[Plugin] Super Drape

wolfy · 5 Oct 2011, 16:34

VERY COOL! Thanks TIG this will come in extremely handy.

numbthumb · 5 Oct 2011, 16:49

Where would we be without all this stuff... thanks!

Dave R · 5 Oct 2011, 17:15

Thanks TIG.

So the splats occurred because those two quad faces barely qualified as quads? It sounds like SU let Fredo's skinning tool make quad faces but wouldn't let your tool work. Sounds like a double standard to me.

I'll give it a try as soon as I can and let you know how it goes.

charly2008 · 5 Oct 2011, 17:20

As always with new tools, I need to experiment with.

TIG · 5 Oct 2011, 18:23

Charly

Glad you're enjoying it

One of the issues [but not all] about your original problem was that you applied the material to the draped group and not the faces with in it...
I plan to spot this in the next version and ask what you want to do...
Also your sphere had a convoluted transformation - removed after the explode+regroup... I looking at ways of trapping/sorting this too...

TIG · 6 Oct 2011, 14:37

Here's v1.2 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=358314#p358314

Following Charly's feedback it now spots if you have a material applied to the draped group and that there are some faces inside the group without a material [they will appear to have the group's material, even when they are actually in the default-material] - you can then choose Yes|No to use that group.material for any draped faces that would otherwise have the default-material.
The intersecting is even more robust.
All underlying faces inside the same group should now be unaffected by the draping [i.e. any faces below the draped-on topmost faces].
Draped faces that partially overlap the edges of the draped-on group's faces are now neatly trimmed to them.
Groups with convoluted transformations [rotated in 3d, scaled etc] should no longer cause issues with the draping.

Feedback please...

wyatt · 6 Oct 2011, 15:52

TIG, this version doesn't work for me. It calculates forever.

Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method entities' for nil:NilClass> C:/PROGRA~2/Google/GOOGLE~1/Plugins/TIG-Superdrape.rb:152:in drape'
C:/PROGRA~2/Google/GOOGLE~1/Plugins/TIG-Superdrape.rb:114:in `onLButtonDown'

TIG · 6 Oct 2011, 17:16

I suspect you have SketchyPhysics or DrivingDimensions [or something similar] installed that cause a problem with copying groups [the use of the standard-method 'group.copy' was added in this version] - I had forgotten that these 'rogue-tools' still need fixing by their authors...
I am making some other minor tweaks anyway... so I will try and get rid of the 'group.copy' code to avoid the issue at the same time...
Watch this space...

TIG · 6 Oct 2011, 17:32

Here's v1.3 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=358314#p358314
The new group.copy code introduced in v1.2 is now recast to avoid clashes with rogue-scripts that might mess it up.
Multi-level/overlapping faces in the draped-group are now allowed [previously only one level was draped].

The earlier v1.2 changes were...
Following Charly's feedback it now spots if you have a material applied to the draped group and that there are some faces inside the group without a material [they will appear to have the group's material, even when they are actually in the default-material] - you can then choose Yes|No to use that group.material for any draped faces that would otherwise have the default-material.
The intersecting is even more robust.
All underlying faces inside the same group should now be unaffected by the draping [i.e. any faces below the draped-on topmost faces].
Draped faces that partially overlap the edges of the draped-on group's faces are now neatly trimmed to them.
Groups with convoluted transformations [rotated in 3d, scaled etc] should no longer cause issues with the draping.

Feedback please...

wyatt · 6 Oct 2011, 18:43

I do have Sketchy Physics, and 1.3 works now. Thank you.

AcesHigh · 7 Oct 2011, 03:08

Thanks a lot TIG, since it was me who asked for this tool.

You know, there is another use for this tool that I thought just now. Since you now can drape materials onto the mesh, it makes it REALLY EASY to select the faces with the new material! No more pain selecting all the faces that you just draped!

pep75 · 7 Oct 2011, 13:15

!!!

AcesHigh · 7 Oct 2011, 22:49

TIG, interested in adding functionalities for making a Super Ultra Drape???

basically:

1 - when drapeing, you simply projects the line of a surface over a 3d mesh. The ending result COMPLETELY follows the curvature of the mesh, just adding those lines over the mesh.

2 - when stamping, you add a completely flat shape to a mesh. The mesh adapts to the stamp and becomes flat.

What if you want a compromise? Like for example, to project a road over a mesh? Lets say you have a road, and the road is 20cm below the curbs/sidewalk level.

Why not project that 3d road over the mesh, and the mesh ALREADY has the road areas becoming 20cm lower than the curb/sidewalks areas?

What if you want the road to climb a small hill (that exists on the mesh) but you dont want the road to be as steep as the mesh? You already have the road steepness. Normal drape would be useless. It would just project the road lines over the existing (very steep) mesh. Drape would make the road flat. Ideal solution would be to project the road onto the mesh, but KEEP the road Y axis curvature, making the mesh adapt (like when stamping) to the road.

So, TIG, do you think something like that would be possible? Thanks very much!

Bob James · 8 Oct 2011, 01:40

@AcesHigh

Why not just use InstantRoad.rbs?

AcesHigh · 8 Oct 2011, 01:54

1 - instant roads is paid.

2 - these extra functionalities for drape can be used for other things besides roads

3 - in my specific case, Instant Roads is of no use. I must drape a DWG road project over a mesh. Instant Roads is too limited.

wyatt · 8 Oct 2011, 02:11

AcesHigh,
Joint push pull can be used to lower the mesh a given distance to account for curbs.

@unknownuser said:

What if you want the road to climb a small hill (that exists on the mesh) but you dont want the road to be as steep as the mesh? You already have the road steepness.

How do you already have the road steepness? Do you have a road profile or 3D polyline from CAD that you're working from?

I guess I don't understand how you envision this working. How would the plugin know that you want a certain segment of the road to follow the existing grade, and a different segment to be cut into a hill at a flatter grade? What about the road in a fill section? CAD programs solve this by utilizing a combination of horizontal alignment and profile data, typically based on stationing. Do you want to create something similar?

Don't get me wrong, I think what you're asking for is great. I use SU for this type of work too. I'm just trying to figure out what form you see it taking.

AcesHigh · 8 Oct 2011, 03:03

@unknownuser said:

AcesHigh,
Joint push pull can be used to lower the mesh a given distance to account for curbs.

yes, and I have used it. However, its much harder to select a heavily triangulated area of the mesh to "joint push pull", than it would be to select the same area in a flat drawing, push pull it lower, and drape it, already lowered, into the mesh below.

@unknownuser said:

How do you already have the road steepness?

lets say you already drew it. With polylines.

@unknownuser said:

I guess I don't understand how you envision this working. How would the plugin know that you want a certain segment of the road to follow the existing grade, and a different segment to be cut into a hill at a flatter grade?

no segment will follow the existing grade. Imagine a STAMP but following the different heights of the profile, instead of stamping flat.

thomthom · 8 Oct 2011, 07:51

@aceshigh said:

1 - instant roads is paid.

And you want TIG to make a version for free..?

EscapeArtist · 8 Oct 2011, 13:58

Awesome plugin, I can hardly wait to get home and use it!

Thanks TIG!

gilles · 8 Oct 2011, 16:42

It does not work fine for me, Mac issue?

ruby console says:"WARNING: make_unique is a deprecated methodof Sketchup:Group"

superdrape.skp