getting rid of unwanted faces

[smbaker]

Hello,

 

Any time there are four points that are comprised of two splines, a face is created. Some of these faces I don't want. Now, I know that I can get rid of them by adding a fifth vertex, but this creates a good deal of complication as the fifth vertex breaks the adjacent face (which I want to keep), which I have to deal with by adding more vertices, and creating more polys than I wanted to.

 

so, to make a long story short, is there any way to make a face go away? For example, select it with the face selection tool, and then _do something_ to disable it ?

 

Thanks!

[luckbat]

I think by "face," you mean "patch"?

[Rodney]

One way would be to make the 4 CPs all of one continuous spline.

It takes 2 or more splines to create a patch so... that would leave the area open.

[smbaker]

I think by "face," you mean "patch"?

 

Yes, that's what I meant -- getting rid of unwanted patches.

[robcat2075]

how many times do you need to do this on one model?

[KenH]

It'd be easier if we could see what we're talking about. But a quick way to do it is to make a group that has transparency turned on and put the patch into that group.

[smbaker]

It'd be easier if we could see what we're talking about. But a quick way to do it is to make a group that has transparency turned on and put the patch into that group.

 

Some background -- Basically, what I'm working on is a 3D game using directX. The models are created via A:M and exported with amxtex. For example, one of my meshes is a "wall", which is a relatively simple rectangular solid. However, various unwanted patches get created (sometimes inside the wall, or at the junction where one wall starts and another ends). Intermittently as the player is moving these unwanted patches will show up, usually when the camera is positioned near-perpendicular to the normal of the unwanted patch.

 

I'm going to try your idea with the transparency. If it still causes a problem, then I should be able detect the transparent patches inside my game engine and just not render them.

 

Scott

 

One way would be to make the 4 CPs all of one continuous spline.

It takes 2 or more splines to create a patch so... that would leave the area open.

 

Hello Rodney, is there a quick way to do this, or is the only way to delete the original (seperate) splines and put a single spline in their place?

[robcat2075]

However, various unwanted patches get created (sometimes inside the wall, or at the junction where one wall starts and another ends). Intermittently as the player is moving these unwanted patches will show up, usually when the camera is positioned near-perpendicular to the normal of the unwanted patch.

 

Internal patches. This is a sign of improper splining when building the model originally. Show a wireframe of the model and someone will be able to point out how to avoid that.

[smbaker]

Internal patches. This is a sign of improper splining when building the model originally. Show a wireframe of the model and someone will be able to point out how to avoid that.

 

Hello Rob,

 

Here is one of my wireframes. The three patches that I didn't want were the two ends and the one in the center. This wireframe is after I have applied my "fix" by adding the fifth vertex to the patches that I wanted to go away (that's why there's an extra spline bisecting the top of the figure)

 

I suspect that where I went wrong was that ends and the center should have each been a single spline.

[robcat2075]

I suspect that where I went wrong was that ends and the center should have each been a single spline.

 

Yup you don't need that extra spline onthe top face (red).

 

Make the end (green) out of one single spline loop, extrude it twice like the arrows show, peak everything, and then neither the ends nor the middle will show a patch.

 

If you made this by first creating the L-shaped cross section, then extruded that down, that will almost certainly create internal patches since the ends and middle would be made from more than one spline.

[LordPython]

I am also having this problem. I am trying to make a Castle Tower and I am trying to take out a few of the blocks from the top of the tower. I made the tower with a lathe, and when I remove the unwanted splines, the remaining blocks become squared off. I want to keep the splines there, but remove the patches. I tried adding a CP to the spline, but that compromises the circular-ness of the tower. If pics are needed I can provide them.

 

Basically what I need is a way to add a CP to a spline without moving the spline at all. I've heard that if I hold down either Shift or Ctrl and hit Y it will do it, but it doesn't do anything. I am using v11.1i

[robcat2075]

I've heard that if I hold down either Shift or Ctrl and hit Y it will do it, but it doesn't do anything. I am using v11.1i

 

Stitch mode. Search "Stitch" in the Help docs. Has sample movie.

 

To keep the old curvature, you hold the Shift Key while adding the the new spline .