Extruding a Group?

[mrbisonm]

In gmax I would like to extrude (make it longer or higher) a model I made simply because I made it too short. Now instead of taking every single thing and make it longer (in height) is there a way to do so once it is grouped, like the whole model?
The encircled tool on the top of the picture is to make the whole model bigger in size, I know that, but there must be a way to either make the whole model larger, narrower, shorter or higher, right?



For the curious: I am building things for the GRV - Challenge 10.

Thanks for the help.

Fred

[vester]

Marked the group you want to make taller.

Then click on [Hierarchy] (3rd button in the side panel)

then  [Pivot] -> [Affect Pivot Only] -> [Center to Object]

then go down and set the z value to 0 (or what the lowers part of the group has)

Click [Affect Pivot Only] off


Then you can make a non uniform scale (click and hold to get a drop down from [Scale] )
(the small triangle in the corner of the button, indicate a dropdown)

[mrbisonm]

Super! That was clearly explained as I can understand it. It worked out fine just the way I wanted it to be. Many thanks, much appreciated.

Fred


Proof that it worked...

[vester]

Good to hear.


Did you understand what you were doing ?



Well the pivot is an anchor or zero point for the object (incl. groups).

Lets see how it works. Let take a simple box (made in the top view):


Picture 1.
Have moved the box to point (0;0;0)
(For a group the pivot is always set to the center of the group.)

Let try to scale the box:

Picture 2.
As you can see scale it scale from the pivot and out.

Lets move the pivot to one of corners of the box:

Picture 3.
The different arrows indicate that you moving the pivot.


Picture 4.
As you can see the box is scaled in only 3 directions.



Lets try a column:

Picture 5.
As you can see I have already moved the pivot outside the column.

Now lets try one of my favorite and powerfull tool, the array:

Picture 6.
Here the objects are rotate 90 degrees around the z axis and is copied 3 times, ending up with 4 in total.
Noticed that on the right you have a little calculator doing 4 times 90 degrees and getting 360.


Picture 7.


and if I change the angle to 60 and the count to 6 this is the result:

Picture 8.
(60 times 6 is again 360 degrees)

[mrbisonm]

Did you understand what you were doing ?

Well, NOW I do! This was an excellent lesson and now I can differ the sizes and understand also how it's done. I also understand the symbols on the scale icon now. Thanks. Great that you saw my thread.

Fred

[vester]

Glad my time was well spend! 

[vester]

The pivot in combination with the array tool, can be use to a lot of things.
Here is one thing is stairs.

A round stair case:

Picture 9.
Pivot for the step set to the center of the pole.


Picture 10.
Rotating around the z axis and moving some in z direction.

[mrbisonm]

Great.

How exactly, or should I ask, where do you change the pivot from the center to the side? And how do you multiply the stairsteps?

Hey, this is a great thread, glad that I asked and you came along, vester.....lol

Thanks
Fred

[vester]

Not sure I understand why you want to change it to the side!

Click on the [Affeck Pivot Only]

and put in the coordinats of the side.

click on the [Affeck Pivot Only] again to turn it off.


To do mutiply stairsteps: just readjust the count number. (See picture 6)
Here I have given the array tool an angle-value, a z-value and a count number.

[jmyers2043]

For the curious: I am building things for the GRV - Challenge 10.

I'm curious     Where's challenge 9          

[mrbisonm]

I'm curious     Where's challenge 9          

lol....It's on my gaming computer, which is waiting to get cleaned out. It has a virus and impossible to play any games at the moment.
Actually Challenge 9 is almost finished, all it takes is taking a couple more pictures and then write the story. Everything is built. The thing is that I am spending my free time already on Challenge 10's BATs at the moment while waiting for my son to come down and re-install windows.
Don't worry, Jim, I know that I have to do Challenge 9 before I ask you to make me my Challenge 10 (still wanna do it?)

Fred