Pivot Point Problems
kaz42
Posts: 63
I'm using the newest version of Hex, 2.5.1.79, and I'm having a horrible time with moving pivot points on an object. I've been following along with the CGDreamsTutorials on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSNSIwZ77Vc) and also tried the official Daz video for it (http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/hexagon/2/videos/start)
I select the object, right click on the background, select Set Pivot Point, and that's where things go wrong. I don't get the little "white crosshairs" over verts to select one to use as a pivot point (besides Shift, I've also tried holding down Alt and Ctrl).
It does allow me to change the pivot point, but not to a vert like the docs suggest. When I try to click on a vert, it actually moves the pivot point to a vague "spot where I clicked" that is somewhere in the middle of the geometry or behind it.
I'd like to get this solved in Hexagon, since I'm sure moving the pivot points will be useful for other projects - but what I'm currently working on is making buildings with opening doors. In searching for a solution for this, I've seen how easy it is to move it in Studio. Would it be easier just to make the building and door as separate objects, import both into Studio, and reconnect/move the door pivot in Studio?
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Comments
The white cross-hairs only appear after you have set the pivot point and want to set it again - to show you where it was.
It is a modelling only function, i.e. it won't stay in that new position when you export the model - each rendering application will set it to the centre of the bounding box, so doing this won't help when it comes to using it to open doors, etc.
If you don't want to go to the trouble of rigging a door in Studio, you will have to import the door as a separate mesh and set the pivot point there.
Please go to 1:05 in the YouTube video to see what I'm talking about. After you click Set Pivot Point, if you hold Shift down and move over verts, it is supposed to bring up a small white crosshair over the verts so you know which one you're selecting... his video clearly shows the crosshairs moving with the cursor and highlighting different verts until he clicks on one.
I do understand that that's not what I need here - since I'm doing doors on a building, it will make a lot more sense to wait until it's in Studio before I mess with the pivot points. I didn't think doing it in Studio would be extra trouble, I just figured that since pivot points were an option while I was creating the model, it would make better workflow sense to set it up during modeling. I'm way more comfortable working in Daz than I am in Hex. :) I also didn't realize bridging the model over would reset all of the pivot points anyway. :) So for my purposes, that was a great answer, thanks!! :)
I would still like to solve the Set Pivot Point mystery though, for other uses (and other users) later.
OK, yes, I see what you mean. I've never had a need to hold shift while setting a pivot point. Don't see why this is necessary, anyway - it will snap to the nearest vert if you click anywhere near one.
Anyhow, I am getting the crosshair when holding shift.
Are you perhaps in transparent mode? That could cause you to accidentally set the pivot point to a vert on the other side of the mesh.
A screencap of what you are experiencing may help solve the problem.
Nope, it's not applying it to ANY vert, that's the odd thing. It's dropping it inside the geometry. Here are two screenshots. The first, you'll have to imagine the cursor being there, as to hit the screencap button I had to take my finger off of Shift, and it didn't save the cursor location in the screencap - but I clicked exactly on that vert, and it LOOKS like it has applied the new pivot point right there... The second pic is after panning my camera up over the sphere, where you can see the pivot point in the middle of the geometry (the vert I clicked is at the bottom of this pic.
I know it's not a simple matter of misclicking the vert, because I've tried it numerous times now... and even if I missed the vert when I clicked, I should still see the crosshairs coming up over the vert as I move across it.
I used one of the Actual Lighting modes to make the screencap look less boring, but I have tried this now in ALL the different modes, wireframe and solid. I've also tried doing this in Object Select, Vert Select, and Auto Select modes, to make sure I wasn't missing something dumb (I'm probably still missing something dumb). And yes, I tried closing Hexagon and restarting it. :) This is a fresh run of Hex with a simple sphere I brought in... so it's not something wonky with a file I've broken somehow. Halp! :P And thanks again...
It does seem as if your pivot point is not setting where you click on a vert - if you set it to an offset vert and rotate, does it rotate eccentrically or evenly around the centre?
What I'd like to see are those icons in the top left corner - your screencap is at a too low resolution for me to make out what settings you have there - I know these come up in a new install or re-set of Hex, but vanish after some use, so I don't recall what exactly they are, although I don't see how they would affect the pivot point.
It also doesn't look as if you have set a custom working plane, although confirmation of that could be in order - but again, I don't see how that affects the pivot point.
Closeup of that part of the screen attached.
No, I don't have a custom working plane active in this scene. If anything, I'd think having a custom plane might have caused this (if it were active) because Hex might take that as a cue to place my pivot point on the active plane rather than the selected vert... but no, I don't have one selected.
I'm a little less concerned about this now, since I bought ArchiTools this morning for Carrara. lol... Making buildings is a snap with that plugin. Still, it might be worth figuring out for others. Are you using the same version #, Roygee? Could be something that has gone wrong in the latest patch...
The two icons , 4th and 5th from the left look very much like "set pivot point" and "reset" - try using those instead of the right-click option.
Other than that, I'm stumped!
I do have the same version as you and there hasn't been an update or patch in many years, so that can't be it.
Sorry can't help any further :)
I have the same problem all the time. I think it is an Hexagon bug. It's strange, but when you have been working with Hexagon for a long time, (though in different sessions and models) it begins to behave oddly. I have found a solution for this: Edit menu - Preference editor - Reset all preferences to default.
Hope this can help, because this is a common problem with Hexagon (both in Mac and PC) and this is the only thread in the forums I've found talking about this.
As a rule of thumb, anytime I start going crazy with some feature in Hexagon that is not working properly, I "reset all preferences to default" and everything is fine again.
I've using Hexagon the last four weeks for the first time, and I find it a great modeling program at a ridiculous prize. I think a software this good deserves some support, mainly to get rid of these little bugs that appear randomly.
Pivot points is a vital feature to fast modeling, aligning, etc.
One more thing, I've quitted changing anything but the maximum undo levels in the preferences editor, that way you adapt to the default settings and can get back to work without getting angry!
Interesting to know.