[Plugin] CleverClay
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I'm a noob when it comes to ruby, I know.
Since I used your script Blackout as the base for this script I had the module part there but got some errors I couldn't get rid of any other way than by removing that module part of the script.
I think I could use a simple tutorial on the difference between class and module and when to use what, don't you think.
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Modules works as simple wrappers. You can't make an instance of them. They are like name spaces. I always use a module to wrap up my plugins.
Classes you can make instances of - as in, if in you code you need to refer to data that represent car data, the you probably want to make a Car class.
Every time you need to store some data related to a car you'd then write for instance:
my_car = Car;;new('Ford') my_car.color = 'red' my_car.year = 1977 puts my_car.to_s # Prints "Red 1977 model Ford"(That was a quick and dirty explanation.)
I think that Chris might have mentioned something about modules and classes in his ruby tutorials. I'm trying to track them down. -
I think I just mentioned that scripts should be in a module and then pointed to RockW's post A word of warning to developers or something like that, its a sticky. I don't think it explaines modules very well either. I always use something like this:
` module Clf_module
def Clf_module.all_methods
code here
end # all_methods
end # Clf_module
UI.menu("Plugins").add_item("Loose Geometry to Groups") { Clf_module.all_methods }`
Something like that. Its important to note, like Thom showed, that you always have to reference the module.method or module::method to access your methods. Even when you are defining a method inside the module, you still have to define it with the module prefix like I did with
def Clf_module.all_methods(which I think its weird it has to have the module name in front of it even though its inside the module). And then also when you call your method fo put it in the menu (my last line), you have to use the module.method or module::method syntax again.Hope that helps. Please someone correct me if I have something wrong. That is what I figured out after much trial and error. I feel like my Ruby skills are not very technical.
Chris
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@chris fullmer said:
Even when you are defining a method inside the module, you still have to define it with the module prefix like I did with
def Clf_module.all_methods(which I think its weird it has to have the module name in front of it even though its inside the module).I also think it is weird, but I realized that I had to do it this way when I started to get strange errors (don't remember what it was exactly) when I was calling SU2KT methods from a different class.
Tomasz
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You can do
def self.all_methodspreventing potential typos. -
OOooh finally someone decided to create my plugin!!
I was in despear to see these day coming, but thanks Pixero, that's really great !It works really fine on a small model, but I failed to make it works on a quite complexe one... it does create the two materials, but then, nothing else is changed... can this be linked to a complex nested geometry ?
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If a group has no colour, but is coloured with a transparent colour on the outside, it will end up as the clay material, and non-transparent, due to the script not doing anything with the assigned colours of groups/ components. I think that if there is a group, the script should see if it has a material assigned to it, if so, don't change the 'default' colours inside, but change all non-default colours inside, and the exterior material to the clay one/ transparent clay one. If the group has no material assigned to it, treat it normally. That way, groups with transparent materials assigned to them will work properly. Personally, I don't usually paint groups themselves, but it's still a thought.
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Pixero, playing a bit around, I've discover some little problems, so I dare point them out...
The plugin does not threat the object if the texture has been paint on the group (and not directly on the face... a classical Sketchup trouble finally), and it does not modify backfaces, as far as I can see...
Also, the translucent material appear originally with a 0 translucency, which is a bit 'violent'... Actually, the best, for a renderer like Vray, will be to make it automatically full black with something like 20 of opacity.
Besides, it's a great tool for architects, really...it just need some little improvement !
Thanks again...
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@mrwip said:
Pixero, playing a bit around, I've discover some little problems, so I dare point them out...
The plugin does not threat the object if the texture has been paint on the group (and not directly on the face... a classical Sketchup trouble finally), and it does not modify backfaces, as far as I can see...
Also, the translucent material appear originally with a 0 translucency, which is a bit 'violent'... Actually, the best, for a renderer like Vray, will be to make it automatically full black with something like 20 of opacity.
Besides, it's a great tool for architects, really...it just need some little improvement !
Thanks again...
If you're using V-Ray you should not apply materials to groups/components as that really really slows down the parsing time.
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@unknownuser said:
If you're using V-Ray you should not apply materials to groups/components as that really really slows down the parsing time.
Well, of course, it's best not to do it, but when you have a complex model, sometimes you're making little mistakes without noticing, and applying texture on a group is one of them...
Besides, many people don't know that it's better to apply texture directly on the geometry itself, so, for them, improving that part could be a good thing.
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Minor update now with module added.
Mr Wip if you want a higher opacity setting just open the script in a texteditor (simple text will do fine) and go to line 35. Change: g.alpha = 0 to something higher.
EDIT: I just did it myself.
As to the other comments.
If you have ways to make the script better feel free. Just let me know so I can post the updated version. -
Jim has his (now improved) GreyScale Plugin, too, which works similarly - or better to say "may work differently" but has similar results (among others).
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Gaieus, Greyscale is a great plugin, but it does not create the clay effect that we're looking for here... all the texture are still visible, and the point is not to see them, as in a real clay model...
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The major thing with this script is that it doesnt make transparent materials opaque.
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Thank you Jan, very interesting..
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@pixero said:
The major thing with this script is that it doesn't make transparent materials opaque.
And of course if you don't want transparency then you can always switch it 'off' anyway...
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I'm using Vray and it has an option that overrides all materials and make them the same.
However transparent materials also gets opaque so thats why I wrote this plugin.
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