Mirror problems...

[kroskilly]

Has anyone else had problems using mirror in gmax? Any mirror copies I make of object appear sort of hollow in flight sim. Any ideas how to fix this?

Thanks,

Kyle

[EngEd]

Hello, Kyle,
Yep. A well-documented problem. It has to do with "normals" (i.e., direction-defining features) getting screwed up.
There are (at least) three ways to make a symmetric copy of a GMax object, two of which are essentially incompatible with MakeMDL and FS:
The Mirror Selected Object(s) tool on the top menu seems the worst. I just avoid using it at all.
There's also the option of using Edit/Clone then Tools/Mirror. This too also tends to generate one of those Escher-like FS shapes, sort of turned inside out with the wrong shading.
The most successful method is also the most complex: Clone the object and then use Modifiers/Parametric Deformers/Mirror in the top menu. This puts a Mirror entry in the object's Stack, that array of properties at right. But once it's as I want, I "collapse the stack" to Editable Mesh again.
Thus far, this mirroring technique has given me fine results.
You might try fooling with the right-hand command panel's Modifier Lists/Mesh Editing/Normal and check Flip Normal. This has been useful to me in other things involving normals, but hasn't really helped in the mirror problem.
I hope this helps.
Dennis S

[kroskilly]

Okay, I'll give that a try. Thanks for your help Dennis.