The images above show an arm joint I created that bends with 3 joints. The Outliner tab shows how all the joints are connected to their appropriate point.
Questions:
Name one thing that non-manifold geometry cannot do?
Because of its configuration, non-manifold geometry cannot be unfolded into a continuous flat piece. This is because it connects several edges.
Describe 3 things that you can change when grouping objects together?
You can move the group around the scene, rotate the group to the desired position, and change the scale of all objects in a group.
Give an example of how or when you might use a parent-child hierarchy
When an object has several joints connected in a row, like in an arm or leg of a model. The joints are the parents while the ‘bones’ are the children. When the parent changes the children follow suit hence the name of the hierarchy.
Name 3 different combine options within Maya? How might you use the selected options in your workflow?
- Combine Skinning: Binds skins, using the previous weights.
- Pivot Position: you can change the pivot point of a combined object.
- Center: The pivot point will be positioned at the center of all the objects being combined.
Describe two things that you should be aware off when combining geometry in Maya:
Combining meshes can result in non-manifold geometry, where the normal faces are pointing in opposite directions. This can ruin the texturing of an object.
Be aware of where the pivot point of your combined mesh is located, as it will affect future transforms you apply to it. You can change this with some of the combine options.
Hollie Hurwood's Game Design course work 