Merge a Model but maintain material properties

[Adam Trachtenberg]

It’s possible, but a bit of a PITA. You have to assign material selection tags to each individual object before you connect the models. The new object will retain the material selection tags, but you have to reassign the materials to them manually. :/

[Lennart Wåhlin]

In the Goodies CD there is a Plugin called “Connect Object”. It connects all meshes to a single mesh creating correct selectiontags as well.
So it is only a one-click thing!

Cheers
Lennart

[Adam Trachtenberg]

Oh yeah, forgot about that! But will it keep the materials if you make it editable?

[Kevin Snyder]

Thank you, I will give it a try!

[Kevin Snyder]

It sorta works, the only problem is that when I make it editable it just converts the connect object to a null object. Adam, how do assign material tags to different parts of a single model? I am trying to perform the thinking particles blurp with a model of a house, but right now I can only do it with models that use a material tag for the whole house.

Blurp Example\
https://www.hypa.tv/tims/blurp.html

[Adam Trachtenberg]

You save polygon selection and then drag the selection tag into the material tag’s “Selection” box.

[Lennart Wåhlin]

Sorry for a late reply, I sent a message from another computer and it seems it didn’t turn up…
The ConnectObject works fine keeping materials at the right selection -most- of the time.
Trying it on Meg it works but some extra selections are made, most likely because of the MirrorObject.
Using it on one of the Zygote caracters, it is all messed up… So generaly it works fine for me even if Children are
LoftNurbs, Sweeps and all sort of hierachy.

Cheers
Lennart