Mirror transform: Why do polygons flip?

[DrStein99]

Is there a purpose, other than creating extra work for me - to invert/flip all the polygons on objects I use the "MIRROR" function, on the toolbar ?  If I am using this wrong - can I know please; Where is a mirror function I can use, that will mirror the geometry without flipping the polygons, and make me use the "reset xform" tool, and pretty much do this in a 1 step operation? 

[PROH]

Hi. Does it do this after installing SP3 (just released)?

[Anonymous]

I often find the Symmetry modifier better for this.

Haven't checked out SP3 yet...

[DrStein99]

I just downloaded the new update and patched it.  So I don't know what's going to happen when I load 3ds and start modeling, yet.

Would I be the only person that this happens when using the mirror tool?  It's happened to me so often, I just assumed the mirror function was designed to flip polygons inside out, and change the x/y scale to negative value.  I don't know if this is a glitch, or what I am doing wrong.

So.... I have performed the update.  Everything's freshly restarted.

Step 1: make a box, turn to a editable poly.

Step 2: Click "MIRROR", and "OK" on the defaulted value without changing a thing:

Step 3: Yay!  my box has been mirrored - great!  But before I can do a happy-dance, the software creates a nice mess for me - and turns the x-axis scale to negative value, forcing me to do a transform reset.  THIS TIME, the polygons were not flipped inside out, which is a relief.  But the X scale still defaults to negative.

I'm confused why anyone would want a negative scale value by default.  Am I using this wrong?  

[PROH]

Hi. Mirroring is in fact a negative scale, so regarding that, I think everything is as expected. However if this is anoying, you can reset this value in the Hieracy panel (select object, select Hieracy panel, in the "Reset" box press "Scale").

Hope it helps

[DrStein99]

I'm just going to customize my own button to handle the extra 3 steps that need to be done, and put that nice lazy button somewhere else.  

[Anonymous]

How do you make a custom button like that?