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How to take apart a model - ie Art Deco Hotel

ValKyrie_1856200ValKyrie_1856200 Posts: 133
in New Users

Art Deco Hotel is a beautiful model, but also a very large file. I'd like to be able to take it apart, delete (and not just hide) walls and use parts of it, such as the revolving doors, with other models I'm building using "Create a Room" walls etc.

However, even when selecting a small piece of the model, for example "Door 10" when I hit delete, it deletes everything. I tried to unparent it, but that's not working. Do I need to import this into some other program to take it apart?

Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions!

Comments

  • L'AdairL'Adair Posts: 9,479

    You need to learn the Geometry Editor. When using the Geometry Editor tool, you can hide that door, and then have DS delete the hidden mesh. While my dForce thread isn't specifically about this tool, there are several posts showing some basic use of the tool beginning here. It's not a complete tutorial, but should give you a basic foundation. Truth be told, the Geometry Editor is one of my favorite DS tools.

  • Roman_K2Roman_K2 Posts: 1,239

    Hopefully the OP will be able to get started. I wanted to mention that I'm not sure, but some models are kinda glued together, enough to either "block" the Geometry Editor or they are set up in such a way that going anywhere near the components with the GE shuts down DS 4.8 completely. So in my experience there appear to be isolated problems - with some commercial models.

    Example of one problem I've encountered: a model has a long "hierarchy" of say a dozen sub-sections. You can make a section invisible but you can't delete it. I'm a fussy user so if I have a Genesis figure in front of the model that is a tough customer so to speak, and I am annoyed by some shadows that a hand is casting say, I have to be very careful when using the Geometry Editor tool in drag mode to remove Genesis' shoulder > arm > forearm and hand. If by chance the Geometry Editor tool tip moves off of Genesis and lands on the finicky model that's adjacent to Genesis then bingo, EVERYTHING disappears and DS shuts down.

  • L'AdairL'Adair Posts: 9,479
    Roman_K2 said:

    Hopefully the OP will be able to get started. I wanted to mention that I'm not sure, but some models are kinda glued together, enough to either "block" the Geometry Editor or they are set up in such a way that going anywhere near the components with the GE shuts down DS 4.8 completely. So in my experience there appear to be isolated problems - with some commercial models.

    Example of one problem I've encountered: a model has a long "hierarchy" of say a dozen sub-sections. You can make a section invisible but you can't delete it. I'm a fussy user so if I have a Genesis figure in front of the model that is a tough customer so to speak, and I am annoyed by some shadows that a hand is casting say, I have to be very careful when using the Geometry Editor tool in drag mode to remove Genesis' shoulder > arm > forearm and hand. If by chance the Geometry Editor tool tip moves off of Genesis and lands on the finicky model that's adjacent to Genesis then bingo, EVERYTHING disappears and DS shuts down.

    I've never had this experience. But then again, by the time I figured out how to actually use the Geometry Editor, I was already using DS 4.9. (I now use the 4.11 beta most of the time.)

  • ValKyrie_1856200ValKyrie_1856200 Posts: 133

    Wow that's a lot to wrap my head around!! I will probably just hide those parts. for now. Thanks for the link L'Adair.

  • DekeDeke Posts: 1,631

    A work-around is that sometimes connected elements are listed separately in the surfaces panel.  So you can go to a wall or door and reduce opacity to 0, thus making it vanish.

    Note to model makers, please make all elements separate. I'm using the School Library set and there is no way to move the roof or walls around as they are all connected...very frustrating.

     

  • ValKyrie_1856200ValKyrie_1856200 Posts: 133
    Deke said:

    A work-around is that sometimes connected elements are listed separately in the surfaces panel.  So you can go to a wall or door and reduce opacity to 0, thus making it vanish.

    Note to model makers, please make all elements separate. I'm using the School Library set and there is no way to move the roof or walls around as they are all connected...very frustrating.

     

    100% agree with this. This set appears to be mostly all one piece. I can't even see walls as elements in the scene panel. 

  • My 3D SpinMy 3D Spin Posts: 608

    Or try the Surface tab and see if there are parts then Expand all and write opacity in the filter if you see the part you dont want 
    bring down the opacity to 0.

  • Roman_K2Roman_K2 Posts: 1,239

    In a way I'm glad to know that that the troublesome model is in fact a "one-piecer". Seriously, sorry to hear it but at least we're all on the same page re: where the trouble is.

    You know how in some web pages there is a row of little symbols to link to other sites or announce awards (like "Editor's Choice" of such-and-such a magazine)... perhaps there should be a "one-piece" symbol on the product page, one that's visible BEFORE you order it!

    I vote for a little bottle of glue.

    Great suggestion about altering the opacity of a section. I should also mention that it's at least possible to send the object to Hexagon and from there, deleting a few edges in the mesh will sometimes remove a chunk of model. Then you can sometimes send the remaining piece back to Studio without too much fallout.

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