How to duplicate splines in same line object ?

[Anonymous]

Hi,

following the tutorial , at some point a spline is duplicated within the same line object. When i try with copy and paste or with right click clone, it always wants to create a new object. How do i manage to duplicate the partial spline selection within the same object ? As it seems a shortcut was used, so i didn't see the process of doing so.

Regards,

Frank

[Steve_Curley]

For a simple copy, select the sub-spline you want to copy then Shift+Move (or Shift+Rotate or Shift+Scale) it like you would any object.
If you want a Mirrored (reversed) copy then select the sub-spline, on the Geometry rollout choose the type of Mirror you reqire, turn on the Copy option just below then click the Mirror button.

[Anonymous]

thx for reply Steve. I tried it several ways with shift, but with no success yet.

when i press shift, then right click on sub-spline, then it doesn't bring the translation option

when i press shift and click the translation button of the top menue, it does not copy the sub-splines

not sure how to use shift right

[Steve_Curley · Accepted solution]

No right-clicks involved. Have the Move tool selected (main toolbar or shortcut "W"), select the sub-spline you want to copy, hold Shift then just move the selection as normal (left-click&hold, drag) on either the X or Y axis of the Gizmo (or the yellow section between the X and Y). It will create a copy of it.

[Anonymous]

ah ook just translate with shift and its a copy. Thx Steve.

Frank

[Anonymous]

since it's 2 splines, by default when i rotate them, they each rotate around their own pivot.

how do i have them rotate around a common pivot ?

[Steve_Curley]

I don't mean to be rude, but you really must learn, very quickly, to use the Help. All these questions relate to basic Max functionality which is all described there. You also need to read the Getting Started section, and do the tutorials (on the Help menu) especially reading the Introduction section - to give you a grounding in the basics.

As for rotating around a common point, it depends on where that common point is. If there's a vertex (or a Pivot Point) there then turn Snaps on (selecting the required type), select your sub-splines, click the Gizmo axis you want to rotate around, move the cursor over the required item (eg. vertex) click&hold&drag and the selected splines will rotate about that point. There are other ways as well, like the Working Pivot if there's no other geometry available. You can also rotate about the Selection Center or the Coordinate System Center (the button next to "View" on the main toolbar, not the menu).

[Anonymous]

thx for the answers. sometimes i dig and dig for the right answer but don't hit the right terms. usually i give it several shots and angles before i end up asking. The 3ds help site is always on when i'm working on stuff. Often for short questions there is lots of text to go through (with browser text search etc.) before you find or not find your answer.

[Steve_Curley]

The more you use it the easier it will get to find what you want. In the long run it really does pay off 🙂

[Anonymous]

yea 3ds max its amazingly good documented google and docu wise ... tons of great tutorials and examples.

[Anonymous]

there a bug in the Area forum app ? when i accept someones reply as a solution, then it e-mails me to my name a hurray i've been accepted as solution ?? 

I re-checked, no accident there where i clicked own posts.

[Steve_Curley]

Sure looks buggy to me. I'll report this internally.

Did the same happen when you accepted my solution in this thread (that notification is for a different thread)? I don't recall seeing a notification for that when I should have done.

[philip.s]

Thanks for passing this along and I wanted to confirm that it has been logged as a defect with our dev team.