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Author Topic: Stupid Non-Newbie Question #4 (Topo Knife)  (Read 6713 times)

Old Codger

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Stupid Non-Newbie Question #4 (Topo Knife)
« on: November 17, 2023, 02:25:35 pm »

The Topo knife tool is acting in unexpected ways. I have a shape (basically a sphere) into which I need to "cut windows". So I call up the topo knife and make a series of horizontal cuts for the bottom of the row of windows. Okay! Then I start to make a series of cuts to mark the top of the row of windows. NOT Okay! It won't let me cut any of the edges I cut in the 1st pass! Doubtless I'm doing something wrong but I'll be dipped in chipotle salsa if I know what. Anybody have ideas?
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selden

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Re: Stupid Non-Newbie Question #4 (Topo Knife)
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2023, 01:07:27 am »

What do you mean by "won't let me cut"? Does the line shown while wielding the knife not go in the direction you want? Or does nothing happen when it crosses the previous cuts?

If it's the former, make sure you've enabled the appropriate directional (x,y,z) settings.

If it's the latter, I have no suggestions. You'll probably need to post your .an8 file so someone can examine it.
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Selden

Old Codger

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Re: Stupid Non-Newbie Question #4 (Topo Knife)
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2023, 08:42:46 am »

The edges I want to cut just don't even light up! Dangedest thing! All around the area where I made the cuts the edges light up perfectly but the edges I just cut don't light up. Weird! I'll post a screenshot for illustration.
[time passed]
Huh! When I reopened the file just now after an overnight shutdown and reboot of the computer everything is working exactly as I would expect. I suspect something subtly odd is going on. But thanks, Selden, for the comeback.

Question: Your first name wouldn't be "Harry", would it? ;)
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selden

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Re: Stupid Non-Newbie Question #4 (Topo Knife)
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2023, 10:30:40 am »

Nope. Not even Hari ;)

(Selden is my first name, actually.)

Good to know things are working for you. It's surprising how many bugs a reboot fixes.


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Selden

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Re: Stupid Non-Newbie Question #4 (Topo Knife)
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2023, 03:05:48 pm »

Oh it still hiccoughs occasionally but I'm figuring out ways to kick it back on track. The way to make something look real is to pile crap tonnes of surface detail on it. Plus I'm making "real" things so I am forever cutting doors and windows into things. Now if there were a relatively simple way to cut a circular or oval hole in a face THAT would be helpful. But I guess I just need to go back and look at Laszlo Korosi's tutorial on Boolean Subtraction. I'm sure I'll get an idea or two there.
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selden

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Re: Stupid Non-Newbie Question #4 (Topo Knife)
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2023, 11:45:42 pm »

There are some boolean scripts that I've used once in a while, but the ones I've tried have been really glitchy in all but the simplest cases. I dunno where I got the ones I've used, but Google can find some.

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Selden