I have a beginner level carrara modelling question.  In amapi when you model you have the option of holding shift and snapping objects together.  Does carrara have a keyboard hot key that lets you do this?  Ive been using the universal manipulator. It works fine it just slows me down a bit. 

Not really.

Manipulation of objects in the modelling room does have tools to move things so that they line up (ctrl +k will open up the align dialogue box).

You can turn on the snap to grid in the snap to grid in the assembly and modeling rooms but I don't think Carrara has what you're looking for in terms of how Amapi hooks stuff up.

thanks

i have another modelling question.  I have a 3 piece model and its been ported over to carrara 5.  I want to join all 3.   I cant seem to get more than one piece into the modelling area at once.

any ideas?

my bad... 

you click the arrow in property tray to group the objects... 

these are lame question..   my fault...

been using ampi too long

There are a couple of optiions. You can bring each piece into the modeling room separate, copy each one and paste them together. For example, open piece one, type ctrl-a to select all, ctrl c to copy it. Then open up piece 2, and paste piece 1 in with it. D the same for the third piece. There is another option which is to select two pieces and do a Boolean addition but be careful when you do that. You can then perform a second Boolean join to get tthe third piece in. So there's a couple of options for you.

kix thanks..  you came through again...

another question...

I was able to group the objects..  i then welded the  object so that i can insert bones for animation. 

The problem is i havent shaded the model yet.  When i click the uv editor in the model area it doesnt display any options.

was it a bad idea to join and weld before shading?

(sweat beading on forehead)

=))

I dont know what you're looking at so it's difficult to tell what your situation is. Can you post an image in the modeling room of your situation.

Modeling should always be completed before shading/UV mapping. Changing the geometry disrupts the UV coordinates. 

You will need to unwrap the geometry and create a custom UV map. Have you used the UV editor before - even on something simple like a sphere? 

Mark

yes i have. 

I clicked on it in the modeling area after i welded the feet and head to the torso.

normally i have two option.. i choose custom.. planar etc etc...  for some reason when i click on uv model a texture name apears next to an arrow like in the scene manager where the instances appear.  when i click on the name the arrow collapses and there is nothing else in the tree..

the uv modeller doesnt open up... 

oops i mean i click on uv mapping and under apears an arrow with uvampping next to it.  i click the arrow and nothing happens...

If all the vertices arent properly connected does the uvmapper not load?

thats the last question..  i promise...

I found the problem..  i had some bad polygons...  i converted it to 3ds...  than closed carrara and opened carrara then loaded the 3ds model.  double clicked the model into the model area and carrara does an automatic polygon search when importing... it found the bad polys and fixed them for me...

thanks for the help... 

modeling in carrara isnt that bad..

Im having trouble finding the skinning menu..

I created my bones when i hit shift and double click on the first bone i created i dont see the skinning option.

shouldnt it throw me into the model area?

Hi NT,

There isn't a skinning area per se. You simply create the bones and then from the animation menu, select "attach skeleton" when you have the bones positioned where they need to be. Once the skeleton has been attached, you can adjust joint weighting in the model room.

Mark

thank you.

Attached Link: sonic running

thanks again for the help

Looking good!

when doing a character model you add bones to the one piece character model and the bones are used to move and pose the model after they are merged.

What about something like a robot or a mech.  The mech has more than one piece.  Is there a way to connect a leg to a hip and then adjust the constraint settings for movement?  I wouldnt import all the pieces into the modeling area until the robot is all one piece then add bones?   It seems like that would make the parts morph out of shape....

is there a command that allowes me to connect multiple parts then set the contraints like bones?

Absolutely. However, you don't need bones to do that. You can simply create parent/child relationships between objects and then use the constraints to regulate the motion. I did a whole animation with assembly robots for a client this way. 

Mark

Agreed. I wouldn't bone a machine at all. Inverse kinematics works quite well for that.

thanks ... 

i want to put a mech in the storefront...   thought i should try to atleast put some knee joints..  in it...  make the cockpit open and close...

having a little difficulty...  thanks for the help

VERY cool.  Can't wait to see!

thanks again for all the help..

going to take off and get my own site up and running in a few days... 

left a couplde of free files in the free file area...