[Plugin] QuadFaceTools

panixia

"drape" a quad mesh on a "target" triangulated mesh (in another group, serving as a reference) along Z axis?

Is something like this what you are after?

optimaforever

Impressive modeling video!
Not exactly what I'm looking for but impressive nonetheless!

Let's say I have a simplified 3d mesh from a topographic survey (drawn from isohypse lines and meshed with toposhaper for instance). Very complex and heavy, and full tris so impossible to edit quickly.

Then I have a site in quad topology modeled in 2D from CAD plans with correct projections of roads, buildings rivers, and so on.

Right now, I move manually each vertice of my quad site to fit the correct height of the topographic mesh, beginning by the roads, then outlines of buildings, etc.
Of course, I use separated groups to keep the quads from merging with the tris, and I regularly test if SubD works without generating errors) and save a lot.

For complex sites, it takes hours. I enjoy the zen attitude when modeling sites but sometimes I realize that it's very repetitive and boring.

So, what I'd like is a script that 'drapes' the vertices of my quad mesh on the topographic mesh with one click, just like the sandbox's drape tool but that keeps the quads, so I can keep subDing afterwards, and of course further editing because the project always evolves...

panixia

Oh I see. +1 one for this tool request! Sort of "conform quad mesh to target mesh" that would be really useful.
maybe there is some workaround using tons of plugins..

panixia

Maybe this tecnique could be a workaround for your case?

(drape c-points + TIG triangulate points + QFT convert triangulated mesh to quad + VT make planar on Z + flowify without cut)

panixia

@optimaforever said:

This method should work in most simple cases indeed.

I totally disagree about this. If you use a similar approach by modular patches you can manage to project rather complex quad models on pretty large terrain

optimaforever

Ah sorry for the misunderstanding. I agree that Flowify is robust.
I'm meaning, I'd work with small patches at a time because SubD becomes unstable and slow to edit with huge meshes, not to mention the errors and the time it needs to pinpoint the culprit vertices.

PS I'm not used to see fast replies on this thread

By the way, I was looking for some workaround with

C-points at vertex (TiG) of the quad mesh
Drop C-points on the target mesh with Raytracer (Thomthom)
trying triangulate points (TIG) but ended in a mess, so I was looking for a script to recreate a quad mesh from the dropped Cpoints...

optimaforever

Thanks Marcello for the long didactic video ! Very clever, you're a genius!
This method should work in most simple cases indeed. Flowify rules! The thing is, not to forget to use Flowify WITHOUT CUT, and to keep things simple.
In the past, I used Instant Road but it produces messy meshes, impossible to edit anymore and you need to keep track of each iteration of the terrain, just in case you need to change road position, height, crossings, etc.

panixia

@optimaforever said:

trying triangulate points (TIG) but ended in a mess, so I was looking for a script to recreate a quad mesh from the dropped Cpoints...

That would be great indeed.. Maybe TIG could manage to add an option to to the plugin for "quadrangulate points", like his other excellent plugin "extrusion edge by rails" already does.

optimaforever

Indeed. But Thomthom could update his Raytracer too; just add an option to drop the vertices on a target mesh (he already has the command to drop Cpoints - btw I love the Drop with Trace option)

panixia

@optimaforever said:

Indeed. But Thomthom could update his Raytracer too; just add an option to drop the vertices on a target mesh (he already has the command to drop Cpoints - btw I love the Drop with Trace option)

I admit I have to dig deeper into raytracer plugin, wich I only tryed few minutes and forgot about..
So not sure how the function you are speakin'abot works.
But it sounds like you could need a plugin called "trow to" (in throw to infinity mode). Do you already know it?

Einstein

Hi!
I'm having trouble importing a model from Blender/ OBJ into SketchUp with retaining quadface topology. How should I proceed after importing an OBJ mesh? Should I select whole group and use "Blender to quads" button? Or shall I open the group, select raw geometry and then press the button? What should happen? Are the edges supposed to soften/ unsoften according to quad layout? Because in my model nothing happens (I attached .blend + OBJ file that I'm importing).
I know a similar question was already asked in this thread but unofrtunately, the documentation from bitbucket.com is no longer there. Can I still find a full documentation on QuadFace Tools anywhere?

cat_retopo.rar

zooen

Einstein
"Can I still find a full documentation on QuadFace Tools anywhere?"

Full help, but in French:
I often find plugin helpers in English (but not in French) and I have to translate myself into French. its not always easy

Une aide complète, mais en français:
Je trouve souvent des aides de plugins en anglais (mais pas en français) et je dois traduire moi-même en français. Ce n'est pas toujours facile .

QuadFace Tools

Ceci est l'adaptation libre du site de Thomthom

QuadFace Tools (quadfacetoolsfr.weebly.com)

pilou

@ Zooen Ah, mais c'est de moi ça!
La page d'avant c'était celle-là

optimaforever

@pilou said:

@ Zooen Ah, mais c'est de moi ça!
La page d'avant c'était celle-là

Sacré Pilou!!! Toujours fidèle au poste

pilou

@ Optima Un ancien du regretté PBB ?

zooen

@pilou said:

@ Zooen Ah, mais c'est de moi ça!

Ah, si javais su ça je te l'aurais demandé en pdf, mais on ne voit pas l'auteur sur le site.

Les vieux, comme moi, on aime bien le papier. j'ai dû jouer du copier coller et les images ce baladent un peu!

Tu dois bien avoir l'original en anglais pour ce pauvre Brexiteur. Sinon il va y passer des heures et avec google traduction c'est joyeux, quelques fois, le résultat.

Là, c'en est.

There it is

Ah, if I had known that I would have asked you in pdf, but we do not see the author on the site.

Old people, like me, we like paper. I had to play copy and paste and the pictures wander around a bit!

You must have the original in English for this poor Brexitor. Otherwise it will spend hours there and with google translation it is joyous sometimes the result.

pilou

I am affraid that the Manual of Quads is not more available in English...
My French version is Collector!
Maybe ask Thomthom
https://evilsoftwareempire.com/subd/quads

summerson1990

I've got some questions.

Why does "convert triangulated mesh to quads" sometimes makes it in two or more steps only? Sometimes it doesn't find all the quads at once and I need to repeat an operation twice or more times. For example to that kind of mesh I had to do it 5 or 6 times to find almost all the quads.

But the construction of the quads differs. For example if I import that mesh to SU as .dwg it takes it almost fully quad without any additional manipulations. But if I import it as .3ds it makes me to "convert triangulated mesh to quads" 5-6 times but anyway in some places quads differs from the original quad mesh.

Is that possible to export quad mesh from SU to 3ds Max so that mesh could be recognized in 3ds max like quad mesh? I know that SU has no actual quads but maybe that doesn't mean it can't be exported from here to other software like 3ds max being actually quad mesh? Of course if the surface of the mesh created without diagonal edge dividing it to 2 triangles it's ok when I open it in 3ds Max but if the surface divided with diagonal edges in hard surfaces and I try to export it to 3ds max it becomes triangulated and all these diagonal edges appear. I was tried to use different file formats but no success.

3ds max

pilou

Why not export from Max only unwelded quads? (separated)

summerson1990

@pilou said:

Why not export from Max only unwelded quads? (separated)

I have found that it's probably best of all to export from max as .obj but it can't import UV mapping correctly