[Plugin] Extrude Edges by Rails

xrok1 · 18 Nov 2009, 23:01

oops, sorry i could help.

TIG · 18 Nov 2009, 23:30

xrok1
Your idea of being able to pick a profile and then pick just one rail is quite simple to do.
For the next update I will add that option - you'll simply pick the profile and click on rail twice - if you pick another rail it works as now, if you pick the same rail again then it's assumed that it has a 'twin' at the other end of the profile and uses that... simplicity...

utiler · 18 Nov 2009, 23:49

TIG, probably a silly question, but what is the difference from this plugin and extrudebyedges?
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=20065&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=extrude+edges

Is is simple that this script allows for more random meshes?

xrok1 · 18 Nov 2009, 23:54

awsome.

BTW, your plug is turning me into some kind of artsy fartsy... STOP IT!

utiler · 19 Nov 2009, 22:50

Thanks mate, clear as crystal.....

mitcorb · 20 Nov 2009, 01:57

@xrok1:
for your excellent bowl and spork and "foon" model, did you use specific dimensions and scale? Or was this a free form experiment and the model elements proportioned by eye?
I am preparing to use Extrude by Rails with dimensional or scale control and was wondering about this.
Thanks, mitcorb

xrok1 · 20 Nov 2009, 04:14

it was freeform but i can't see any reason it couldn't be dimensioned accurately if you wish to.

majid · 20 Nov 2009, 04:53

WOW TIG !!!! this is great!! thank you...you are killing me slowly you ruby programmers are changing SU to a verrry different app. !!!thank you mate again

TIG · 20 Nov 2009, 08:47

@utiler said:

TIG, probably a silly question, but what is the difference from this plugin and extrudebyedges?
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=20065&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=extrude+edges

Is is simple that this script allows for more random meshes?

ExtrudeEdgesByEdges takes two groups - edges in them need not be continuous - and makes a mesh - it extrudes each edge in one set in the direction of the edges in the other - there is no 'followme' etc...
ExtrudeEdgesByRails is similar BUT it only works on curves. It takes a selected profile and makes a mesh from it along two selected rails [or with the forthcoming version one rail picked twice - making it similar in that usage to EEbyEdges]. The main difference is that at each pair of 'nodes' [vertices] in the two rails the profile is placed and rotated and then scaled to fit between the rails, giving a smoothly curving mesh surface: also the number of 'nodes' in each rail is equalized if the number of vertices in the two rails is uneven - now making the 'lofting' of two unequally segmented rails possible...

mitcorb · 21 Nov 2009, 15:09

TIG:
What are the possibilities of being able to orbit and inspect the initial results of the extrusion on rails while going through the checklist so that decisions can be made in the workflow? Does this make sense?

TIG · 21 Nov 2009, 15:15

@mitcorb said:

TIG:
What are the possibilities of being able to orbit and inspect the initial results of the extrusion on rails while going through the checklist so that decisions can be made in the workflow? Does this make sense?

It's something that's not so easy to do... but I'll look at it - I currently have a version with most of the bugs ironed out - it'll be published soonest...

mitcorb · 21 Nov 2009, 15:19

Thanks, TIG:
You are a master.
I am currently experimenting and learning this excellent tool.

Cyberdactyl · 24 Nov 2009, 17:46

Very nice Tig.

Works great in SU7. However, doesn't work SU6, at least for me.

TIG · 25 Nov 2009, 00:17

Here is v1.1 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=201286#p201286

It is now much more stable, with [most] glitches fixed with ordered points and bugsplats.
You can now also double-click on one rail and used it as both rails.
Rails that start / end at a common vertex are now allowed.
Mismatched segment numbers in the two rails are well accommodated - as are looped profiles and rails.
Debabelizer language translation are now added to menus and dialogs etc, with ExtrudeEdgesbyRailsEN-US.lingvo and ES/FR versions in the TIGtools folder.

Feedback please...

I've also updated the examples SKP here... http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=201457#p201457

TIG · 25 Nov 2009, 00:27

Here's an example SKP - updated for v1.1... ExtrudeEdgesByRailsExamples.skp

jeff hammond · 25 Nov 2009, 01:35

just out of curiosity, i drew the same shapes using the same dimensions in SU with EdgesByRails then i did another in Rhino using Sweep 2rails.. i then brought the SU surface/mesh into rhino and overlayed the two.. here's what it looks like.

(Sketchup = red... rhino =blue)

the render mesh in rhino was set at a density of 100 making it about as close to the true nurbs surface that you can view on a computer.. all the vertices from SU edges by rails are right there where i'd hope they'd be.

so yeah, use this plugin with confidence

pilou · 25 Nov 2009, 01:43

...and put Rhino in the garbage trash can

jeff hammond · 25 Nov 2009, 01:44

[haha frenchy]

just in case that picture is confusing, here are the two surfaces separately..

(rhino- blue... SU- red)

(sorry about the nasty quality of the pictures.. had to use screenshots because the output options in Rhino OS X (beta) aren't fully implemented yet.. i don't think my screenshots like red too much)

... and a render of the SU version after some joint_push_pull..

xrok1 · 25 Nov 2009, 04:15

nice. thanks for implementing the single rail option. i will delete edges by edges plugin soon but...

red is edges by rails result, blue is edges by edges result?? i think blue wins my vote on how things should work.

jeff hammond · 25 Nov 2009, 04:46

@xrok1 said:

nice. thanks for implementing the single rail option. i will delete edges by edges plugin soon but...

red is edges by rails result, blue is edges by edges result?? i think blue wins my vote on how things should work.

as far as i can tell, both methods give the exact same results (3 tests and while one of the surfaces ended up in a strange location, it still matched the other)

if you're talking about the triangulation then:

with edgesBYedges, one of the options after running the script is 'triangulate faces?'

with edgesBYrails, the second option that pops up is 'erase coplaner edges?'.. choose yes and the triangulation lines will go away (as long as they aren't necessary for the surfacing but since the geometry is the same with the two scripts for 1rail1edge, they'll end up identical if you choose yes to erase the coplanar edges)

that said, maybe there's something i haven't tried that will make the two 1edge1rail methods produce different results..