normal move tool with ICE?

[Werner]

Hi all,

I'm really enjoying XSI 7, and was wondering if it would be possible to build a "normal move" tool...like the one on the Mindthink website written by Helge, that will give me the ability to move points, edges and polys on their normals.


thanks

[ThE_JacO]

If you mean interactively move them with screenspace interaction, nope, ICE doesn't do that, it has no way of reading what you're doing on the screen.
BTW a lot of people came to XSI with the tweak tool already there.

The older move tool (in the modify menu) used to support different transformation modes because it only works on points and doesn't have different contexts for different buttons.

If I don't need slide on surface or welding I normally still use it in place of the tweak tool.

Modify>component>move tool
then switch the transform mode to local in the MCP and the middle mouse button will move points along the normal.

[grahamef]

Alternatively use the Tweak tool, and on the MCP set the mode to Local and activate the Y axis only.

[Werner]

no, I don't mean interactively move them. A slider will do just fine...just like the Mindthink tool.

Also, I know about moving points or polys locally on the y, but it gives similar results as the push deform tool. I'm talking about a normal move that keeps the offset on angles smaller then 90deg.

here is an example from Helge's website...it's an animated giff showing the result
The one on the left is the push deformer, and the one on the right is the one I'm looking for.

[ThE_JacO]

It probably can be done, but in all honesty I can't see the difference between the two cubes in the gif, maybe it was supposed to be animated but it doesn't loop?
Push on points will move things along their normals.
Can you explain exactly what you mean keeping an offset and which angle should be below 90?
Never used Helge's tools sorry.

[Werner]

oops, sorry about that. I posted an animated gif, but it shows up as a jpeg.

here is one more example.

[ThE_JacO]

ok, I see what you mean.
Actually push is doing the correct thing, it's moving the points along their normal, since their normal changes while the corner points move.

You basically want them to move points along the normals of the polygons they are on that are also selected.

ICE isn't aware of selections, so it can be done but it might have to involve clusters.

[Werner]

yes, local transform and push moves the selected points all at exactly the same distance on their normals. The move normal tool tries to keep the offset shape exactly the same as the original selection.

I use the normal move tool daily, but would like something that will work on point and edge selection as well.

Thanks, I will have to research this some more.