[Plugin] Face Flattener 0.19

cerevellum

@Fletch
Hey, I took a look at the test model. The script doesn't work on curves yet. Basically, if you were to explode any curves it should work fine!

@chango70
Yeah, I stopped working on this script a while back (1 year?). Hopefully, I will be able to finish it up soon enough. Probably will ensure this script works inside Groups and works with curves as well.

Thanks! BTW, the original version of this had an arbitrary axis, something that could be useful as well. Perhaps the next steps are to rework the code to include this feature, or maybe to include a dialog box with several options to choose from?

pilou

@Gaieus
about the "Remove unused edges"
It works fine only if you have first used "Remove inner faces"

Gaieus

IF you have inner faces. If edges on an outer face are there because they define inner faces, they certainly aren't "unused". In any case, you should (almost) never model with inner faces.

pilou

@unknownuser said:

In any case, you should (almost) never model with inner faces.

Imagine that you build a "cuboïd snake" or any similar concepts with the Push Pull Tool + CTRL
(that is very speedy practical building and other method don't really yet exist for that)
My "remove inner faces" will be very useful at the end for after remove coplanar edges not wanted!
(here 5 visible (except "eyes & noze") before killing

thomthom

@cerevellum said:

Hi Ray and Bob,

This is something I've noticed while working on my flattening script, and I still haven't figured out why it happens. The simplest way of reproducing this is to draw a box, add a rectangle to the top surface and connect it with a line to the outer edge loop. When erasing one of the edges of the rectangle that was added, both faces disappear.

[attachment=1:2xv3js9g]edgeFaceEraseExFinalA.jpg[/attachment:2xv3js9g]

However, if you were to erase the edge that connects both edge loops first, then you can erase the edges of the inside rectangle just fine. It apparently has to do with the order in which you erase coplanar edges. Delete edges in the following order: edges connected to 0 faces go first, then edges connected to 1 face, and finally edges connected to 2 faces.

[attachment=0:2xv3js9g]edgeFaceEraseExFinalB.jpg[/attachment:2xv3js9g]

See ya,
Zach

This explains some of the oddities when I tried to write a script to remove co-planar lines. I found that existing some times didn't work - especially on messy triangulated stepped terrain imported from Max. I tried to write my own version - got pretty close, but all versions had some issues. But from this post - I got some new ideas I'd like to try.

thomthom

@cerevellum said:

However, if you were to erase the edge that connects both edge loops first, then you can erase the edges of the inside rectangle just fine. It apparently has to do with the order in which you erase coplanar edges. Delete edges in the following order: edges connected to 0 faces go first, then edges connected to 1 face, and finally edges connected to 2 faces.

[attachment=0:p7r2k6cj]edgeFaceEraseExFinalB.jpg[/attachment:p7r2k6cj]

That line that connects the two squares has two items in it .faces array - both referring to the same face.

I've also come across times when you have a face inside another face. They have one vertex that they share. All the edges in the inner face is also part of the outer face. Some weird cross loop. If you delete one of the edges of the inner face, you'll affect the outerface and it's disappear. It's one of them things that makes removing co-planar edges really hard.

One of my versions has been to recreate the geometry - but even that didn't work perfectly.

thomthom

Here's a sample of such a loop. I just moved the vertex of the connecting line onto the outer edge. There are other cases when this happen as well.
If you try to delete any of the edges of the internal face you'll also delete the outer face.

Crossloop.skp

utiler

For some reason, I don't get this script....
Does it work similar to "drop.rb"?

cheers,

thomthom

@thomthom said:

Here's a sample of such a loop. I just moved the vertex of the connecting line onto the outer edge. There are other cases when this happen as well.
If you try to delete any of the edges of the internal face you'll also delete the outer face.

Whooopdedoo! This is fixed in 7.1!!!

mnaylor375

Zach, you're my hero! Thanks.

Glidias

The script doesn't work and has no effect. Any reason why??

thomthom

@glidias said:

The script doesn't work and has no effect. Any reason why??

No. You must provide some more info. Exactly what doesn't work? No menus? No action when you activate the menus? Not the desired results? What did you do when you tried to use it? (detailed) If you open the Ruby Console, did you get any error messages when you tried to activate it?

JPMays

I also get no results. According to the OP, I should select my object(s), then context click and select "Flattening Script", then select the plane I wish to flatten to. Nothing happens when I do this, however.

D_FAST

as mentioned, does not work as described. Running v8 pro

thomthom

@d_fast said:

as mentioned, does not work as described. Running v8 pro

Can you elaborate more? "Does not work" doesn't really say a whole lot.
So you get errors? Does it not work as expected - if so what was the result and what was expected?

robertWan

Why not working?
SU8

Maybe there is another plugin? Artisan is paid

http://www.screencast.com/t/20sxZ3Uuk

Robert