[Plugin] Sculpt Tools (help)

Burkhard

Please BTM use page 1 for posting the updates. The thread shows 1....6,7,8,9,10. It's a pain to get page 4

BTM

Please BTM use page 1 for posting the updates. The thread shows 1....6,7,8,9,10. It's a pain to get page 4

… And that's the point I don't need everyone downloading it yet, it's not the finished version. Right now I just need the people who really want to download it to, so that I can get feedback from those people on what should be done. When I think I can release a version 1.0, I'll make a new thread for it.

Also, I'm trying to get entities.add_circle to draw the circle for view.draw, but I don't know how to get the resulting points to use, without actually making the circle. Anyone have any ideas?

solo

Sounds fair enough, looking forward to final release.

TIG

@unknownuser said:

Also, I'm trying to get entities.add_circle to draw the circle for view.draw, but I don't know how to get the resulting points to use, without actually making the circle. Anyone have any ideas?

You can't mix the circles in geometry and stuff drawn on the screen with view temporarily...
You couldmake a circle as a component that's faceMe ans erase/delete-definition afterwards... BUT the proper way is to gets the points for a circle...

def circleArray(center,normal,radius,numseg)
    # Get the x and y axes
    axes = Geom;;Vector3d.new(normal).axes
    center = Geom;;Point3d.new(center)
    xaxis = axes[0]
    yaxis = axes[1]
    xaxis.length = radius
    yaxis.length = radius
    # compute the points
    da = (Math;;PI * 2) / numseg
    pts = []
    for i in 0...numseg do
        angle = i * da
        cosa = Math.cos(angle)
        sina = Math.sin(angle)
        vec = Geom;;Vector3d.linear_combination(cosa,xaxis,sina,yaxis)
        pts.push(center + vec)
    end
    # close the circle
    pts.push(pts[0].clone)
    pts
end#def

then you set values for center, normal, radius and numseg

then make array

circleArray=circleArray(center,normal,radius,numseg)

then use it in view ?

view.draw_polyline(circleArray)
It should ignore any Zs...
This is 'untried'....

BTM

Thanks TIG

…Anyways, since an admin changed the name of thread to include [Plugin] just a little while ago, I'll put a link to the download on the first page to avoid confusion. Still, when I release v.1, I'll make a new thread.

MALAISE

Hi BTM

Very interesting plugin for deformation ( geological cut., impact, metal casting.)
Suggestion : would it be possible to make visible the "stress vector" before calculation
while drawing to set the direction and module easier ?

Here a picture :

MALAISE

Ben Ritter

BTM,

What you and others do, not only to create these Rubies, but to share them, is indescribable to me.

I am grateful.

I know that this plugin will be so very useful for all that I do in SU. I hope to honor your skills in that endeavor, as well as the many other useful plugins created by very generous people, like you, who are part of the SU family.

a4chitect

BTM - respect! and thanks for this.
I suggest not to bother too much with incorporating symmetrical push-pull but rather

allow for total locking of edges (locked/pinned edge wont move by any of the tools) this way any connecting openings wont change. (easier to implement but not flexible enough)

or

allow for planar locking of edges (locked/pinned edge wont move out of the plane of symmetry) just allow these edges to move along the plane of the symmetry = plane of the "locked" edge loop

wish you lot of endurance
illustrating the planar locking of edges

Chris Fullmer

I agree that locking edges would be HUGE! +1 on that request.

Chris

BTM

@chris fullmer said:

I agree that locking edges would be HUGE! +1 on that request.

Chris

I'll work on a 'lock edges to plane' script then

Oh yeah, in v.1, I'm adding new tool, 'Smudge'. Just a bit of changes to the bulge tool to get it to work. It finds the vector from the last mouse position to current, and transforms based on that vector; thus, smudging.
Smudging in a circle near a bump.

mitcorb

I know this is a dumb question, but have any of you testing discovered a "best practices" size of model, complexity of model, and cursor radius of influence? What about when to use linear effect and when to use s curve?
Thanks,
mitcorb

BTM

@mitcorb said:

I know this is a dumb question, but have any of you testing discovered a "best practices" size of model, complexity of model, and cursor radius of influence? What about when to use linear effect and when to use s curve?
Thanks,
mitcorb

I know a few tricks.

Size really shouldn't make a difference at ALL, except for if it's so small sketchup isn't able to make faces.
Complexity can vary. As I mentioned in the gallery, that sculpted gargoyle has over 50000 faces. The tools can run slow, but still no real lag. Also; when dealing with complex models, GROUP THE PART YOU'RE SCULPTING FOR FASTER PERFORMANCE. Or make it a component. So if you have a house model, and are making a sculpture in the front, group it first, then sculpt.
When dealing with a detailed mesh, it's best to set the soft radius type to linear when doing smaller details, as it seems to run somewhat faster. For large details on anything, s-curve is better, because it is more rounded.

gilles

bravo for this plugin!

it would great if we could choose a different radius for each tool and arrow keys to constrain to axes.

encore bravo!

mitcorb

Thanks -BTM, both for this wonderful tool in development and your answers. I kind of suspected some of what you said, but I wasn't sure, as I have not had a lot of time for experimentation. These capabilities have really made me start to think about new ways to model.
Best Wishes,
mitcorb

BTM

@mitcorb said:

Thanks -BTM, both for this wonderful tool in development and your answers. I kind of suspected some of what you said, but I wasn't sure, as I have not had a lot of time for experimentation. These capabilities have really made me start to think about new ways to model.
Best Wishes,
mitcorb

Also, I forgot to mention this, but it's easier to sculpt with the edges hidden or turned off in styles, plus it's more accurate, as the inferencing won't automatically snap to endpoints. That and SketchUp runs faster when it doesn't have to display the edges.

Now I'm wondering if I can get the inferencing to ignore snapping to lines and endpoints… Not for soften or push, but for bulge and smudge (smudge is not in current release)

mitcorb

@unknownuser said:

Also, I forgot to mention this, but it's easier to sculpt with the edges hidden or turned off in styles, plus it's more accurate, as the inferencing won't automatically snap to endpoints. That and SketchUp runs faster when it doesn't have to display the edges.

Now I'm wondering if I can get the inferencing to ignore snapping to lines and endpoints… Not for soften or push, but for bulge and smudge (smudge is not in current release)

Well--go ahead with your bad self!!!!! That is the spirit.

BTM

As I've mentioned on occasion, I really don't like the current icons. The mudbox icons gave me some ideas too, so are these any better? (I might add arrows and stuff after)
Bulge Push Smooth Smudge

Tekelwriter

These new icons are great! And I'm not so sure that they need any arrows added. Great work! I've got to learn more about ruby scripting; there are some wonderful tools, including this one, coming out of this community.

Marian

they look good

BTM

New feature being added: lag-line.

I copied some code from merge points to selected to make the feature. If turned on, it will make the tool affect points between the last mouse position and the new one. This could help when working with really high-poly models, or for other reasons too I guess