[Plugin] GreyscaleMode

Jim · 8 Sept 2008, 20:44

The plugin goes through all in-model materials and changes them to a grey value. The default face color is completely ignored as it does not appear in the in-model materials list, and this is when the material is nil.

So the question is, should the plugin also change the default face color to a grey value?

Does anyone have a preference for how the greyscale value is calculated? If not, I will try the method suggested by Didier.

Thanks, Didier for taking the time to help.

utiler · 8 Sept 2008, 22:21

I never export images, etc from SU with the default face color. In fact if we did this in grey scale without adding additional color to the scene then grey scale would be a constant....

Here is another nice example of grey scale output. [not mine]

Dave R · 8 Sept 2008, 23:27

I guess I'm not too picky about how the grays are determined. At this point the average of the RGB values seems to work fine but if there's another option, I'm willing to go that way. As far as the default material being turned to a gray, perhaps it could be left alone? THis would make it easier to identify faces that haven't been given a material.

utiler · 8 Sept 2008, 23:56

True Dave, the default color can go it alone....

As for grey scale variation, If we didn't have variation i think it would shade quite bland IMHO...

Dave R · 9 Sept 2008, 00:02

Andrew, you have a point about the potential for blandness. (I think I just made up a word.)

I'm sure it would add to the complexity of the plugin but suppose one could choose some sort of filter factor. Suppose that you want to simulate a 25 Red filter. You might choose Red from a list of filters which would give green colors lower values (make them darker) while reds would tend to be higher values. This would give you the ability to tune the grays to prevent some colors from being too close together on the gray scale.

Dave R · 9 Sept 2008, 01:00

Here's another example of using the Grayscale Plugin. This is raw SU output.

utiler · 9 Sept 2008, 01:11

Awesome Dave!!!

Dave R · 9 Sept 2008, 01:17

Thank you Andrew. There's not much color in this model anyway but I like the effect with the grey scale option. I like that the wood grain still shows this way, too.

plot-paris · 9 Sept 2008, 06:41

@dave r said:

...but suppose one could choose some sort of filter factor. Suppose that you want to simulate a 25 Red filter. You might choose Red from a list of filters which would give green colors lower values (make them darker) while reds would tend to be higher values.

do I understand it correctly that with this method you could even create a sepia effect (with some colours standing out of course ). that would be such a cool thing!

Dave R · 9 Sept 2008, 09:59

I hadn't thought of it that way but I suppose since we're asking for the moon...

I was really thinking more of "filters" for controlling values of gray to preventtwo adjacent colors from looking like the same value of gray. I'm sure you've seen the example from the old photography texts of the red, green and yellow apples shot through different colored filters on black and white film. I tried to find that photo in a quick Google search but came up empty.

Jim · 9 Sept 2008, 10:14

@dave r said:

I hadn't thought of it that way but I suppose since we're asking for the moon...

I was really thinking more of "filters" for controlling values of gray to preventtwo adjacent colors from looking like the same value of gray. I'm sure you've seen the example from the old photography texts of the red, green and yellow apples shot through different colored filters on black and white film. I tried to find that photo in a quick Google search but came up empty.

I'm sure it can be be done, although I don't know the math involved in filtering/masking colors. To combine the ideas, a set of filter settings could be saved as a preset - named Sepia, or Black & White, as examples.

off to day job... later.

Matt666 · 9 Sept 2008, 15:05

@unknownuser said:

or Black & White,
Hey !! That is exactly what I wanted to ask !!
The same render that "Hidden lines" tool of the "Face Style" Toolbar... But we can color some entities !!!
Great
Thank you Jim !

utiler · 9 Sept 2008, 22:13

wow, this is becoming bigger than i thought....

DonVid · 12 Sept 2008, 15:47

Greetings Jim:

This plugin is a great addition. We can now insert
a pdf from Lay Out and import it into cad programs
like Vector and make a BW presentation on the actual
Construction Documents.

Thanks,

DonVid

Constr. Docs.1.pdf

utiler · 12 Sept 2008, 22:30

too right Jim, and nice work.
this little script portrays a nice soft presentation to both schematic and final design....

Jim · 12 Sept 2008, 23:28

I made 2 small updates:

Right-clicking Groups and Components gives you the Revert Color option.
Implemented the suggested grey color calculation of: color = 0.3 * red + 0.59 * blue + 0.11 * green

Download it from the first post of this thread .

Dave R · 12 Sept 2008, 23:41

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the update. I see when opening the script that you have added the math. I don't see the Revert color option when clicking on a component, though. Is it just me?

Jim · 12 Sept 2008, 23:50

@dave r said:

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the update. I see when opening the script that you have added the math. I don't see the Revert color option when clicking on a component, though. Is it just me?

I get the Revert on Components. I honestly didn't try it until just now... but it does work. Now, if each individual Face in the Component is colored (as opposed to having the default color), you need to open the Component and right-click a face.

Dave R · 12 Sept 2008, 23:54

Oh, I see. I almost never paint components. I always apply the material to the faces so I didn't understand at first. Now I do.

Thank you.

Dave

sketchupjockey · 13 Sept 2008, 00:32

very cool, thanks