Adjusting pivot location and axis

[tomerabFNHJ5]

Hello, My name is Tomer.
After a few years of modeling in Maya i have moved to 3Ds Max (due to workplace requirements).

If i want to change a pivot during work i know that i can activate "adjust pivot mode" but i was wondering if there is a way to change the pivot axis to a specific edge normal direction.

Just to be clear - for an example -
In Maya i select a few different faces of a mesh -> then press D to enter the edit pivot mode -> then i click on an edge \ vertex \ face and the pivot jumps to where i clicked and the pivot's axis aligns with the edge \ vertex \ face normal, and i can make the transformation according to this new pivot location and axis.

I have looked over the internet and couldn't find an answer to my question..

Thanks in advance for the help!

Tomer.

[leeminardi · Accepted solution]

I've has luck using the following process to position and orient an object's pivot relative to a face.

1. Create a plane and use Tools, Align, Normal Align to position and orient the plane where I want to locate the pivot (click the plane first to see a blue line indicating it normal then click a face of the object you want to change its pivot). Use object snaps to position the plane at a vertex of edge.
2. Select the object and click Hierarchy, Affect Pivot Only .
3. Click Tools, Align, ALign. and then select the plane.
4. In the dialog box that appears check the boxes for x, y, z position and x, y, z Align Orientation.
5. Click Apply and Close.
6. Unselect Affect Pivot Only.
7. 

[tony.su]

It's different when you use Maya and 3ds Max.  leeminardi   gave us a solution. @tomerabFNHJ5 do you have more question?

[tomerabFNHJ5]

Thanks for the answer.
I was thinking that there's might be a script \ plugin that makes the adjustments more intuitive like the basic method in maya.

If there is none, i'll use this solution probably in future.

thank you all again 🙂

[Anonymous]

If what you want is to change continuously the pivot for modelling complex models go directly to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIh7LvjthZY&t=595s

This used a custom grid to change around the coordinates system for irregular models. This system is way too much or inadequate for casual and other uses. For that use:

Using main pivot

There is a “working pivot” mode that will allow you to do changes in a temp pivot without affecting the main one. This is a ref using the main pivot.

Activate pivot mode

Activate editing pivot using “insert” key (you leave in the same way). You are already in pivot editing mode, but you won’t see the gizmo until you select, or deselect and select the object or start to transform. This doesn’t affect the functionality.

Align options

In this point you can use any align tool from Max including in the tool bar:

• Transformations
• Snaps
• Select and place
  • This is Ok to place it in any point of the surface,
  • Selecting a face it will align X and Y to the face. Z will aling with the main normal of the face.
  • With snaps verts will snap it to verts. But only a single one, meaning you can not use two verts to aling precisely in one direction X and Y, you need scripts for that. Sometimes this is key.
  • It has a mode to allow you rotate along the normals free mode.
• Align tool.
  • This is mostly to align it to general aspect of the object. But there are scripts that can be quicker to use.

Using scripts

If what you want is also control the location of the pivot but also align the pivot in a precise way, for example align it to two verts, then you need to use scripts. This is for example one, that manage also entering and leaving pivot mode.

3 points align

• http://www.scriptspot.com/3ds-max/scripts/3-point-align
• Or a the 1.3 version
• https://apps.autodesk.com/3DSMAX/en/Detail/Index?id=3470835942265631269&appLang=en&os=Win64

There are other scripts to manage position of the script in amore general way, for example as align tool would do but in a  lot quicker way.

Generic pivot controls

Notice that in the pivot panel control you have tools to control the pivots. Going each single time to this panel can be slow and it is better relying in quicker methods when a work needs frequent use of pivots.