Object selection

[SJD]

Hi all

is there a way of simplifying FZ's object selection? I have disabled the selection preview but I still get the irritating 'preemptive' selections showing up all over the place which is really annoying. I want to just be able to click on an object without the possibility of selecting other objects by mistake. Same goes for selecting faces and points. I work mostly in wireframe for accuracy but find it's also hit and miss if I want to select an object that's behind another like in the pic. I takes several attempts to select the object highlighted because it auto selects the object in front if that makes sense. 

thanks

Steve

[Shibui Design]

Face selection is only allowed in shaded display.

TIP:Rather than use Auto Pick, change topo selection to the object selection you wish, i.e. segment, point, face, etc. 

[SJD]

thanks

I hadn't realised the default was auto pic. You can select faces in wireframe but only if the object face isn't behind another object. In older versions you used to be able to select 2 edges to define the face. I really don't like working in the shaded mode - I'm so used to working in wireframe and I like to be able to access what otherwise might be hidden when shaded

[Des]

I'm not having problems selecting objects or their faces when behind other objects in wireframe.

I typically use autopick in conjunction with the command key and/or shift. In autopick with command key, select the first edge of the face you want and then the second edge so it knows what face to select. I think having selection preview on is imperative when using autopick, otherwise how do you know what it's going to select?

 

Edited July 21, 2020 by Des

[SJD]

Hi Des

the shaded face is the one I want to select. In this example, it's behind a glass screen. In previous versions I would have set the Topo level to 'face', selected 2 of the edges and the face would then be selected. I cannot do that in this case either with or without selection preview, command key or anything else because it keeps selecting the glass panel in front (even though I'm not clicking it's edges)

 

Edited July 21, 2020 by SJD

[Justin Montoya]

You should definitely be able to select two edges to select that face in Wireframe mode.  I suspect you have found a bug.  Can you please share a simple fmz file with as little geometry as possible and the view you are working in so we can also test it for you?

[SJD]

thanks Justin

looking at it again I think my problem is pretty straightforward. I cannot seem to be able to select a face by selecting 2 adjacent edges at all (like I used to in V6). I have 'face' selected and have tried Control, Shift, Alt in different combinations (I have also tried auto-pick) - the best I can do is select the segments only but not the face. Am I missing something? I can use the area/lasso to drag over the face but it's pretty clumsy and not much use in my original example.

Obviously, I can select the face by clicking on it but that's no good if there's another object in front of it

I'm using V8.6 and Windows 10

 

[snow]

in wireframe mode, go to Edit and make sure "2 Click Face / Outline Selection" is checked. 

[Justin Montoya]

Looking back, I seem to remember a Preferences Option that called for a 2 Edge Pick, but I can't seem to find it...

EDIT: snow got there first

[SJD]

cheers guys

yes that works, it's a pity it disables the option to select the face directly though (so you have to toggle between the two) I guess ADS had their reasons

[Andrew West]

I work in wireframe quite a bit but sometimes I still have trouble selecting something specific.  I find that if I select the entire object and then right click and isolate it I can select the parts of it that I want to work on.  Isolating objects seems to be absolutely necessary for any kind of accuracy.  

[SJD]

I find the Isolate function essential for working on anything other than very basic scenes

a few other things I've found that make life that bit more difficult (not sure if they're bugs or not)

if I'm creating an object and then rotate or move the view I lose the attributes dialogue in the top left corner that tell me height and length etc. I'm just left with the XYZ coordinates. (This one's especially annoying)

I find the 'escape' key doesn't work very often if I use key shortcuts for hand or rotate (so I can revert back to the tool I was using)

I have key shortcuts for the 'pick' and 'pick area' tool (I chose numerals 1 and 2) - it's 50/50 whether they work or not. Tbh I don't see why there are 2 different tools anyway. 1 pick tool worked fine in V6.

There are quite a few other niggles that I'm willing to accept may be more about me still trying to used to this version. I like this version and can see it's potential - it's just a shame it feels a bit rough around the edges

 

[snow]

15 hours ago, SJD said:

I have key shortcuts for the 'pick' and 'pick area' tool (I chose numerals 1 and 2) - it's 50/50 whether they work or not. Tbh I don't see why there are 2 different tools anyway. 1 pick tool worked fine in V6.

