Change the selection that a specific stack operator is using

[probiner]

I know generally about modifier stacks and have known only MAX and Blender ones so far the SI stack looks wierd. First I cant choose to disable individual operators. I disable a branch, then I can add some operators and to see the end result I have to turn them all on again. I understand vertex ID is a limitation though.

Now, say apply an Extrude Normal OP to a group of polygons and I keep doing stuff. Can I change which Polgons are Extruded afterwards, or my only option is to disable the stack from there, delete the operator and redo it with a new selections, having to fill in all the inputs and options again?

Cheers

[EricTRocks]

You can only disable the operator stack from a certain point upward unless that operator has a mute parameter.

As for extruding polygons, the built in operator works only on the selection and thus if you want to change the polygons that are extruded you'll have to remove that operator (no need to mute the operator stack) and add a new one with the new selection.

However, if you use the new ICE Topology nodes you should be able to create a cluster and use use that plus some other nodes to extrude the polygons that belong to that cluster. You can add remove components from clusters at will so I believe this is the best way to be able to keep the operator and not have to recreate it each time.

[luceric]

Cool question, bro!

Now, say apply an Extrude Normal OP to a group of polygons and I keep doing stuff. Can I change which Polgons are Extruded afterwards, or my only option is to disable the stack from there, delete the operator and redo it with a new selections, having to fill in all the inputs and options again?

I have no clue why you want to do this.

But the solution is to create a cluster manually, and then extrude the cluster, not the selection.
Then you mute the operator stack from that Extrude Up and upwards, select the cluster than change its content, and then re-enable the stack.

[probiner]

Thanks guys.
Yeah cluster seemed the way to do it. Also nice that clusters propagate with modification
Component ID will always be a limitation on these kinds of things. But still this is quite cool. Adds an extra step to the operation, but it's quite manageable.

Funny enough but Deform>Smooth creates a cluster automatically. So it's the same thing I was asking about but without manual steps


Cheers

[Chris_TC]

Component ID will always be a limitation on these kinds of things.

Very true. You do have additional options with ICE based topology changes (for instance, making your ICE topo operator only affect polygons that are facing a certain direction: so component ID does not matter), but it still has its limitations and could be more convenient to set up.

[probiner]

Doing a duplicate of duplicate of a duplicate, etc allows me to disable the stack in one of the middle duplicates and see the last one update, not as stack controllable as Max or Blender in terms of Order changing, but at least this way I can mute what I want. Though properties like Weight Maps update from the original mesh to the duplicate, creating new Weight Maps won't go through...

Cheers

[origin]

All topo ops create clusters but they are hidden. I don't think you can change them tho.
If u're long time max user like me you will see pros and convs of both stack workflows (dunno about blender).

Max dynamic selection (eg procedural volume select) is very cool and you can duplicate such workflow only via ICE. I think all standard deform ops (and more) are available (rray.de) as ice compounds.
However max manual selection in stack (selection sets, component select modifier) is prone to user error, horrible to read/maintain, badly designed and crap, contrary to easy to use/read/reuse/maintain clusters.

One thing missing in xsi is that modelling ops cant go over model stack, and non-ice topo ops cant be reaarranged. So forget about live symmetry and shell (these are two I miss the most)

[probiner]

Yes, Modify>Deform operations create a cluster automatically. With Modify>Poly.Mesh ones I need to make them myself.
To change the polygons used in the Ops I need to disable the stack down to the operation I want to change, add/remove polygons to the cluster and then enable it again.
Yes, selection sets and groups are quite nice in SI.

Cheers