Can anyone tell me please if it is possible to transfer the vertex point order from one mesh to another?(I am currently on Maya 2008). I ask because I’m trying to do some facial Blendshapes and the point order got messed up with importing and exporting the various face shapes.

Not within Maya. You can, however use Cyslice to do so.

Robert Vignone
http://www.robertvignone.com
Win 7 | I7 @ 3.6ghz | 24GB DDR3| GTX580 |

I’m not sure if it is in 2008, but actually the Transfer Attributes tool could give you a working solution.
While it doesn’t transfer point order it can transfer vertex position...which would allow you to just duplicate your main mesh and the transfer the vertex positions from the blend target with the problematic point order to the duplicate.
Just select the shape you want to copy from first then select the target and change the sample space to Component.
I did a test on my end and it worked great...hopefully it does the same for you...that is if it is available.
*fingers crossed*
~Ben

Sorry Ben, I don’t quite follow you but thanks for the reply.So have you been able to correct a blend shape target that had previously exploded due to differing point order.Maya 2008 does have the transfer attributes tool but If it won’t transfer point order I can’t see how it could correct a blend target with a different point order to the main mesh.Perhaps I’m missing something here.If you could explain the steps in a little more detail I would be most gratefull.

I understand your confusion...sorry I didn’t make it clearer.

The basic idea is to use the Tranfer Vertex position to duplicate the blend shape targets that have the wrong point order...a work around for not being able to copy point order.

The process would be to duplicate your base mesh which would give you a mesh with the correct point order to apply as a blend shape.
Now, snap the blend shape target that has the incorrect point order to the duplicate you just made.
At this point both meshes should have the same transform values, as this affects the trasfer of vertex position.
Select the mesh you want to copy and then your target mesh and apply the Transfer using Component for Sampling.
Then Delete History and delete the mesh that had the wrong point order...this should leave you with a mesh with the same point order as your base mesh and the vertex position of the original blend target.

Hopefully this makes senese...let me know if there is anything I should elaborate on.
I tried this with polygon cubes and it worked like a charm.
I don’t see why it wouldn’t work with something a more complicated...but Maya has a way of surprising me.

Let me know if it works.
~Ben

Thanks Ben.I gave it another go with a cube but when I apply the transform attributes the vetices with the incorrect point order snap to the coresponding vertices on the other cube and deform it.I’ve attached a sreenshot for clarity showing the problem and the transfer attribute settings.

	Attachment

The image didn’t come through...attaching things is knida weird on AREA.
If you are game you could post a scene with just the main base mesh and one of the blend targets with the incorrect point order and I can give it a go.
Just zip the file and hopefully is is less than 3MB (attachment files need to be zipped and be less than 3MB)
Also don’t preview your post if you are adding an attachment.
Hopefully I can help get this worked out.
~Ben

I managed to get my image up now.Hope this helps.Thanks again.

I apologize, I didn’t test my example fully...I made it sound so easy...I’m very sorry.
I guess this is why the software that transfers point order is $4000!

But, all is not lost.
While it is not 100% perfect...The Transfer Attributes Tool is not useless yet!
If you change your Sample space to ‘Local’ and your Search method to ‘Closest along normal’
Depending on the difference in the meshes this will have varying levels of effectiveness.
I’ve attached a simple example scene in which I used this method.
You will see that in the first blend target pair the mesh changes transfer perfectly (because the changes were right along the normals.)
The second blend target pair is not so nice...for obvious reasons. But depending on where you are at in this project...a little vertex to vertex snapping could be made a bit simpler with this head start. Still better than having to remodel your targets...maybe.

This being the AREA, maybe someone will swoop in with the obvious answer that I am missing...but I thought I would do what I could to help.

Wishing you all the best with this...and again, sorry for misleading you.
~Ben

	Attachment
transfer_scene.zip

I think I found your answer!!!
Spent a little while searching the web and found this.
http://tools3d.com/news.php

You just have to register and you will get access to a forum with the download link.
I installed and tried it out on the same scene I posted before and it works like a charm…
That is, after I watched the demo movie and learned how you need to select your meshes.
Select one corresponding Vertex and Edge on each mesh and then run the transfer.
Check out the topo_uv_transfers.mov on the home page to see an example of the selection process.
Though they are demonstrating for UVs the same selection requirement is used for Topology transfer.

I tested this option fully on the test scene with great results...god I hope it works for you!
**Fingers really crossed**
Let me know how it works out.
~Ben

Well I seem to have cracked it now.Thanks so much for your help Ben.I had looked at the programme you mentioned from ‘’tools 3d’’ but passed it by as I was obsessed with trying to change the point order.At last the penny has dropped And I see where you were comming from.So now I have duplicated my base mesh(with the correct point order)enough times to correspond to all the Target shapes and then transferred over each of there vertex positions with the ‘’tools 3d’’ plugin.For some reason there was a very small amount of movement in some of the vertices that should have been in the same position but I’m fixing that with the ‘’paint Blenshapes weight tool’’.The other thing I had to fix was the transformations to stop the base mesh sliding all over the place.
Once again thanks for all the help.