[Plugin] Component Stringer UPDATED May 23, 2013

simon le bon · 19 Nov 2009, 13:32

@chris fullmer said:

Great comments and feedback. I agree there are lots of great possibilities on this one. The main things I would like to tackle first are:

Major to do list

Make it work with closed loops!

Also it can crash if you select edges that are connected to other edges that are not selected - fix that!

The scale is messed up if the component axis is set in the middle of the component - fix that.
After that

Add multiple component support - random and ordered placement

Rotation - overall rotation and each component rotation settings.

Branching edges support

Edges that are not connected support

Add some pre-made dinosaur bones to the plugin folder for Thom

Those are the main things that come to mind and that I've seen suggested that I think are good suggestions. I think that covers most things?

So I should probably go write this instead of sitting here on the forum.

Chris

@unknownuser said:

I think that covers most things?

Hi Chris,

Here is my (first) wish! important one for many I guess!
I wish it were possible to drive a component in an invariable direction along the path like those stakes of the fence:

Important remark:

I have found no solution to make the flat stakes to follow the path while they are planted vertically (=invariable direction+ following direction)

(PS: I'm thinking about your PayPal link )
*simon

simon le bon · 19 Nov 2009, 22:36

Some help to produce the component to copy along a path.

I)Put the good axes:

If it is for you like for me , positionning axes of the component I want to copy along a path is not so evident.
So, make a cube, make it as a component, and......
[flash=500,405:24zdfbqa]http://www.youtube.com/v/z81CNzCE4V0[/flash:24zdfbqa]

II)How to conceive a chain link:
Using one or other method to produce a chain, necklace and many others fences and so on, you will need to think about the shape of the links.
Here is my tip. Just think to draw a portion of curve with the smallest radius you think you are going to use for your path...
[flash=500,405:24zdfbqa]http://www.youtube.com/v/PG8aK7fC2LA[/flash:24zdfbqa]

 :wink: simon

thomthom · 24 Nov 2009, 20:45

Wow! Very cool Simon.

I've been tracking this thread and I like all the shapes being produces. About time I actually read how it's done.

simon le bon · 24 Nov 2009, 23:03

Hi Thomas,

thanks for this nice word good to me..
I haven't enough time as I would like to study this way every great plugin you and other cheerful authors offer to us day after day.

I'm secondly very pleased for you to come , 'cause I was just intending to ask you something as the better specialist in this place about selecting matters.

I haven't the first knowledge of if it is possible or not, and if it is, if it is complicated or not, but a great tool which I have found is missing would be a tool which give a number to a face or a component along a path and then give the choice to select elements in an incremental way or into an array of data.
This way for example to give a redundant place to some type of pillar along a long fence or barricade; organize a driveway pavers etc...

simon

Chris Fullmer · 25 Nov 2009, 00:35

I'm not quite sure what you're asking for on that one Simon. But here's a guess.

You would likt to be able to automatically select every 10th pillar in that image for example? Or every 5th pillar? Is that the idea?

That could be built into my tool, but it would only work with components placed using my tool. But it would be do-able.

Chris

PS. I'm doing more work on this plugin. I have it set so it works with edges that are not connected - more than one spline. Or even just a large of amount of single edges. Hopefully a few more surprises before I release the next round.

EscapeArtist · 25 Nov 2009, 04:19

Just for fun, a little "DNA":

jeff hammond · 25 Nov 2009, 04:58

ha Simon..
i love the stuff you come up with using some of the scripts that pop up.

kostas_designer · 25 Nov 2009, 08:56

Great plugin Chris!

I was trying it while working on an industrial component, i kind of chain.
Problem is that i cannot edit the single component because ita has a given dimension.
So, arraying straight segments is not a problem as i can use the Copy Array Groups or Components plugin, but when it comes to follow a curve things get tough (at least for me! )
I agree that having the control of sthe spacing would be best for many applications.

See some screenshots for explanation:

plot-paris · 25 Nov 2009, 11:33

@kostas_designer said:

...having the control of the spacing would be best for many applications.
+1

Simon, I love your stuff. keep it coming. these show off nicely, what the plugin can do...

simon le bon · 26 Nov 2009, 10:50

Hi jeff and Jakob, Thanks for nice words.. So I can be restful: I am not that sort of bat vampirising the threads I sometime feel I am (my small paranoia I'm afraid.)

Hi Kostas!
I'm sorry, I don't understand your problem (I can't see the details of your pictures!).
Mercy for us, get a real print screen and make close ups

@unknownuser said:

having the control of sthe spacing would be best for many applications.
For me the spacing in a chain is invariant so..
May be you want to do something like that:

If it is the case , you can apply this solution:
Copy Array Along Path tool...have a look.

Hi Chris,

@chris fullmer said:

You would like to be able to automatically select every 10th pillar in that image for example? Or every 5th pillar? Is that the idea?

