NprTools

Al Hart

May 24, 2009
* Added Soft Sun capability
* Added dialog to change application to Launch Files
* Added progress bar to display progress which saving and processing images.
* Added option to process only actual shadows, (Rather than surfaces which are in shadow because the surfaces faces away from the sun.)

See: New Version

thomthom

Do you have to uninstall previous versions when installing new ones?

I just tried to update and when I click on the OK button in the Sketchy Shadow window I get a messagebox;

@unknownuser said:

ERROR during toolbar command: #Proc:0x0ae3dd68@RpTools_toolbar.rb:205)
wrong number of arguments(5 for 7)

NprTools_image.rb:184:in 'dll_call_merge_shadows'

And the Ruby Console outputs:

Saving shadow image - Please wait
Saving sbase_image; C;\Documents and Settings\thm\Mine dokumenter\NprTools/NprTools_Images/SS_Base.png - please wait
Save no-shadow image
RESTORE  shadow_info["DisplayShadows"]=false old; true 
Saving shadow_image; C;\Documents and Settings\thm\Mine dokumenter\NprTools/NprTools_Images/SS_Shadow_mask.png - please wait
Save shadow image
RESTORE rendering_options["BackgroundColor"]=Color(255, 255, 255, 255) old; Color(204, 204, 201, 255)
RESTORE rendering_options["FaceBackColor"]=Color(255, 255, 255, 255) old; Color(164, 178, 187, 255)
RESTORE rendering_options["GroundColor"]=Color(255, 255, 255, 255) old; Color(210, 208, 185, 255)
RESTORE rendering_options["HideConstructionGeometry"]=true old; false
RESTORE rendering_options["RenderMode"]=1 old; 2
RESTORE rendering_options["Texture"]=false old; true
RESTORE  shadow_info["Dark"]=0 old; 45 
Saving edge_image; C;\Documents and Settings\thm\Mine dokumenter\NprTools/NprTools_Images/SS_Edges.png - please wait
Save edge image
RESTORE rendering_options["BackgroundColor"]=Color(255, 255, 255, 255) old; Color(204, 204, 201, 255)
RESTORE rendering_options["HideConstructionGeometry"]=true old; false
RESTORE rendering_options["RenderMode"]=1 old; 2
RESTORE rendering_options["Texture"]=false old; true
RESTORE  shadow_info["DisplayShadows"]=false old; true 
Creating shadow patterns - please wait
Setting material on entities; RPS Sketchy Shadows - please wait
ADDING COMPONENT; ARC Logo
COMPONENT LOOP length; 1
Processing component; ARC Logo (ents; 18)
End definition; ARC Logo
COMPONENT LOOP length; 1
Saving shadow pattern image - please wait
RESTORE rendering_options["EdgeDisplayMode"]=0 old; 1
RESTORE  shadow_info["Dark"]=100 old; 45 
Merging images - please wait
ERROR during toolbar command; #<Proc;0x0ae3dd68@RpTools_toolbar.rb;205>
wrong number of arguments(5 for 7)

NprTools_image.rb;184;in `dll_call_merge_shadows'

SU7 - XP Pro SP3

Al Hart

@thomthom said:

Do you have to uninstall previous versions when installing new ones?

No, you do not need to uninstall, but something is wrong here:

When you go to the downloads page, does it show version IE24b?

(If not click refresh in the web browser)

As you install it, does the zip file say: Click here to install NprTools_1_1_IE24npr.exe
After you install it, and click the first icon to bring up the about box, does it show version IE24npr?

thomthom

I had RpTools_1_1_IA07t.zip

when I went to the download page it says: "Version: IA07"

Al Hart

One other thing (and this may be the one!)

When you reinstall NprTools, make sure you select NprTools and not RpTools.

There is an old version of RpTools on the download page which is replacing the newer version of NprTools.

I'm sure that is the problem.

I will try to get it fixed. (1/2 or our staff is on vacation this week, so some things are getting a little delayed)

thomthom

Doh! Downloading "Version: IE24b" now... I didn't read properly...

thomthom

Why does it look like it's softing out the sketchy shadows?

MMC - Blueprint-SKSH.png

And what is the Washout slider?

Al Hart

@thomthom said:

Why does it look like it's softing out the sketchy shadows?

And what is the Washout slider?

I worked hard to try to make the shadows soft.

Which part of "soft" didn't you want?
(If you don't want the 5 softer areas (see arrows), then set the number of iterations to 1 - so the soft shadow effect is not used for the Sketchy Shadows.

If you want the all the shadows darker (more white), then make sure that your "Shadow" material is solid black, since any lightness in the material will make the shadows softer.

Washout moves the original image more towards white, black or grey. This is helpful when you are using a fairly solid (50% or more) shadow pattern, and want the original drawing to be made darker by the shadows.

This is a normal image with dark shadow lines

Here the base image is washed out

Wash out may make more sense when you are using both sun and shadow lines, and want the base image to be close to grey.

thomthom

Sketchy shadows with soft shadows is a nice feature. I just couldn't work out what to do if I didn't want them. For the Blueprint type of sketch I'm trying to do I prefer them without.

Looking at the wiki, it seems to be possible to have the shadow texture aligned to the screen and not to the geometry?

linea

Al

NPR tools looks great I haven't tried it yet, but will get around to it soon. Just a thought, would it be possible for the sketchy shadows to display as a series of dots as opposed to lines?

thomthom

@linea said:

Just a thought, would it be possible for the sketchy shadows to display as a series of dots as opposed to lines?

You can any any SU textured material as the shadow pattern.

Al Hart

@thomthom said:

Sketchy shadows with soft shadows is a nice feature. I just couldn't work out what to do if I didn't want them. For the Blueprint type of sketch I'm trying to do I prefer them without.

Looking at the wiki, it seems to be possible to have the shadow texture aligned to the screen and not to the geometry?

If you don't want soft shadows, set the iterations to 1. I used to have a check box "Use soft shadows" on the Sketchy Shadows dialog box. Perhaps I will put it back.

If you want the texture aligned to the screen, rather than to the faces in the model, use Soft Shadows, rather than Sketchy Shadows. You can still make them "non-soft" with just one iteration, but use the Texture Shadow Color mode to use an image as a mask for the shadows.

Also, in your earlier example you have very broad soft shadows. Try using 10 iterations but only 2 days and 15 minutes, and you will get just a little softening at the edges.

Al Hart

We have uploaded a new version of NprTools- IF16.

See: Downloads

This version has combined Soft Shadows and Sketchy Shadows into a single tab dialog - which uses the same settings for both and which should also be easier to use.

We have also added some radio button presets for Shadow Softness and Spread which should make it easier to get the desired effects. (After adding lots of options to let you control shadow softness, patterns, intensity, and other things the application has become rather complex. These radio settings will make it easier to get started. However you can still adjust iterations, days and times as desired in Custom mode.)