divide locks up

Richard:
I sent a file to support@amabilis. In this version, I am unable to relax the model or turn off bones effects without the finger bones being scattered all over the page. The scatter points were not their points of their origin, origin was next to the hand bone it was to reside in. Beyond that, even without the finger bone issue, I was unable to divide any face on this model, which progressed from being unable to divide any of two rows of faces. Edge divide seemed to still work last I tried it.

Thanks for looking
gmani

not sure if this is a bug post, or just something I’m not understanding.

Symptom: select a face or group of faces, divide either horizontal, vertical, or standard, progress bar initiates, but freezes early, program stops responding I have to shut down the program.

History of the model, its been heavily modified, extrudes, scales, shifts, textures and materials added, smooth level 2 commit, compacted and optimized, more editing, bones added, then disabled for further minor editing (as instructed in anther post). I’ve restarted the machine, restarted the program without recovering the improper shutdown scene, same result.

6,505 pro version, graphic card driver updated, however laptop with a ati radeon, 512 meg ram, 1.8 ghz amd processor, low frag, plenty of hdd space.

I’ve had the same trouble earlier in the design of this model, specifically two modified rows of faces would lock up the program, and would not autosmooth. However it now appears that none of my faces will divide.

Have I maxed out my machine’s/graphic card’s abilities again? Will another compact or compress help anything?

I am still able to modify some, such as add additional bones in the hands, seems not to be a problem. The divide operation, however is giving me fits. Any advise would be much appreciated.

I think Richard can help you better than I can with this, however….

How many points and faces does the model have?
They are listed at the top of the properties window.

You need to find out what is causing the problem, then you can correct it, so….

MAKE A BACKUP COPY FIRST.

Then try anything you can think of to produce a result. ie, Repair geometry, Consolidate, Triangulate, etc.
After each operation check the divide to see if anything has changed.

Also try saving the model in another file format, say as a .x object and then import it back into 3DC. See if it changes anything.

Bazza

I think Bazza covered most things. One thing you could try is a ‘Compact’. It could be a database (file) issue.

Or on another note it since it has been smoothed perhaps you are on the edge of the maximum number of faces/points supported which is around 32000. You can find out the number of faces/poitns by right-clicking on the object and choosing ‘properties’.

Richard

7519 faces, 8537 points. Doesn’t sound like I’m pushing 32000 by any means. I’ll try the steps Bazza mentioned, with backing up my original, I’ve already shot myself in the foot with compaction once. I can be taught, however <!– s:) –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!– s:) –>

I think we’ve all ‘shot ourselves in the foot’ many times. <!– s:D –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_biggrin.gif" alt="" title="Very Happy" /><!– s:D –>

I usually end up with 3 of 4 files on the same project. MyFigure_one, MyFigure_Two etc.
I get so far with the MyFigure_one file then save it out as MyFigure_two and so on.

That way I can always go back to an earlier version if I make a ‘pigs ear’ of things.
Which I do quite often. <!– s:) –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!– s:) –>

If you can’t sort the problem and you can .zip the file I could try it on my system to see if the same thing happens.

Let me know if you want to do this and I’ll send you a PM with my e-mail address.

I’m at work for the next two days though so it would be Sunday before I can take a look.

Bazza

don’t have a zip utility at the moment (since my desktop crashed). I have somewhat managed the problem, although the solution is a bit cumbersome, which is to select edges, divide those (no lock up) and connect the dots.

The rotten thing is when I save out a step x backup, I always manage to make great improvements on step x+1 just before the pig’s ear happens.

(example, I added hand bones to model, which weren’t in hierarchy, got them all place, but missed ONE vertex with my influence envelopes, when I try to open skeleton range effects or relax the figure, the models fingers explode around the scene, dragging skin with them. Looks like a low grade sci-fi flick where the lovely girl sprouts tenticles)

Thanks for the offer, might try that when I get some zipware

Just one last idea, have you tried using the OBJECT CLEANER script from the plug-ins section?

It removes unused points and degenerate faces, might be worth a try.

Bazza

sounds handy… that a download or a program script?

One thing this is teaching me to do is learn where I botch things up, then I take a previous stage (sometimes) and advance it with what I’ve learned. Sort of a digressive progress thing.

The lady with the fingers that blow up is salvagable in the file version before that, so I’m advancing that one a little. Got some cool shots before she blew up, though. Once I get my hierarchy straight again, I’ll save a new one out, hopefully advanced enough to make an entry in the contest (gotta enter anyway, nothing ventured, nothing gained)

I’ll go sniff around for the object cleaner plugin
thanks Bazza

(edit: found it, will save new file and try it when I’m done reattaching fingerbones)

interesting. I tried exporting to .x format and importing the model. The autosmooth problem resolved, and the model seems to be editable, including divide operations, however several textures and all the bones structure were lost in translation somewhere. It may be useful if I decided to try rebuilding from there, however that’s gonna be a lot of work.

(where is that coin, now?)

When you exported to .x did you export as ‘DirectX Frame Hierarchy’.
For some reason this seems to import back into 3DC with all texture info intact. However animation is lost.

Maybe Richard knows a way round this.

I find this a bit strange as all the animation info is exported ok.
I use the DX frame hierarchy export, to export all my animations, skeletal and key frame. I then convert to .b3d and load into Blitz. All animations work fine.

Anyway, remember the closing date for the compo isn’t till September so you have plenty of time.

A third option would be to start again, using what you have learnt so far, you would probably make a much better job of the model.
Plus you would be able to build it a lot faster than you did the first time.

All you need now is a three-sided coin. <!– s:) –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!– s:) –>

Bazza

think so. I know what happened, however. The textures that were lost were all located outside the texture library folder. Those that were from the texture library folder made the export/import.

This will, of course, teach me to leave things scattered all over the place, and I’ll get better about placing my textures in the preffered folder.

3 sided coin. Oh, Richard… I smell a new contest brewing! <!– s;) –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_wink.gif" alt="" title="Wink" /><!– s;) –>

gmani,

Can you send me the model you are having troubles with? With an explanation of how to reproduce the problem. I’d like to try ‘fixing’ it.

Richard

certainly, Richard. But give me a bit to find it, since then I’ve fallen back a few steps, exported to .x, imported, and am trying to get the color thing right again. And find you e-mail. I did find a zip utility, hope it works on the more mainline unzippers.