Measuring/Distance Tool - Set custom size?

[t_smith5]

Hi

I've used Maya's measuring/Distance tool a little bit, but I can't seem to work out how you can set a custom size. In 3ds Max, it gives you the option to specify the length with the Tape Measuring tool.

Is this possible in Maya? And if so, how do you do it?

Thanks

[mcw0]

Are you saying that instead of measuring a distance, you just want the distance tool to display a set distance?  Like a ruler?  Maya's tool doesn't have that feature.  But you can do it with a script job and a custom attribute.  Add an attribute to allow you to set a distance and trigger a script job when that value changes.  The script job will normalize the vector between the 2 points and multiply that by the set distance.  Then add that value to your start point to set the end point.

[t_smith5]

Exactly that, yeah. Ahh, okay. Unfortunately, I don't have any experience with scripting in Maya or Max, so I wouldn't know where to begin. 😅

[RyanCameron]

Maybe this is just on my machine, but I have hotkey's for T and then D. Then click and drag in the viewport to measure the distance between two points (or objects). 

In the Attribute Editor, locate the "Distance between" node that was created when you did the distance tool. Expand it, locate distance attribute. Set the value of distance to whatever distance you're looking for. Hit enter, it should change it on your screen.

Again, maybe I have a non-standard setup but that's how I've done it in the past.  FYI, doing this will affect all instances of the distance tool in the scene. If you have a couple of these, you'll want to create a "distanceDimension1, 2, 3...etc..."

[mcw0]

You must have a nonstandard Maya because the distance attribute can't be altered in anyway.

[t_smith5]

Yeah, I was gonna say - I've not been able to adjust the distance manually, which is weird. But there's no Distance Between node from what I can see. I'm only seeing distanceDimension1 and distanceDimensionShape1. Only the Start and End Points can be adjusted if you break the connections. But the Distance box is a dark grey blue that can't be modified.