Creating Conform Objects | 3ds Max 9 Bible

Conform compound objects mold one object over the surface of another. This compound object is useful for adding geometric details to objects, such as stitches to a baseball or a quilt.

The object that is modified is called the Wrapper object. The other object is the Wrap-To object. These objects need to be either mesh objects or objects that you can convert to mesh objects.

CROSS-REF

Another way to mold one object over the surface of another is with the Conform Space Warp. Find out more about this Space Warp in Chapter 36, "Using Space Warps."

To create a Conform object, select an object to be the Wrapper object and select Create Compound Conform. To select the Wrap-To object, click the Pick Wrap-To Object button in the Pick Wrap-To Object rollout and choose one of the options below the button (Reference, Move, Copy, or Instance).

Caution

Shapes and splines cannot be used as either the Wrapper or Wrap-To objects, even if they are renderable.

In the Parameters rollout, shown in Figure 18.3, the Objects section lists both the Wrapper and Wrap-To objects. Name fields are also available for changing the names of both objects.

image from book
Figure 18.3: The Parameters rollout of the Conform object lets you define how the object is wrapped

The Wrapper Parameters section includes two adjustable values: Default Projection Distance, which is the distance that the Wrapper moves if it doesn't intersect with the Wrap-To object, and Standoff Distance, which is the distance between the Wrapper and the Wrap-To object. The Use Selected Vertices option causes only the selected vertices passed up the Stack to be moved.

Setting a vertex projection direction

The Parameters rollout also includes controls for specifying the Vertex Projection Direction settings. You can select to project the vertices based on the current active viewport with the Use Active Viewport option. If the view changes, you can use the Recalculate Projection button to compute the new projection direction.

You can also use the local Z-axis of any object in the scene as the projection direction. The Pick Z-Axis Object button lets you select the object to use. After you have selected it, rotating this object can alter the projection direction. The name of the object is displayed below the Pick Z-Axis Object button.

Other projection options include Along Vertex Normals, Towards Wrapper Center, Towards Wrapper Pivot, Towards Wrap-To Center, and Towards Wrap-To Pivot. The Along Vertex Normals option sets the projection direction opposite the Wrapper's normals. The other options set the direction toward the center or pivot of the Wrapper or Wrap-To objects.

Tutorial: Placing a facial scar

As an example of the Conform object, let's add a gruesome scar to the face of a character. Using the Conform compound object, details like this scar can be a mesh object and still perfectly match the contour of the face object.

To create a facial scar using the Conform object, follow these steps:

Open the Facial scar.max file from the Chap 18 directory on the DVD.

This file includes a face mesh with a mesh scar placed to its side. The face mesh was created by Viewpoint Datalabs.
Click the Select and Move button on the main toolbar, and select and move the scar to position it in front of the face mesh in the Front and Top viewports.
With the scar selected, choose the Create Compound Conform menu command.
Click the Pick Wrap-To Object button, and click the face mesh. Select the Move option.
Under the Parameters rollout, select the Use Active Viewport option and make sure that the Front viewport is active. In the Wrapper Parameters section, set the Standoff Distance value to 1.0.

Figure 18.4 shows a close-up of our surgery in the maximized Perspective view.

image from book
Figure 18.4: A patch grid being conformed to the front of a face object