Yes You've got it!
But I would like be able to do many other various things: may be in this exemple above > put 3 components in place of pillars every 10 pillars...
This is the reason why I think what we need is mainly a special selecting tool with an incremental feature, (but also an array to select freely into it, and also may be a feature of aleatory choice)
And very important to be able to do the reverse selection.

this way we can -do a first pass, delete what we want to change,

Do another pass with the other component and delete everything but the previous holes
and put the two passes together.
This way we can do the number of passes we want.
We can also mix variant and invariant (in direction) components....

@unknownuser said:

That could be built into my tool, but it would only work with components placed using my tool. But it would be do-able.

But this special feature would be simply top cool

simon

plot-paris · 26 Nov 2009, 11:37

actually, that may be a good idea for a different ruby request... a selection tool, that automatically recognizes component arrays (whether distributed on an even grid or along a path...) and then lets you do various selection scenarios. ideally a dialog would pop up that let you change your selections dynamically (or, at least have an update butten, that lets you change selections without closing the dialog)...

Gaieus · 26 Nov 2009, 11:46

Simon,

I absolutely love the way you fully exploit these different (and of course, wonderful) tools and model things probably even the author didn't even dream about!

Cheers and keep posting, please!

simon le bon · 27 Nov 2009, 12:42

As usual I am tiring everybody with my extensions. I promise that this is the last one. You know , when I begin something I go on surrounds until I can think I have finished. May be those studies will brought some help to someone in some future

../VARIATIONS on Helical matter..

The main point to obtain a good result is to work firmly on the curve, in order to give it the real number of segments: individual in orientation and indentical in length

Another variation: Triple use! of Component Stringer

The result isn't so beautiful Well, it is just for example

simon

simon le bon · 27 Nov 2009, 13:10

Dear Gaieus

Your so kind words me!!

@unknownuser said:

and then lets you do various selection scenarios. ideally a dialog would pop up that let you change your selections dynamically
+1

EscapeArtist (Jeff) shows with his Dna

A very cool other use of what I have in mind with this possible selecting tool:
Using sequences of the same component colored differently. In the particular case of a dna, the possibility of selecting elements into an array of data would be probably the most useful..

simon

simon le bon · 27 Nov 2009, 15:01

Hi Chris, Hi SketchY fellows,
I'm following Component Stringer Study.

Chains are now so easy to produce

"Component rotation" = 90° ; Fredoscale by Center

Helical study:

See Http for some explanation:
A PoorFlatEllipsoidIndian Bowl

The joints are not welding perfectly, but if we need a good welding, we can use this one as a gauge..

"Scaling Uniform"; "Component Rotation" 15°

Double use of Component Stringer
(With a smart use of "Total Rotation" 15°

[flash=500,405:2xup4in2]http://www.youtube.com/v/CEPRPA1TqwY[/flash:2xup4in2]

+++Making a straight line as it was a curve in order to use it as the "path" to copy components on.

a reverse line is added to our line (or else, our line is right clic and divided by minimum two) in order to apply "Weld " because Weld need at least two elements to be applied..

2)This welded line is now (Bezier curves installed) right clic converted to segmented polyline.
3)Now apply "Component Stringer" on this "straight curve" "Scaling Stretch" ; "Component Rotation" 15° (in case -15° )

Same action on a Bezier Curve

*simon

Bob James · 30 Nov 2009, 16:02

Simon, there's no other word for you but awesome

Carrozza · 30 Nov 2009, 21:32

Men, this plugin with help of fantasy and skills (like Simon') are a killer combo!

Chris Fullmer · 30 Nov 2009, 22:36

Hey, looks great Simon. I love the way you dig in and study the plugins. I think its helpful for users to see how they can be used, and its helpful for me to see how people are trying to use these scripts. Helps think of new workflow improvements.

In fact, the next version of componet stringer lets you select more than 1 component. And it gives you the option of random placement of all selected, or ordered. So the reandom placement will help in the palisade example you just showed. It would make it quicker to place random boards.

The next version will also support series of non-connected edges (I think I already hinted at that earlier) and also supports closed loop selections of lines. It also includes a great little tool to reverse the direction components are "strung". I'm trying to get it all put together for one big release soon.

Also, I'm thining about the offset placement possibilities. I'm trying to figure out how that should be implemented. If anyone has any thoughts on how they want to see that work, I'd be interseted in hearing it.

Chris

simon le bon · 1 Dec 2009, 08:49

Thank you Bob & Carrozza ! your encouragement warms my heart..

The following is probably the last idea that I wanted to develop With Component Stringer .
I dedicate it to our so nice fellow and great author, Chris.

It is his:"TOTAL CHRIS FULLMER RANDOM PALISADE"
(because made about totally with a set of his own tools )

How to produce a palisade constituted with random singular boards!!

My idea is to copy palisade's boards along a path constituted by a random segmented curve Using ComponentStringer/Stretch mode.

Using ShapeBender this way: same length for the curve and for the grouped segmented line, the resulting ShapeBender Component keep closely the same lengths of segments inside the curve than those of the segmented line
[Plugin] Shape Bender Beta v0.51