" designation after the extrusion.
Difference between Mac and Windows versions?
possibly... that's the only difference, I'm on windows
If I use the "Fast Extrude" tool, the cylinder remains labeled as a "Shape".
If I use the "Extrude Surface" tool, the cylinder changes to "Form".
Go figure...
Cursor Became Camera Control - Can't Manipulate Selections
Don't know how I did this. My mouse cursor adopted the shape of the selected camera controller at the bottom of the interface. The arrows for the translate appear on my selection, but when I try to use the mouse to pull the arrows, the camera changes instead.
Just like the weird extrude problem, this issue was fixed by exiting Hexagon and then restarting, but I really don't want to have to do that so often.
Any idea of what caused it or how it can be fixed when it happens without exiting?
Hitting the spacebar does it.
The spacebar is supposed to hide and show the manipulator when using the manipulator mode.
But if you're using the Zoom, Pan, or Rotate camera mode the manipulator should be hidden, but hitting the spacebar reveals it.
Thank you!
As usual, something simple once it is known.
Tessalation by slice question
Is there a way to make sure the tesselation by slice tool inserts the new polyline at the midpoint of the bisected edge?
Is this what you're after ? Select an edge then
Selection (menu) - Select Ring (Edges)
Vertex Modeling (tab) - Connect
Yes!
Thank you very much.
Oh, Wow! The Connect tool. I've overlooked it all these years!
Thanks!
Glad I could help. I have changed my Shortcuts Prefs' so I select an edge then press "R" (ring) then "C" (connect).
Mike Hancock has done a nice set of tutorials you maybe interested in - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nnNeTuSYrkAJ2HqshmVVw
Thank you for the pointer, and thanks to Mike Hancock for the generous tutorials. I've been going through some tutorials by Fugazi and by Dreamlight. Am adding the channel to my must-watch list.
Whenever you want to select the middle of an edge, you can also hold down the Control (Ctrl) key (at least on Windows, not sure the equivalent on Mac), and the cursor will snap to the mid-point of an edge. This can be handy with free tesselation when you're not working with a symmetrical ring.
Great to know! Thanks.
You mean like holding <SHIFT> while tesselating?
I suggest you try holding <SHIFT> while tesselating.
Thank you! More than one way to do the same thing - and this is even easier.
At the moment, I happen to be going through a Hexagon tutorial by Patrick Tuten. The example is contained in an old Carrara 5 Handbook. Chapter 11 illustrates using polylines and ruled surfaces to create the initial shape. Just getting started but so far, so good.
Overall, I am very happy that I am putting in the time to get more comfortable with the tools and interface in Hexagon. Still need to figure out when I need to hit Apply, Accept, or click a lightening bolt. Will come with practice.