I have various keyboard shortcuts (m = move, r = rotate, p = pick, etc.) and I found they work about 60-70% of the time, so your 50/50 isn't far off.  If the shortcut doesn't work I'll usually hit the space bar and start typing the tool to pull it up.  after this maneuver then the shortcuts work.

And yeah, I don't understand two pick tools either.  I imagine if you have a frame type selected you should be able to choose Lasso or Polygonal as well within the same tool.  

[Justin Montoya]

Just curious why you aren't using v9?  If you're moving on from v6, why would you not jump to the newest?

[SJD]

19 minutes ago, Justin Montoya said:

Just curious why you aren't using v9?  If you're moving on from v6, why would you not jump to the newest?

the extra $345 to upgrade for one reason (I've had V8.6 since it came out but only just got round to using it!)

it also seems pretty buggy having read some of the posts on here plus I don't see anything that would benefit me over what I have at the moment

I had originally considered upgrading FZ and purchasing V-ray. However, the fact that V-ray has been developed in house by ADS has put me off as it will always lag behind other apps versions. Couple this with the complete lack of any decent tutorials (which has always been a problem compared to other 3D apps)

I appreciate that ADS are a smaller company with limited resources compared to some but unfortunately it doesn't fill me with confidence if I'm to invest further into the software

Edited July 22, 2020 by SJD

[Justin Montoya]

Understandable.  However, just know that most of v9's bugs have been resolved if they were reported clearly and v8 has its own set of quirks to workaround.  v9 is a better place to start today, IMHO.

I also realize the large change from v6 to v8 is already a big gap,  as I also didn't like v7 (loved v6) so I skipped it and waited for v8.  However, even with the choice between v8 and v9 now, I'll choose v9 everyday for new projects.  It's brought back some missing v6 features we all knew and loved, as well as added a lot more stability 'behind the scenes' for large files.  It will also be the only way to use the updated plugins like VRay and Maxwell.  $345 is a pretty small price to pay for all of that.

Not trying to sell you anything here, and I completely understand your trepidation given some of the early v9 forum posts, just sharing an honest opinion.  There's many happy users who simply just don't share that experience on the forum.  Users are much more likely to post a complaint or a problem than they are to share a positive experience.  It just seems to be the human condition.  We're all guilty of it.  But if you look around on other 3D software forums (Rhino, SketchUp, etc), they are all the same.  Problems with new versions from experienced users who expect things to work a certain way.  Either the software will adapt or the user will, and the work will get done.  Ideally these changes happen in the beta testing phase, but given the flexibility of formZ to do so many things in different ways on different systems, it's inevitable that some things slip through to the public release.  But if you find one of these issues and clearly report it to support@formZ.com, it is usually resolved by the next release which has been happening monthly as best I can tell.  

Plus the forum is always full of other like minded formZ users willing to help figure it out. 

[SJD]

cheers Justin

a timely response, I was just going to post this in the spirit of balance. I had a go a re-creating the attached pic of an office foyer using only FZ and RenderZone. I honestly think RenderZone is excellent if you are willing to accept it's limitations. I've never been a fan of the strictly 'accurate' render engines because of the usual big increase in render times. You can do some very decent 'fakes' in RenderZone in a fraction of the time and time is often money as they say. I guess that's why it's so frustrating that FZ isn't as refined as it could or should be.

This image (1732 px x 932 px 72dpi) took a 'massive' 6 minutes to render plus another 3 or 4 minutes post in Photoshop. 10 minutes all in isn't so bad

 

[¢hris £und]

One thing to consider, Renderzone/Lightworks was purchased by Autodesk, and essentially shelved.  Wile it too, essentially suffices for me, there will be no updates to it.  Additionally, we don't know what kind of licensing ADS had with the original Lightworks and how it applies to Autodesk now in control of it.   For me, a Mac user, my guess is that it will not be updated to the new silicon.  I, of course, don't know this, but rather a guess.

 

¢£