[Smart Extrude] Less limited Shift+Scale, Rotate Tool support for Hinge like extrusions, Extrude to Cursor, Edge Constraints support, Follow Taper, and other improvements

Kranos_Orphydian · ‎01-02-2022

LESS LIMITED SHIFT+SCALE SUPPORT (should work on more cases where the Inset tool does)

Currently, Shift+Scale is only usable on regular shaped selections because its scaling towards the selection center. It should act smarter and cover more cases where the normal Inset tool works in case of polygons or the Extrude tool at edge level, otherwise is a disruptive workflow to continuously switch between them. Extrude and Inset-like operations are very tied to each other and the later should received greater support within Smart Extrude.

Smart extrude issues 1.png

SPEED UP REPETITIVE ACTIONS LIKE EXTRUDE+ROTATE+SCALE ( e.g. when trying to match curvature of reference images)

Whenever you model from references and try to follow some sort of curvature in it or freely try to “draw” modeling something like column ornaments, an awful lot of time you have to repeatedly extrude and rotate which becomes tedious and really adds up to the total working time (link to video). The most basic implementation of such workflow that I know of is found in Blender’s Extrude to Cursor tool which creates a new extrusion at the current cursor position by just clicking and the face from which originated also gets automatically rotated (link to doc, link to video). But its not perfect and could use some other functionality and behaviors. In Max, this behavior or other similar solution has more sense to be added to the Smart Extrude function but it could come in a more robust and precise form as an Edit Poly full fledged tool as well.

ROTATE TOOL EXTRUSION SUPPORT

This would solve both some limitations of the Hinge From Edge tool and also come a full circle by supporting the Rotate tool. In regards of "Hinge from center" functionality, we need better and more obvious way of achieving Centered Hinged Extrusions- like results without the workaround of temporarily adding an edge in the middle of the polygon then performing two hinges from edge operations, both using this middle edge: one with positive and the other with negative value then deleting the created edge. It should get a more elegant and obvious integration within the new Smart extrude. Apart from this "Hinge from center" functionality it would be a further and obvious refinement for Smart Extrude to also get the basic functionality found in Hinge from edge tool.

3ds Max Smart Extrude Rotate support.png

EDGE CONSTRAINTS SUPPORT

Along with Follow Taper, having support for Edge Constraints in the way illustrated, would be very handy to have as alternate behaviors of the Smart Extrude in situations like having to work with polygons at angles or when you want to maintain the existing surface continuity. These two are very related so maybe a unique solution would be more appropriate. Obviously, for this to work properly, it requires the Smart Extrude tech, to do all the stitching and connections and I might even hint to an extra option to add loops for maintaining a proper quad topology.

3ds Max Smart Extrude Follow Edge Constraints.png

FOLLOW TAPER

Similar to AutoCAD PressPull Command (link) alternate extrude behavior when you can offset a face as an extrude respecting the surface continuity/following existing taper of adjacent sides. In AutoCAD there are no new polygons (faces) created but that might be desirable in our case.

ARBITRARY POLYGON EDGES INSET

This is a similar behavior to the Smart Extrude Scale inset functionality using Edge constraints except the last case illustrated and other more arbitrary selections are not achievable using it. That’s because with Smart Extrude you can constrain the inset to an arbitrary axis but not to arbitrary edge/edges.

3ds Max Smart Extrude Arbitrary Polygon Edges Inset.png

FAST ROUNDING OF ANY POLYGONS OR EDGES ON THE FLY (similar to C4D's Polygon Pen Tool rounding function)

As suggested here on this separate idea (link), it would be great to be able to quickly round any polygon or edge outwards or inwards. This feature is built into the "Polygon Pen" tool in C4D. By hovering the cursor over the edge, holding down the Ctrl and Shift buttons at the same time, you can round the edge inwards or outwards without restrictions.

Fast Rounding Polygon or Edge.png MAXON CINEMA 4D 2022-02-08 - 23-58-54-05.gif MAXON CINEMA 4D 2022-02-09 - 00-22-44-07.gif

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MY OTHER IDEAS

MODELING

UI AND VIEWPORT

OTHERS

teratron · ‎01-06-2022

Yes!

michael_spaw · ‎01-20-2022

Please separate out the ideas here. Monolithic ideas are hard to vote for and cannot be addressed in mass.

Thanks

ameli4amand4 · ‎04-11-2023

Always Support you. Thank you

[Smart Extrude] Less limited Shift+Scale, Rotate Tool support for Hinge like extrusions, Extrude to Cursor, Edge Constraints support, Follow Taper, and other improvements

[Smart Extrude] Less limited Shift+Scale, Rotate Tool support for Hinge like extrusions, Extrude to Cursor, Edge Constraints support, Follow Taper, and other improvements

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