[Plugin] QuadFaceTools

thomthom

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Overview
Quads and Topology
A big deal of organic modelling workflow spin around good topology of quads (faces with four vertices/edges). Quads allows for many very useful mesh operations, such as selection rings and loops. Quads are predictable which is why they are so useful.

Many applications let you work with non-planar quads. In SketchUp however, it is not so easy. When you modify a vertex of a quad in SketchUp it auto-folds and breaks the quad into two triangles - where as other 3d applications might leave it as one unit.

At the core of every 3d applications, everything consists of triangles - the only difference is how they expose the triangles to the user. However, there is no reason why SketchUp users can't work with non-planar quads - it's just that the tools need to be aware of them.

Quads in SketchUp
This toolset is an attempt to begin on such a suite of tools to let SketchUp users work with quads. My approach is conceptually simple: When two faces are separated with a soft edge (smooth only affects shading) then the two faces are treated as one Unit. Click one and you select both and the Entity Info window says you have selected a Surface. Based on that, here is how I define quads in SketchUp:

QuadFace Definition

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The definition of a QuadFace was changed again in version 0.6 because the previous versions relied on the Hidden property. The Hidden property is affected by a model's Scenes, so when you copied quad mesh into a new model you would loose the Hidden property of the diagonals.

To update a mesh from the older versions, use:
Tools > QuadFace Tools > Convert > Sandbox Quads to QuadFace Quads

Native quad face, face with four vertices.
Two triangles, joined by an edge with the following properties:
Soft = true
Smooth = true
Cast Shadows = false
Border edges can have any property, just not all of them.
Faces that makes up a QuadFace cannot have holes in them.
(Updated in 0.6.0)

Call to Developers
I'd encourage all plugin developers of plugins that generate geometry if what they generate can be made compatible with my definition of a QuadFace so we can expand the toolset for dealing with QuadFaces. QuadFaces is key to working with good topology in 3D modelling.

Project Hosting
This project is now hosted on BitBucket where the downloads and documentation exists.

Download
https://bitbucket.org/thomthom/quadface-tools/wiki/Download

Videos

UV Mapping
[flash=560,315:3rvrvn2q]http://www.youtube.com/v/HdX517AryWs?version=3&hl=en_US[/flash:3rvrvn2q]

UV Transferring
[flash=560,315:3rvrvn2q]http://www.youtube.com/v/qQHsabwvErg?version=3&hl=en_US[/flash:3rvrvn2q]

UV Unwrap
[flash=560,315:3rvrvn2q]http://www.youtube.com/v/hnW_yjkM_SY?version=3&hl=en_US[/flash:3rvrvn2q]

UV Mapping Example
[flash=640,360:3rvrvn2q]http://www.youtube.com/v/pcvxdwgWxXM?version=3&hl=en_GB&rel=0[/flash:3rvrvn2q]

thomthom

I meant to make some videos explaining quads in SketchUp, but I had no time this weekend. But I figured I'd still push it out there for the brave guineapigs who like to punish themselves with new unknown tools.

Gaieus

Holy crap, TT. I saw you post in the (other) forum to Pete and was wondering. Good news is that I seem to have some spare space in my toolbars...

thomthom

It has been a wee little distraction from Bezier Surface, but not completely. As I need the same selection routines in both plugins. This has been a playground experiment. Win-win!

Rich O Brien

I'd pay for this

Excellent tool!

Gaieus

@unknownuser said:

I'd pay for this

You said it - go ahead then!

(I also owe you a ton of cookies, TT!)

EarthMover

SWEET! This has been a long time dream finally realized. Thanks for all your amazing contributions Thomas! We are lucky to have you in our community!

fredo6

Tom,

All my support for your initiative, which is, I believe a big undertaking.

As a contribution, I'll include an option to generate quads (under your definition) in Curviloft (the preview display is based on quads, precisely).

Fredo

thomthom

@unknownuser said:

As a contribution, I'll include an option to generate quads (under your definition) in Curviloft (the preview display is based on quads, precisely).

That's great Fredo! The more tools we get that generate geometry like this the better topology we can create in SketchUp with better tools.

Pixero

This will be most useful. Thanks!

Booman

Awesome plugin... will definitely try out for some organic modeling

EarthMover

Been playing with it and it's really great. Thanks again. Been playing with Artisan meshes with some mixed results, but after a few Make Quad operations, I can get the whole mesh to quadrify.

Any plans on adding a Ring Connect option as a way to add additional loops?

thomthom

@earthmover said:

Been playing with Artisan meshes with some mixed results, but after a few Make Quad operations, I can get the whole mesh to quadrify.

I meant to make a whole video tutorial for that. It's best not to make the starting point at the edge of a mesh. That might yield some odd results. And holes in the mesh might also produce unexpected results. And I suspects meshes where the quads are not uniformly laid out, but need star connections could throw some odd results as well.
If you find that the quadification of a mesh yields odd results it might help if you manually quadify some of mesh first. A couple of quads around holes and star connections.
Got any sample models to share by the way. I did not have any organic models with regular mesh to test on.

@earthmover said:

Any plans on adding a Ring Connect option as a way to add additional loops?

What is a Ring Connect?

thomthom

@earthmover said:

Been playing with Artisan meshes

Perhaps an idea to request Dale to add an option to generate the mesh as quads? That'd be pretty sweet.

Rich O Brien

What's the icon at the end of Vertex Tools? I don't have it in mine?

thomthom

@unknownuser said:

What's the icon at the end of Vertex Tools? I don't have it in mine?

Cursed your keen eyes! Now I have to kill you!

thomthom

@gaieus said:

Holy crap, TT. I saw you post in the (other) forum to Pete and was wondering. Good news is that I seem to have some spare space in my toolbars...

By the way Gaieus, with meshes build from quads, making UV tools becomes easier.
It was in fact one of the biggest challenges I had/have with UV Toolkit, being able to sort the geometry into predictable chunks. Now I can build upon the requirement that the mesh is quads, which makes the traversing of the mesh and mapping much easier.

Rich O Brien

Mwah ha hah hah hah haaaaaaa

thomthom

@unknownuser said:

Mwah ha hah hah hah haaaaaaa

Just for the sake for retaliation and mute your excitement, it's simply a Collapse function. So there! Hah! No magic!

thomthom

@thomthom said:

@unknownuser said:

Mwah ha hah hah hah haaaaaaa

Just for the sake for retaliation and mute your excitement, it's simply a Collapse function. So there! Hah! No magic!

In reality it's a function to call upon all my killer robots to home in on Rich - as you can see from the iconic representation. Yes, that is right, I'm giving everyone who buts Vertex Tools this mighty power! muhahahah!