[Plugin][$] Curviloft 2.0a - 31 Mar 24 (Loft & Skinning)

mac1 · 9 Mar 2014, 07:31

Had some stray lines!
Also file is too large to load here see Dropbox link https://www.dropbox.com/s/xmtune9hovo9cqk/TestSkin11.skp used Fredo's Curviloft to skin and done using SU v8

mac1 · 9 Mar 2014, 08:15

TestSkin12.skpUsing TIG's suggestion reduced edges from ~670 to ~63 and used 'extrude edges by rails', as an alternative.
No noticeable difference, except model size is greatly reduced!

charly2008 · 9 Mar 2014, 12:26

Have a look at my post.

http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15%26amp;t=56028%26amp;start=30

SamAxe · 10 Mar 2014, 10:36

Hello TIG & mac1,
Thank you very much for replying. As it is obviously evident, I am a newbie at not only sketchup but also mechanical drawing.

I have to sheepishly admit that I don't know what you mean by simplyfying the model or reducing the edges. How do I do that? If you can suggest some links I can read up on my own, and wont bug you guys with any more stupid problems borne out of my inexperience.

Thank you again.
-Sam

TIG · 10 Mar 2014, 14:22

A Circle or Arc has a number of segments.
These defaults can be seen in Entity Info [24 & 12 ?].
If the curve has not already been incorporated into a 3d form then you can adjust the segmentation for it there.
You can also change it as you create the Arc - e.g. type 6s +<enter> when you start the tool and the segment count becomes that.

Each segment is used to create an edge in a 3d form, so the more segments you have the more extra geometry is made. This affects performance as there are shadow casting/receiving to be calculated and material/textures to render etc...
This applies to native tools and plugin 'surface makers'.
The Circle default is 24s, so if you extrude that with PushPull you end up with 24+24+24 = 72 edges and
24+2 = 26 faces.
That will look smooth enough for most purposes.
It it were a handrail reducing it to say 12s would still probably look the same with hidden-geom off...
12+12+12 = 36 edges and 12+2 = 14 faces - a significant reduction in unneeded geometry...
If you foolishly increase it to say 360 [1 segment per degree!] it'll look little different from 24s AND you'll have a staggering 360+360+360 = 1080 edges and 360+2 = 362 faces

SO when you draw lines/curves that might become 3d objects think about the edge/face count that might result as they combine...

unearthed · 15 Apr 2014, 05:42

What an amazing plugin this is, Thanks very much Fredo

Anyway I'm drawing a model of part of a river for a planting design - there's no money for a surveyor so I drew cross sections and used Curviloft to loft between them using the streamline as the curve. All worked perfectly, BUT one section is a bit odd (a result of

straightening the channel) and I can't find a way of skinning between the profiles - is there a way in Curviloft, or would another tool do the trick? Due to the extrme bend of the stream it's hard to see a way of using new profiles between the existing one as a way to bridge the problem.

single skp enclosed - unzips to 4.5Mb

jgb · 15 Apr 2014, 13:44

You would probably do better if you connected the edges at the banks with a manually drawn curve. Then use the skinning function. Ignore (for now) the control curve path. I quickly tried this but it resulted in a partially bad curve. (See Attachment)

In doing complex skins as this that will not form right when tried as a whole piece, (airplane fairings for example) I found it better and quicker to split the perimeter in several easier sections, skin them, then explode them in place. Unfortunately, I have no time just now to do this for you.

Also, on the right side the edge is made up of a lot of small faces that really do not add any useful detail to the mesh. Simplify them, and it should make a better skin overall.

jeff hammond · 15 Apr 2014, 17:03

@unearthed said:

is there a way in Curviloft, or would another tool do the trick? Due to the extrme bend of the stream it's hard to see a way of using new profiles between the existing one as a way to bridge the problem.

ignore the bend line you have drawn in that section.. the way it's setup, it's going to result in bad geometry even if it did work.. if you really need that extreme of a bend then you'll have to figure out the profiles which would really work through there as the ones you have now won't do it.

probably just Loft that section instead using the two edges as the input (the edges in the image that are marked with a red & blue line) .. use the tension controls to obtain the bend while preventing overlaps..

unearthed · 15 Apr 2014, 19:57

Thanks Jeff - I may not need the extreme bend (If I do I'll draw contours between the sections and skin them with from contours)

and thanks too for showing a bit more about using Curviloft - I was really amazed when it lofted the individual stretches of stream (and gave the option to tweak the result).

jeff hammond · 15 Apr 2014, 20:23

@unearthed said:

Thanks Jeff - I may not need the extreme bend (If I do I'll draw contours between the sections and skin them with from contours)

and thanks too for showing a bit more about using Curviloft - I was really amazed when it lofted the individual stretches of stream (and gave the option to tweak the result).

no problem.. and really, you might get better results if you eliminate that path curve all together and just loft the whole thing.. select all the profiles at once, loft, follow the steps i showed.. if you have more than two curves selected, you'll be able to individually click each portion (the black parts) and adjust.. then move to the next.. all in one launch of the curviLoft tool..

but what that would do is make sure you're always tangent through your profiles and will lessen the possibilities of kinks if your path curve isn't exactly tangent to the profiles as it passes under (which is happening in your model)

jpaparicio · 27 May 2014, 18:46

HI fredo i just bought an Imac running Maverick, im using Sketchup pro 2014...how can i install curviloft?? THANKS ALOT

mariocha · 27 May 2014, 22:56

@jpaparicio said:

HI fredo i just bought an Imac running Maverick, im using Sketchup pro 2014...how can i install curviloft?? THANKS ALOT

Install Sketchucation plugin store ( instructions on page) then just look it up in there and click "install". And please do read the instructions and recommendations, like required Lib folder.

bekans · 7 Aug 2014, 18:55

Hello everyone,

I'm sure I've been using curviloft in a previous version whithout any problems, without software problems anyway
On a win7 system I run Sketchup 8 en Make 2014.
On a win xp system I run Sketchup 8.
On a new win 8.1 system I have Make 2014 freshly installed.
All have updated plugins(fredo)installed via plugin store.

Now,every time I try to use any tool the progressbar freezes after computing the selected edges.
Same behaviour for all three machines....even with simple shapes with less than 100 edges.

After quiting the plugin and reactivating it the frozen progressbar appears without showing the plugin menu.

I've also disabled all plugins except fredos' to exclude possible plugin conflicts.
Anyone any clue?
Thanks
Bekans

Dave R · 7 Aug 2014, 19:24

Did you download fresh copies of Curviloft and LibFredo6 or did you just copy them over from another machine? Make sure you are only downloading and installing fresh copies and install them correctly.

bekans · 8 Aug 2014, 21:46

Yes,that's what I did: all up to date versions auto-installed via the plugin store, no moving or copying. Same procedure for each machine separately. On the new win 8.1 machine everything has been installed for the first time. Besides Total Commander it's only application

fredo6 · 9 Aug 2014, 08:38

@bekans

Do you have any problem like this with my other plugins (if you installed some).
Is it just with Curviloft?

Also

is it will all 3 Tools of Curviloft?
if you start a Curviloft tool on a pre-selection, do you get the freeze too?

Fredo

bekans · 9 Aug 2014, 11:48

Hello Fredo,

I'll stick to the win 8.1 machine because less chance I messed something up with whatever....

Yes, all three
I tested that too: with pre-selection, without pre-selection.

Maybe it's my model: I tried with very basic shapes, no problems. But I dont think my shape is that compliclated. I recall having skinned more complex models. Anyway, maybe I'm overlooking something. I'll include my model.

Many thanks for having a look.

Bekans

test-curviloft.skp