Some 8.0 scripts: ShapeAlongFaces, Loft, CreateFaceFromPoint

I started 3 more scripts for 3DC 8.0.

ShapeAlongFaces allows to create a shape from a set of faces with the same number of points.
In the created shape, a link is made between the selected points.
The shape is created ‘open’ (no end faces).

Simple version by linking faces points:
[img:28y71ubs]http://img199.imageshack.us/i/3dcshape01.jpg/[/img:28y71ubs]
[img:28y71ubs]http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/2051/3dcshape01.th.jpg[/img:28y71ubs]

With 3 or 6 intermediate points:
[img:28y71ubs]http://img199.imageshack.us/i/3dcshape02.jpg/[/img:28y71ubs]
[img:28y71ubs]http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/5272/3dcshape02.th.jpg[/img:28y71ubs]

With different parameters to have a smother result:
[img:28y71ubs]http://img196.imageshack.us/i/3dcshape03.jpg/[/img:28y71ubs]
[img:28y71ubs]http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/5698/3dcshape03.th.jpg[/img:28y71ubs]

By choosing a different linking of the points:
[img:28y71ubs]http://img196.imageshack.us/i/3dcshape04.jpg/[/img:28y71ubs]
[img:28y71ubs]http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/1716/3dcshape04.th.jpg[/img:28y71ubs]

Some faces triangulation may be needed (with 3DC triangulate object operation) as some faces are not built planar.

Loft script (I think it can be called that way):

1) Select a point in a face which will be shape of the object
2) Select any points which will be the path along which the object is build

[STRIKE]Can someone tell how to invert faces in a script (sometimes faces are inward and sometimes outward)? Otherwise the object will have to be inverted (not a big deal though).[/STRIKE] (solved)

Here are some examples:

[img:1aoam3pu]http://img44.imageshack.us/i/3dcloft07.jpg/[/img:1aoam3pu]
[img:1aoam3pu]http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/2711/3dcloft07.th.jpg[/img:1aoam3pu]

[img:1aoam3pu]http://img193.imageshack.us/i/3dcloft01.jpg/[/img:1aoam3pu]
[img:1aoam3pu]http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/8859/3dcloft01.th.jpg[/img:1aoam3pu]

[img:1aoam3pu]http://img7.imageshack.us/i/3dcloft02.jpg/[/img:1aoam3pu]
[img:1aoam3pu]http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/6066/3dcloft02.th.jpg[/img:1aoam3pu]

Looks like you’re having fun with 8.0 <!– s:) –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" /><!– s:) –>

It’s going to take me a month to just convert all my old plugins and scripts.

I hope upgrading your plugins and scripts will go on smoothly.
The existing plugins and scripts in 3DC are very very useful (or, is it, necessary? <!– s:) –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" /><!– s:) –> )

With all the new 8.0 features, 3DC can be upgraded with very useful operations.

Here is the third script : CreateFaceFromPoints
It creates a face from a selection of points (I like selection of points <!– s:) –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" /><!– s:) –>).
If all the points are from one object, the face will be added to object.
If the points are from different objects, the face will be created as a seperate object.

[img:35g3kip2]http&#58;//img269&#46;imageshack&#46;us/i/3dcface01&#46;jpg/[/img:35g3kip2]
[img:35g3kip2]http&#58;//img269&#46;imageshack&#46;us/img269/1582/3dcface01&#46;th&#46;jpg[/img:35g3kip2]

[img:35g3kip2]http&#58;//img269&#46;imageshack&#46;us/i/3dcface02&#46;jpg/[/img:35g3kip2]
[img:35g3kip2]http&#58;//img269&#46;imageshack&#46;us/img269/9498/3dcface02&#46;th&#46;jpg[/img:35g3kip2]

[img:35g3kip2]http&#58;//img35&#46;imageshack&#46;us/i/3dcface03&#46;jpg/[/img:35g3kip2]
[img:35g3kip2]http&#58;//img35&#46;imageshack&#46;us/img35/3164/3dcface03&#46;th&#46;jpg[/img:35g3kip2]

According to the orientation wanted, the created face may need to be inverted (or re-execute the script with points selected in the reverse order).

