[CityGen] User Selection of Building type
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I just tested color by layer and it does what I was hoping. It lets you quickly switch back and forth between the colors/materials assigned by the module and back into the color coded view.
Can the layer color be controled through the API? I'll go check.
I didn;t see it in the API. Is it possible in an attribute library attached to the layer object or something? I might only like this if it lets us change the colors through the API. Maybe its not the end of the world if we can't - as long as the user can change it in the layers menu maybe thats enough.
Chris
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@chris fullmer said:
Would it also be interesting to populate a global array (or not global if possible), maybe its an attribute library on the main model object. But populate arrays or libraries of say all blocks. So that instead of the core having to iterate over the entire model looking for "blocks", it already has a list that has been populated for it. Maybe that is redundant though because of all the coloring system. Maybe it just gets in the way. I haven't thought it through entirely (obviously).
Since the DoubleCut plugin I'm very hesitant to keep references to SU elements. AdamB even warned me about that.
We wouldn't have to loop through the whole model, we could just check the definition table.
@chris fullmer said:
Can the layer color be controled through the API? I'll go check.
I didn;t see it in the API. Is it possible in an attribute library attached to the layer object or something? I might only like this if it lets us change the colors through the API. Maybe its not the end of the world if we can't - as long as the user can change it in the layers menu maybe thats enough.
RenderingOptions['DisplayColorbyLayer']
http://code.google.com/intl/nb/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/renderingoptions.htmlI'm thinking a Toggle Construction mode could be useful to set up the Style correctly. Core feature?
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When I think about buildings, I am beginning to think that they should be .skp files in the buildings folder. Then instead of drawing building using Ruby, you load the component, add the instance, rotate, and scale. They can still have custom attributes/contraints attached.
Think of making them Dynamic Components which can then be manipulated via ruby after being placed. In fact, DC's are redrawn upon insertion in the model, and if it is programmed with some random methods, quite a lot of diversity can be obtained simply by inserting the same component.
It would also make for a whole lot more building types because there are a lot more people who can draw a building than can program a ruby to draw one.
Just a thought I had.
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@unknownuser said:
RenderingOptions['DisplayColorbyLayer']
I meant I was hoping to be able to control the color of each layer through the API so we could do it in our webdialogs. I don't think its possible though.
@unknownuser said:
I'm thinking a Toggle Construction mode could be useful to set up the Style correctly. Core feature
Yeah, I think that would be nice. Could be a button in the toolbar.
@unknownuser said:
We wouldn't have to loop through the whole model
Ok, as long as we don't do large loops through the model.
And goodnight, its 1:26 here and I have been making Apricot Jam all night. I'm finally done and I'm going to bed!
Chris
Edit: Dude, Jim just posted. and its like 3:30 or 4:30 in the morning there. Are you just getting up or haven't been to bed yet?
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I can't/don't sleep anymore.
The down-side of color by layer is that the colors can not be set from a plugin.
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@jim said:
The down-side of color by layer is that the colors can not be set from a plugin.
That's annoying... hm...
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@jim said:
When I think about buildings, I am beginning to think that they should be .skp files in the buildings folder. Then instead of drawing building using Ruby, you load the component, add the instance, rotate, and scale. They can still have custom attributes/contraints attached.
That's an option. But that will limit their shape. If you have an irregular street layout you'll end up with irregular parcels and buildings. So some generation from scratch would be needed.
But if it's pre-fabricating buildings to they'll have more details then cut-out glue-to window/door and detailing components is also an option. That way you can generate the volumes and populate it with detail components.
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I see benefits both ways. What about leaving it so that its rubies that make the buildings, but what about one module that instead of making its own buildings, just loads building models from a directory. Or even multiple directories if people want to be able to subdivide that module into different building types.
Is that just overly - complex? I am imagining making it as simple as possible, but perhaps its just too much.
Chris
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I had imagined that there's be building generator the made everything from scratch and then there's be ones that used Components to build buildings. All depending on what type of building you want.
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@chris fullmer said:
Is that just overly - complex? I am imagining making it as simple as possible, but perhaps its just too much.
I don't think it is overly complex. The control program would not have to know how the buildings are being added. What matters is that all Building types respond_to? a .build() method.
So the controller just calls the .build() method on any type of Building, and all Buildings must repond_to? the .build() call. But each type of Building will do something completely unique in its build method.
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So building class should be based upon a Building class maybe?
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Arg!!
You can't modify the material name via the API.
Nor can you delete a material.With layers you can set the name. But then there's the problem of colour. Guess the user have to manage the colours completely. ...but I'd rather have different materials per street/building type than a layer...
I saw that VfSU uses some hack to work around renaming and deleting materials. They replace the existing with a new material and then apply all unused materials to a dummy group before they purge the materials. ...I don't want to use such a hack...
grumble
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With the good quality selection of tiling building textures over at http://www.cgtextures.com/ it would be very cool to have a building generator that let you generate building with different textures.
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Can we package those materials ourselves? Or are you thinking more like just make a generator that will place any specified material onto the walls?
Chris
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Dunno if we can repackage it... but looking at them just reminded me of this project again and I had some ideas flying past.
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