[Plugin] Extrude Edges by Rails to Lattice

Chris Fullmer · 29 Apr 2010, 14:49

Hehe, TIG, I also used it to make that same shape last night. It was very easy to do. But I noticed a few things. The extrude by face by rails that I tried first did not ever allow me to have the triangulation. It just cleaned it up automatically, or else never even put it in place - I'm not sure which.

But this lattice one did add the triangulation, but only if I chose to use a 3d shape. If I just did a line, then it never add the triangulation.

I wouldn't mind ALWAYS having the option to keep the triangulation.

Seriously awesome stuff TIG, keep it up!

Chris

TIG · 29 Apr 2010, 15:02

@chris fullmer said:

Hehe, TIG, I also used it to make that same shape last night. It was very easy to do. But I noticed a few things. The extrude by face by rails that I tried first did not ever allow me to have the triangulation. It just cleaned it up automatically, or else never even put it in place - I'm not sure which.
But this lattice one did add the triangulation, but only if I chose to use a 3d shape. If I just did a line, then it never add the triangulation.
I wouldn't mind ALWAYS having the option to keep the triangulation.
Seriously awesome stuff TIG, keep it up!
Chris

To get a full mesh that's triangulated use plain 'EEbyRails'.
When the mesh done don't smooth it etc.
Then you edit the mesh-group and select all, then deselect the edges [there are various tools to do this - I have my own but thomthom's selection-toys works well...].
Delete the faces - now you have the full mesh with triangles make from lines only...
The tool 'EEbyRailsToLattice' was written to do a 3D lattice or the profiles/rails rib-lines as simple separated curves - so you can use them for other things - like 'EEbyFace' using different profiles for different parts...

DIEGO-RODRIGUEZ · 29 Apr 2010, 15:55

Tig, plugins excellent. Thank you very much for their continued contributions and new ideas.
The plugin works perfect.
I use latest version of sketchup in Spanish and windows XP sp3 in Spanish
Only I make two suggestions

**a - You can place the panels and the Mesh into separate layer or different groups?

b - could change the names of the . lingvo, add a number.
It is easier to delete files that are not used*.

example:

01 - extrudeEdgesByLoftEN-US.lingvo
02 - extrudeEdgesByLoftES.lingvo
03 - extrudeEdgesByLoftFA.lingvo
04 - extrudeEdgesByLoftFR.lingvo
05 - extrudeEdgesByLoftZH-CN.lingvo

01 - extrudeEdgesByRailsEN-US.lingvo
02 - extrudeEdgesByRailsES.lingvo
03 - extrudeEdgesByRailsFA.lingvo
04 - extrudeEdgesByRailsFR.lingvo
05 - extrudeEdgesByRailsZH-CN.lingvo

Didier Bur · 29 Apr 2010, 20:03

Hi TIG,
Here is the french lingvo file.
You're making great progress in french, just several typos were remaining
Best regards,

extrudeEdgesByRailsToLatticeFR.zip

TIG · 29 Apr 2010, 20:23

Thanks Didier, Pilou also just did one - I'll make a compilation of both...

TIG · 30 Apr 2010, 08:36

New zipped set is now available [ http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=242239#p242239 ], with minor tweaks to text for lingvo files. New ES=Defisto and FR=DidierBur + Pilou. Flat faces at z=0 are now auto-reversed.

TIG · 4 May 2010, 13:25

The script in the zipped set has been updated...
'Face.offset' is now reworked to be more robust and 'in class'
[i.e. now offset.rb is not needed].
Panes now get the 'back_material'.

TIG · 4 May 2010, 14:34

Tip
You are prompted to erase coplanar edges if the faces can survive without triangulation divisions.
To ensure that you get 'flat' quad faces make sure that the profiles and rails are identical [perhaps copy them].
Here is one with the coplanar triangulation left in... This one had them erased before the lattice was made...

pilou · 4 May 2010, 14:37

That rules now

TIG · 4 May 2010, 14:49

Here's another form...

TIG · 4 May 2010, 15:31

And another

pilou · 4 May 2010, 18:24

saturne45 · 4 May 2010, 22:01

Treillis 01

olishea · 5 May 2010, 10:23

this is seriously amazing! been playing with it for hours now! just a question TIG: is there a way to group separately the "glass panes" from the frame? so the frame is one group and the panes are another......

notareal · 5 May 2010, 10:29

Wow, you did it again!

TIG · 5 May 2010, 15:45

@olishea said:

this is seriously amazing! been playing with it for hours now! just a question TIG: is there a way to group separately the "glass panes" from the frame? so the frame is one group and the panes are another......

Give the frames and panes different colors - say 'red' and 'glass'.
Edit the group and select a pane.
Right-click Context-menu > Select > All with same Material...
All the panes are selected, Right-click Context-menu > Group.
Repeat for the frames.
You now have the original lattice group that contains two sub-groups - one for the panes the other for the frames.
Re-color them as desired.
One of the reasons I gave a limited 'rainbow' of colors+glass was to avoid long material lists in the dialog which always causes grief when the color you want is off the screen... and as explained above you can always select everything by a material and apply any color/material onto them that you like later on...

simon le bon · 6 May 2010, 00:02

playing:

I don't see how I could do the same with else tools
*s

pilou · 6 May 2010, 07:33

@unknownuser said:

I don't see how I could do the same with else tools

Maybe 2 faces + path + FFD(or fredoscale)

simon le bon · 6 May 2010, 09:26

Thank you so much Dear Tig for this new amazing tool.

@tig said:

Tip
You are prompted to erase coplanar edges if the faces can survive without triangulation divisions.
To ensure that you get 'flat' quad faces make sure that the profiles and rails are identical [perhaps copy them].

Pretty good tip!

@unknownuser said:

../
Edit the group and select a pane.
Right-click Context-menu > Select > All with same Material...
All the panes are selected, Right-click Context-menu > Group.
Repeat for the frames.

I wanted to tell this one, but I'm outstripped by TIG

another interesting result is to adjust the depth to 0 in order to get a flat frame
(and use soften & smooth for a simple aspect)

@unknownuser said:

The tool 'EEbyRailsToLattice' was written to do a 3D lattice or the profiles/rails rib-lines as simple separated curves - so you can use them for other things - like 'EEbyFace' using different profiles for different parts...

Extrude Edges by Rails to Lattice + ExtrudeEdgesBy2Faces

Extrude Edges by Rails to Lattice + ExtrudeEdgesByEdges

Extrude Edges by Rails to Lattice + ExtrudeEdgesByEdges + ExtrudeEdgesByRailsByFace

Extrude Edges by Rails to Lattice + Chris Fullmer tools

Extrude Edges by Rails to Lattice + Didier Bur "lines to tubes" (with and without EEbRtL)

etc.. etc..

Vast possibilities

%(#0000BF)[Dear TIG, may I comment ?
-Extrude Edges by Rails to Lattice uses only ExtrudeEdgesByEdges. I would be really cool if we would be able to pick curves the same starting from ExtrudeEdgesByLoft and also from ExtrudeEdgesBy2Faces or from ExtrudeEdgesByLathe !
-Do you think it would be possible to select also the diagonal curves family?]
with my friendly respect, simon.

TIG · 6 May 2010, 10:04

Here's an update http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=242239#p242239
It now has 'Diagonals' as an option.
Reversing the order of picking the Rails swaps the direction of the diagonals.
The lingvo files have been updated to match.