[Plugin][$] TopoShaper - v2.7a - 01 Apr 24

Panga · 18 Sept 2014, 15:17

Toposhaper is really great but not enough powerfull or precise for big landscape datas !

I had to find another solution for those big projects

http://rendering.ru/ru_en/splineland.html

This is the only valuable and reliable solution I found.

Fredo, if you could do something like that for future Toposhaper updates... just a dream...

fredo6 · 18 Sept 2014, 21:12

Panga,

This Splineland application looks really great and powerful, at least from the 2 videos posted on the site

and it can also handle terrain given by elevation points only

This is definitely more adapted for large terrains and professional needs.

I had a few evolutions on my roadmap for TopoShaper, but nothing easy or fast to do, though possible.

Refinement of mesh, by subdivision. This has the drawback to break the quads nature of the generated terrain, but I agree this is required to handle sharp reliefs
Insertion of roads and platforms may come, but from another plugin (actually derived from VisuHole)
Building terrains from individual elevation points cloud is also possible, but the calculation is quite long as it requires an optimization algorithm
Triangular mesh may also be more adapted in many situations. It requires constrained Delaunay triangulation which is beyond the performance of Ruby for large terrains (unless the Sketchup team publishes one in Sketchup, like Triangles).

That's anyway low priority because I am not sure that many professional landscaping designers would be using Sketchup and TopoShaper versus dedicated programs line Splineland.

Fredo

Panga · 22 Sept 2014, 06:40

Hi Fredo,

Splineland is as good as those videos shows, very reactive and powerfull for big landscape datas.

I fully understand your point of view and I know (unforntunatly) sketchup's limitations that prevent from having such a tool in sketchup. That's why we claim for High-poly support in sketchup for so many years...

The good thing is I can import the mesh done with splineland in sketchup, but I'm forced to use 3DSmax...So such a tool in sketchup would be very helpfull...no not very, but very very very very very helpfull !!

So this is more a message to sketchup dev team : you won by the past so many users with landscape capabilities of sketchup, but today landscape datas and project are always more demanding and heavy, so maybe it's time to take it seriously !

Regards, and again thanks to Fredo for your wonderfull tools ! You, ruby devs are rocking the sketchup world !

Edit : Just in case the sketchup dev team don't know how to improve sktechup terrain tools, come to ask me, I spent so many hours trying to find solutions and I'm using it everyday !!

fredo6 · 19 Oct 2014, 23:12

NEW RELEASE: TopoShaper v1.2a - 19 Oct 14

This release is required for the support of usernames with non-ascii characters in Sketchup 2014

See main post of this thread for Download of TopoShaper.

Fredo

fredo6 · 30 Dec 2014, 20:45

NEW RELEASE: TopoShaper v2.0 - 30 Dec 14

This major release introduces a new functionality: generation of Terrain from a Cloud of Points.

The terrain is generated by progressive triangulation / interpolation as an adaptive triangular mesh until it is smooth enough, as specified by a smoothing angle. It also allows to define clipping contours for the terrain.

[flash=640,480:1lak7gxg]http://www.youtube.com/v/bc1prnzkAXs&hl[/flash:1lak7gxg]

See main post of this thread for Download of TopoShaper.

Fredo

Rich O Brien · 30 Dec 2014, 21:10

Wow! This is great.

JClements · 30 Dec 2014, 21:42

Awesome! Thank you.

Did you keep track of the number of hours you spent developing this? I'm guessing it was massive.

Regards, John

CadFather · 30 Dec 2014, 23:59

i just have a question... WHO is Fredo6!!!

this stuff should be in the evening news!

Thanks Fredo

pbacot · 31 Dec 2014, 01:05

I just used this on imported contours that I had reworked in CAD beforehand. Toposhaper was the smoothest part of the whole operation. Looking good. If you need another real world case, I can send it. I also made some simple fill outlines from the building and edges from the mesh. Ran Toposhaper to create those as well. Thanks Fredo!

pilou · 31 Dec 2014, 10:04

And at the end apply a Color by Z (By Chris Fullmer or Sdmitch) and you will have a perfect tool for Topography!

cotty · 31 Dec 2014, 12:57

Fantastic update, thank you!

fredo6 · 1 Jan 2015, 09:51

@pbacot said:

I just used this on imported contours that I had reworked in CAD beforehand. Toposhaper was the smoothest part of the whole operation. Looking good. If you need another real world case, I can send it. I also made some simple fill outlines from the building and edges from the mesh. Ran Toposhaper to create those as well. Thanks Fredo!

I am indeed interested by this real world case!

Thanks

Fredo

Panga · 8 Jan 2015, 13:45

Fredo, what can I say...and my parents were telling me that Santa dit not exist !! I'll try it right now and give you some feedback, but I'm already give you my BRAVO !

Regards.

utiler · 15 Jan 2015, 02:45

Ahhh, toposhaper from cloud points! Just what I needed when I asked this question:

http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=323%26amp;t=53781

Thank you Fredo. You are genius!!!

utiler · 28 Jan 2015, 04:55

I too am happy to send you real world case, Fredo. I have a few good surveys that I can send you....

One question re: cloud points: when a survey file is sent you to the points are provided as just that; points. Do I have to somehow convert them to guide points? And if so, how??

pierro44 · 26 Feb 2015, 12:50

super plugin congratulations Fredo6,
is it possible for you to improve the plugin by adding the stamp function because the basic function of Sketchup does not function well with a non-flat platform.
we could from the current stamp function by adding a regular slope adjustment feature. (angle parameter).
Because of Sketchup stamp function offers a parrallel offset.
this feature could be ideal for earthmoving ground with regular slope even allows pente.it 's draw on autocad perfectly calibrated slope and sutout non parrallel.
excuse me for my English I am french
thank you

pierro44 · 4 Mar 2015, 13:52

hi, I am a draftsman in an architectural firm, the "toposhaper" function is beautiful, congratulations FREDO 6, it works great.

I have an idea to improve the plug-in by adding a function on the basis of the tool "STAMP" to create platform on an existing field (created by toposhaper) with a side slope adjustment function that will permit to have non parrallel slope to the platform.
What about you? -
Is this possible?
The "STAMP" of Sketchup does not work very well and slopes are parrallel to the platform.

Thank you.
Sorry for my English, I'm French

fredo6 · 26 Mar 2015, 00:30

NEW RELEASE: TopoShaper v2.1a - 25 Mar 14

This release provides a documented service API to calculate terrains from isocontours. It also fixes a few bugs.

See main post of this thread for Download of TopoShaper.

Fredo

Krisidious · 26 Mar 2015, 02:21

Thank You Fredo...

Rich O Brien · 27 Apr 2015, 12:58

Hi Fredo,

Do you think adding csv import to Toposhaper is feasible?

This would make terrain generation much more unified into one tool rather than installing 2 plugins to what you need in one.