[numerobis]

Hi,

i have a Sketchup model exported as dwg and imported into max...

Is there an easy way to activate mesh smoothing for the imported geometry?
I get a faceted mesh on rounded surfaces

[Fernando Tella]

First: maybe you can change some import/export options to make the geometry more detailed so curves are made of more segments.

Second: probably you got an editable mesh or poly; if that's the case just go to the modify tab > subobject Polygon (hitting plus sign in stack) > Ctrl+A to select all polys > go down the panel to Surface Properties rollout > near a bunch of numbered buttons (which are smoothing groups) you find one called Auto Smooth and a box with a number (Smoothing angle) > type in the box the angle over which you want the polys smooth > hit Auto Smooth. > go out of subobject selection by clicking on top of stack.

[numerobis]

thank you for the quick response fernando!

i tried it several times but it doesn't work like you say

here are the results with different smoothing angles... i can't spot any difference



do you work with sketchup too? maybe it's a problem with the geometry imported from sketchup??? but it's one object as editable mesh...

[Bubbaloo]

Have you tried playing with using subdivision settings in editable poly?
Give the outside edges 1.0 weight and check the "use nurms subdivision".
Might work...

[numerobis]

thanks bubbaloo... but it doesn't work for me

but all edges already have a weight of 1.0 - so what are the inner edges are supposed to have? i tried 0.1 and 5... but no difference

[Fernando Tella]

Does it show smooth in max viewport?
Are you sure you selected all faces before hitting auto smooth?
There should be no problem smoothing that.
What happens if you smooth it with 100º; may be there are some overlapping faces.

[Bubbaloo]

I remember that same problem when I have imported objects from autocad. Sometimes they just don't smooth.

[Fernando Tella]

Maybe faces are not connected: 2 coincident edges beetween two faces instead of one. The solution would be welding all coincident vertex and smoothing after.

I guess...

[numerobis]

thank you guys for the hints, but i don't get it to work...
i don't have the time now to search for a solution, so i'm rebuilding the objects in max - it's a round glass facade, so it's nothing special which i couldn't do in max. but it's really strange and annoying that it doesn't work...

i'll analyze this problem when i have more time - but i'm really astonished that no one else here has encountered this before... besides Bubbaloo

[Bubbaloo]

Yeah, I recall coming to the same conclusion as you... model it in Max.

[Mauro]

If I import an object from an autodesk software, such as Autocad or Inventor, I select all vertices and weld them with a small treshold (close to 0) before applying AutoSmooth. That normally does it. I have to do that a lot because our engineers pass me Inventor files to be rendered all the time.

Welding vertices is considerably easier with poly objects. And I prefer to convert the mesh to poly first.

Below is a macro for 3dsMAX that I use for object imported from Inventor, it does weld the vertices, autosmooth and optimize the object. On very complicated, curvy objects you may have to tweak "Optimize" parameters. Hopefully this script will give you some ideas for your needs.

Ciao.

======================================

macroScript RemoveInventorEdges
buttontext:"RemoveInventor"
category:"FF_Macros"
toolTip:"Remove Inventor Edges"
icon: #("FF-Icons",6)
(
macros.run "Tools" "Isolate_Selection"
modPanel.addModToSelection (optimize ()) ui:on
$.modifiers[#Optimize].autoEdge = on
$.modifiers[#Optimize].preservemat1 = on
$.modifiers[#Optimize].preservesmooth1 = on
macros.run "Modifier Stack" "Convert_to_Poly"
subobjectLevel = 1
$.EditablePoly.SetSelection #Vertex #{1..1000000}
$.weldThreshold = 1e-016
subobjectLevel = 4
$.EditablePoly.SetSelection #Face #{1..1000000}
$.EditablePoly.autosmooth ()
subobjectLevel = 0
)--end script

[numerobis]

wow! very cool script, thanks.

I have to try it!