3D max 2008 symmetry problem

[thecanecarver]

Hello everyone,

I hope all is well.

I'm working on the low_poly_head tutorial, that come's with Max 2008...I've followed all the steps up too/tried adding the "symmetry" ...but its not working the way I see in the pictures....it says to check the Z position in the properties...and all my editing should mirror itself....but what happens...it mirrors...but underneath the original box... I'd post a image here if I knew how..but I'm hopeing you would understand my problem.

It was early in the tutorial so I havn't saved what was happening..but I do want to restart it....and solve this problem.

any help is better then where I am now,

Thank You, and All the Best!

[Perversonality]

sounds like you need to change the axis of symmetry in the modifier. The default for the Sym mod is that it works around the original pivot point of the base object, so you may need to play with the modifier's settings to get it to work properly.

You can add an image to the thread by attaching it through manage attachments when creating a post or through hosting it on a website and using the standard img tags for UBB

[Fredddy]

You may have to move the pivot point of your object so that it sits on the line of symmetry.
Click on the hierachy tab, then on affect pivot point only, and move it so it lines up with the line of symmetry.

[thecanecarver]

Thank you Sir....I will try your suggestion

[thecanecarver]

1 more question....how do I take a screen shot of my 3D max work area?

thanks

[poopipe]

press the button with PrtSc written on it - you'll find it on your keyboard

paste the result into your chosen image editor ;)

it sounds to me like you need to choose a different axis of symmetry or you need to click the flip tickybox on the symmetry modifier,

if that doesnt work...

delete the symmetry modifier
go to the utility panel
reset xforms
collapse the object
go to the hierarchy panel
click the affect pivot only button
click the centre button
apply a new symmetry modifier and go through the various axes / flip options until it does what you're expecting

[Perversonality]

delete the symmetry modifier
go to the utility panel
reset xforms
collapse the object
go to the hierarchy panel
click the affect pivot only button
click the centre button
apply a new symmetry modifier and go through the various axes / flip options until it does what you're expecting

That's way too complex to fix it. Create a cube (with box as the type) with the centre at the point where you want the middle of the symmetry to be. Convert the cube to an editable mesh/poly and attach the object that you want to mirror. Delete the cube element from the combined model and add a symmetry modifier. Job done without having to muck about with the pivot as the attached object (your actual model) inherits the pivot from the cube

[poopipe]

a fair point indeed

9 times out of 10 you get away with just centering the pivot but I added the xform thing to make absolutely sure nothing weird hangs around.

same result - yours is quicker :)

[Perversonality]

Yeah, same result as you say and the quickest way isn't always the best way :)