need for another simple gmax help

[Guest rafaelds]

Hi again.I have two walls drawn and each of them is a separate object. Is there any way I can make them ONE object so that I can draw two more walls using their vertices and complete a building? I tried several things in the 'compound object' area but none worked.Another thing: when I was following the MS Gmax tutorial, I noticed that when I drew a box and typed different values for height, the box grew "forward" , not "up". Same thing for the number of segments.Now it's happening again. What's the deal?Last question: I have one object with a large number of (unnecessary) triangles. The 'optimize' modifier does not do anything with the object, it does not matter how I set the parameters. Editing it as a mesh, I notices that each face is a poly and an element. I suppose the whole object should be an element, like when we create a house using a box, right? So is there any way I can join all those little pieces into a 'bigger' thing than can be optimized?Thanks a lot in advance. In the 'subject' I said it would be simple questions but it seems that I am more lost than I previosly had thought.Rafa

[Guest]

Hi Rafa I am not sure what software you are using. If you can get them into 3DSmax then you can just use the "attach" tool (they do not have to be in contact to be attatched BTW) does your softwarehave a similar tool? as you posted that it was not able to export3DS files. Hope this is of some help. As for the second part of yourpost the way a facepolly will extrude depends on how it's orentatedin world space when you created it say as a spline the same goes forhow the segments are orentated as well. Dan http://members.rogers.com/klasik2/danlogo.gifhttp://members.rogers.com/eelvish/flyurl.gif

[Guest hefy_jefy]

Hi Rafa,I can't be much specific help, I worried about many of the same things when I first started playing with gmax. After a while I found a method (at least for creating buildings and simple 3d shapes) that worked. In general I just start with a 3d shape thats close to what I am after and use the "extrude" "cut edge" and other functions until it looks a bit like what I want! I am sure this is not the best way to do it but it works, never did figure out how to fill in a polygon, and the coordinate direction has me completely baffled. It has to do with "world space" I found this out when my airport beacon rotated in "roll" instead of "heading"!! (Use the three legged thingy up on the top right, click it and then "pivot" then "align to world".Keeps me out of the pub though...Geoff