Rotating a poly using it's edge as a pivot point (like folding a piece of paper)

[jamesBKYZL]

Hi everyone!

First off - apologies if there is a ridiculously obvious/easy solution to this which I have just missed.

Basically I have a carton/box that is unfolded and flat. I've created a poly object, with edges at all the right places to work as the fold points. However, I can't for the life of me find a technique for rotating a poly via it's edge, much like we'd fold paper.

It seems to me to be a very obvious and useful feature to have while modelling, but all I can find out there are complicated setups with dummy objects and processes that deform the poly I want to "fold".

Do I have to rig the thing up just to be able to fold it? Surely it's more straightforward than that?!?

I know there will probably be some tiny button/tick box I've missed so if any of you Max Gurus out there can help - I'd really appreciate it!

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Use Edit/Use Working Pivot with snap to edge. Place Edit/Use/Pin Working Pivot commands in your quad menu or create hotkeys for it so you don`t have to switch the tabs in the command panel.

[Anonymous]

Oh, and don`t forget to turn on Angle Snaps too.

[jamesBKYZL]

Yep, that's done it! I've been using Max for over nearly 15 years now and I've never used that edit pivot tool! There is so much to this software, and they develop it faster than I can learn what they've introduced.

This does feel like a bit of a workaround however (at least to me). It would be really nice if anyone out there reading this could create a script/plugin/button that would just allow you to do this. And developers - I could see it sitting quite nicely in the graphite modelling ribbon too!

Thank you again.

[Anonymous]

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@jamesBKYZL wrote:

Yep, that's done it! I've been using Max for over nearly 15 years now and I've never used that edit pivot tool! There is so much to this software, and they develop it faster than I can learn what they've introduced.

This does feel like a bit of a workaround however (at least to me). It would be really nice if anyone out there reading this could create a script/plugin/button that would just allow you to do this. And developers - I could see it sitting quite nicely in the graphite modelling ribbon too!

Thank you again.

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Not sure what you mean with 'workaround'. It`s a tool for having an independant pivot to work with. It`s just a bit hidden in the commandpanel. If you want it in the Ribbon, just add the commands to the panel.

[jamesBKYZL]

I guess what I’m saying is, that it feels like quite a lot of clicks to achieve something that would be a very useful and natural way of manipulating a poly. Also the ability to move connected faces would be nice too! Just my two-penneth. Again, thank you for your help.