SketchyPhysics Alpha

CPhillips · 5 Nov 2007, 11:32

Very cool plug in!
If I move the sketchyphysics tool window any other toolbars that are open on my second monitor close.

Hm. Thats wierd. Ill look into it.

Chris

not registered yet · 5 Nov 2007, 11:33

@cphillips said:

Any other comments or feedback?

Has anyone used the SketchySolids toolbar? I am thinking that it is almost worthy of being a separate plugin.

Chris

Where can I download SketchySolids?

P: Invader ZIM

Krisidious · 5 Nov 2007, 11:33

is there a way to convert a regular group or component into sketchy solids?

CPhillips · 5 Nov 2007, 11:34

@unknownuser said:

is there a way to convert a regular group or component into sketchy solids?

Right click it and use the Set Shape menu.

CPhillips · 5 Nov 2007, 11:34

There are some pretty good user generated demos popping up on 3d warehouse. Here are a few good ones!
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=f27b91714ea5752a87d6d7c29947ae22
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=4ceb45eacc729c5ea611269c93d910
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=fefb0ae5c3399f426e49a9db8e76daf1
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=d972bcb8198c5770ac03d4486f1f7520

And a good YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQquRx7rmkk

not registered yet · 5 Nov 2007, 11:34

Can I use a spring like a piece of elastic?

What I would like is that the model starts with the elastic stretched, so that once the simulation begins it will try to shrink to zero length (or some other predefined minimum length) pulling any attached object with it.

Where-as the spring seems not to exert any force on attached objects until it is either streched or compressed from the start position.

Ampa

CPhillips · 5 Nov 2007, 11:34

@ampa said:

Can I use a spring like a piece of elastic?

What I would like is that the model starts with the elastic stretched, so that once the simulation begins it will try to shrink to zero length (or some other predefined minimum length) pulling any attached object with it.

Where-as the spring seems not to exert any force on attached objects until it is either streched or compressed from the start position.

Ampa

It doesn't do that yet. Ill add it to my todo list.

Thanks Ampa.

not registered yet · 5 Nov 2007, 11:35

This is a great plugin - congrats of the work so far.

Noticed one other bug: pressing Ctrl+Z (Undo) while the simulation is running causes seriously bad things to happen! Can Undo be disabled temporarily?

Some more playing…

I decided to create a chain, and tried in a number of ways…

Create rings (torus) and arrange them so that they interlock in 3d space. Why does this not work? I assigned Shape:convexhull, but this is obviously not correct.
Create rectangular 'chain links' where each 'link' is made of 4 cuboids. This should overcome the convex hull issue and be easier on the maths Indeed it works! But looks ugly!
A different sort of chain… Created a linear array of cubes and inserted a ball joint between each one. At this stage I have a vertical column of swinging cubes, but they all act independently. And I can't work out how to correctly group the joints with the cubes to create a single chain of linked cubes. What is the correct way to do this?

P: Ampa

CPhillips · 5 Nov 2007, 11:35

@ampa said:

Noticed one other bug: pressing Ctrl+Z (Undo) while the simulation is running causes seriously bad things to happen! Can Undo be disabled temporarily?

Yeah, Ill mark it as a bug.

@ampa said:

Create rings (torus) and arrange them so that they interlock in 3d space. Why does this not work? I assigned Shape:convexhull, but this is obviously not correct.

A whole torus marked as convexhull will really resemble a solid wheel. If you want to create linked torus you need to break each segment of the torus apart into a convex hull and then group all the pieces. I did it once and it takes a while.

@ampa said:

A different sort of chain… Created a linear array of cubes and inserted a ball joint between each one. At this stage I have a vertical column of swinging cubes, but they all act independently. And I can't work out how to correctly group the joints with the cubes to create a single chain of linked cubes. What is the correct way to do this?

Group each of the ball joints with one of its two connected links and then use the JCT tool to connect the other link to the ball joint.

I should warn you that the ball joints aren't very stable when you connect them like this. The chain will fly wildly out of control if you try to move it too fast. This is a limitation of the underlying physics engine.

Chris

CPhillips · 5 Nov 2007, 11:36

"Google Guy" has an example.

Error 404 (Not Found)!!1

(sketchup.google.com)

not registered yet · 5 Nov 2007, 11:36

Chris, thanks for the pointers. It all makes sense now

Weee I have a dangle chain type thingy! I never knew how much I wanted one of these.

I look forward to further development, you've made a great tool / toy.

Ampa

bellwells · 5 Nov 2007, 11:36

Hi Chris,

I had left a post over on the Google Groups about this, but thought I should mention it here as well. The strange images of guys playing crochet, etc are under the SketchPhysics directory at dhtml-suite-for-application>demos>demos-images. I would think they could be deleted??

Absolutely love this script.

diana · 5 Nov 2007, 11:37

I am having a lot of fun with this script. Playing with the example files mostly; bowling, playing pool, trashing all the things that go round and up and down, tossing the doll about (got his head stuck through a wall once), etc. It's very entertaining! I realize it could be used as a tool as well, but I just want to play.

not registered yet · 5 Nov 2007, 11:37

I was looking at giantmonster.tv today, and wondered whether one could use SketchyPhysics as an easy rigging tool for SU?

The code already exists to define joints between different objects, along with movement tollerences (max and min) so by turning off gravity a rag-doll becomes a posable-doll.

What do you think?

So I had a look at the SketchyPhysics options… turning off Gravity is easy to do; but I was unclear about what the other options did…

Density: presumably affects the mass of objects when they collide.
Framerate: defines the amount of discrete time that passes during each itteration?
Worldscale: er - no idea

I was trying to recreate space - ie no gravity or friction, but couldn't find a way. My objects always slow down, as if through air resistance. Is this possible?

Ampa

CPhillips · 5 Nov 2007, 11:37

@ampa said:

I was looking at giantmonster.tv today, and wondered whether one could use SketchyPhysics as an easy rigging tool for SU?

The code already exists to define joints between different objects, along with movement tollerences (max and min) so by turning off gravity a rag-doll becomes a posable-doll.

What do you think?
Ampa

Possible in theory. But it would require some fairly big changes to the non-ruby code.

So I had a look at the SketchyPhysics options… turning off Gravity is easy to do; but I was unclear about what the other options did…

Density: presumably affects the mass of objects when they collide.

@ampa said:

Yes. It isnt much use now. It will be important in future versions.

@ampa said:

Framerate: defines the amount of discrete time that passes during each itteration?
Ampa

Yes. 1 is the minimum. Higher numbers will appear to go faster but wont be as smooth.

@ampa said:

Worldscale: er - no idea
Ampa

This is how big the world is. Use bigger numbers to increase the size of the world.

@ampa said:

I was trying to recreate space - ie no gravity or friction, but couldn't find a way. My objects always slow down, as if through air resistance. Is this possible?
Ampa