Another example for fun (using ShapeAlongFaces) to build a plane-like shape:

[img:ekxofve5]http&#58;//img269&#46;imageshack&#46;us/i/3dcface04&#46;jpg/[/img:ekxofve5]
[img:ekxofve5]http&#58;//img269&#46;imageshack&#46;us/img269/9656/3dcface04&#46;th&#46;jpg[/img:ekxofve5]

[img:ekxofve5]http&#58;//img269&#46;imageshack&#46;us/i/3dcface05&#46;jpg/[/img:ekxofve5]
[img:ekxofve5]http&#58;//img269&#46;imageshack&#46;us/img269/7500/3dcface05&#46;th&#46;jpg[/img:ekxofve5]

Excellent, very useful things.

[BLOCKQUOTE class=’ip-ubbcode-quote’][div class=’ip-ubbcode-quote-title’]quote:[/div][div class=’ip-ubbcode-quote-content’]Originally posted by Vlado:
Excellent, very useful things. [/div][/BLOCKQUOTE]

It’s been a long time since I was looking for such features in 3DC.
The 3DC 8.0 improvements made me decide to write the scripts.

[b:31dof9mp]I upgraded the ShapeAlongFaces script[/b:31dof9mp]
1) You can choose to have the end faces or not
2) You can select points on standalone faces (as examples above) but also select faces from objects.
The mapping of points on the different faces is based on the first point with max Y found on each face.

Based on the tests on 3DC 8.0 beta1, the object creation does take any visible amount of time.
It looks instantaneous.

[img:31dof9mp]http&#58;//img35&#46;imageshack&#46;us/i/3dcshape05&#46;jpg/[/img:31dof9mp]
[img]http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/8163/3dcshape05.th.jpg’]

[img:31dof9mp]http&#58;//img30&#46;imageshack&#46;us/i/3dcshape07&#46;jpg/[/img:31dof9mp][img]http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/3603/3dcshape07.th.jpg’]

Dom I am assuming these will only work with vers 8 and not 7? is that right

[BLOCKQUOTE class=’ip-ubbcode-quote[/img]
[div class=’ip-ubbcode-quote-title[/img]
quote:[/div][div class=’ip-ubbcode-quote-content[/img]
Originally posted by BigPeter:
Dom I am assuming these will only work with vers 8 and not 7? is that right [/div][/BLOCKQUOTE]
The most part of the scripts is based upon selections from different objects, so it can only work in 3DC 8.0.
With 8.0 release ‘somewhat’ close, I won’t create a 7.x version of the parts of the scripts which can be used in 7.x.

[b:323c1h3a]I upgraded ShapeAlongFaces again[/b:323c1h3a] as the face matching algortihm was too simplistic.
I also added the [b:323c1h3a]possibility to use it within one object[/b:323c1h3a] with a limit of 2 faces (otherwise I cannot tell in which order I must process them).
I’ll test again in future 8.0 releases with more features to create objects and eventually the import of existing ones.
I guess everyone is eager to run a stable 8.0 <!– s:) –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" /><!– s:) –>

An example with 2 faces from the same object.

[img:323c1h3a]http&#58;//img194&#46;imageshack&#46;us/i/3dcshape08&#46;jpg/[/img:323c1h3a]
[img:323c1h3a]http&#58;//img194&#46;imageshack&#46;us/img194/5286/3dcshape08&#46;th&#46;jpg[/img:323c1h3a]

[b:8lsv8767]I upgraded the ShapeAlongFaces script[/b:8lsv8767]
1) Test if there are not too many steps
2) You can choose to have steps of roughly the same size along the shape. The size is the one computed between the first 2 faces.

You can see the difference below from the second half of the shape:
[img:8lsv8767]http&#58;//img269&#46;imageshack&#46;us/i/3dcshape10&#46;jpg/[/img:8lsv8767]
[img:8lsv8767]http&#58;//img269&#46;imageshack&#46;us/img269/2659/3dcshape10&#46;th&#46;jpg[/img:8lsv8767]

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