3ds Max - Merge Polygons?

Community Forums/Developer Stations/3ds Max - Merge Polygons?

Gabriel(Posted 2008) [#1]
Is there a way to merge polygons in 3dsMax? I'm using Version 9. I've tried deleting and creating, but you lose the UV coordinates like that. What I'm trying to do is manually reduce the polycount of some models, because I don't like the job that any of the plugins do. I can do a much better job pretty quickly manually, but I need to keep the UV coordinates.

I guess I'm looking for something like the topology tool in Silo, except that I don't really want to have to work in Silo.


Naughty Alien(Posted 2008) [#2]
>>What I'm trying to do is manually reduce the polycount of some models, because I don't like the job that any of the plugins do. I can do a much better job pretty quickly manually, but I need to keep the UV coordinates.<<

That shouldnt be a problem..I assume that your 3D model already has applied UVW mapping and that its not collapsed...so here are steps

1) Clone your original model
2) Select clone model
3) Select UVW mapping modifier and delete it
4) Cut, hack 'n slack your clone
5) When done with poly optimization, select original
6) Right click on to UVW mapping modifier
7) Select COPY from pop up window
8) Select clone model
9) Apply UVW mapping modifier
10) Select UVW mapping modifier in clone object stack
11) right click on to clone UVW mapping modifier
12) choose PASTE from pop up window

That will do trick...thats how I do things...I assume optimization doesnt involving deleting polys and making holes in mesh..I hope this helps..


Gabriel(Posted 2008) [#3]
Thanks for the suggestion, but I'm afraid it's not something I modelled myself, and so the UVW mapping is already collapsed.


Naughty Alien(Posted 2008) [#4]
aha..ok, in that case it has to be taken different approach..its depending on this..is your mesh you trying to optimize, using unwraped texture or texture is aligned trough UVW map modifier??


chi(Posted 2008) [#5]
you could use the "Optimize (Mapping Fix)" replacement... itīs much better than the original optimize cause it preserves the uvw ;)

http://www.af-video.com/index.html?aopt_fl


Gabriel(Posted 2008) [#6]
Naughty: It's unwrapped.

Chi: Thanks, that looks useful, but there will still be occasions when I would need to do this by hand. It's not just the UV's, but these reduction tools really make a mess of good, clear geometry sometimes.


Naughty Alien(Posted 2008) [#7]
Gabe..in case of unwrapped texture, make a clone of your original mesh, then select original mesh and apply Unwrap UVW modifier...Unwrap UVW should by default contain all previous data about unwrapping process..do same thing as i explained before, except this time over Unwrap UVW modifier(Select it and right click , then copy)..then modify your Clone model, and once done Apply also UVW modifier on to it, select it and right click/paste on to it, copied data from original one..thats should do trick...


Naughty Alien(Posted 2008) [#8]
..I assume mapping channel is 1 (in original mesh), but if not, change it in Unwrap UVW modifier before copy, otherwise Clone will be screwed..


jhocking(Posted 2008) [#9]
I'm afraid it's not something I modelled myself, and so the UVW mapping is already collapsed.


Shouldn't matter, just apply a new UVW Unwrap modifier to the object.

ADDITION: I see Naughty addressed that point in a later post. Not sure why he implied in his first post that the UVs can't be collapsed, but whatever.