[Plugin] ShadowProjector
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@pbacot said:
Something cool about this but not sure how someone makes use of it. Is it only so you can export a polygon and use it in a CAD rendering (2d)?
It's as useful as you think up uses for it...
For example, checking the % of solar shading on some selected glazing at a certain Date/Time.
Getting the area [sq'/sqm] of perhaps some selected glazing or a solar-panel that's receiving [or not receiving] direct sunlight...
Because faces using a translucent material don't show normal shadows you can now use this tool to add a visible translucent 'gray' shadow-group face [with no edges] onto selected window-glass etc, to fake these shadows in a Sup render...
DAE files etc don't contain shadow info but you can now include a faced snapshot of the shadows if desired.
I only invented the tool - you lot need to come up with uses for it...
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Dear Tig,
@tig said:
Because faces using a translucent material don't show normal shadows you can now use this tool to add a visible translucent 'gray' shadow-group face [with no edges] onto selected window-glass etc, to fake these shadows in a Sup render...
That was exactly what I wanted to experiment: colored glasses and their colored shadows...
Glasses and bottle are drawn , but
I can't make to "ShadowProjector" draw their shadows.. Probably too complex shapes.
simon -
Simon,
what scale are you trying at, is it a small triangle issue... just a thought
john -
Hi John
You are right in the way I never take enough care of the scale !!!
In this occurrence, the scale is not too small but too big: a glass of 135cm width !! You may be thirsty
++simon
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Is the orange face 'reversed' - view in Monochrome mode to see.
Shadows are only cast onto front faces.
Also there is an issue with tiny faces/holes and groups/instances placed exactly onto a face and casting a shadow.
I'm doing a fix now... -
Here's v1.1 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=371243#p371243
1.1 20111214 Addressed issues with tiny faces/holes and group/instance sitting on face whilst casting a shadow. -
Hi TIG
This tool is a great idea ++
I'm very sorry The updated rb doesn't work at all and anymore for me (and the first version is overwrited arghhh!).Please can you pick an eye on my following SketchUp 7 model ?
Sorry for trouble
++simon
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@simon le bon said:
Hi TIG
This tool is a great idea ++
I'm very sorry The updated rb doesn't work at all and anymore for me (and the first version is overwrited arghhh!).Please can you pick an eye on my following SketchUp 7 model ?
[attachment=1:12he1z9c]<!-- ia1 -->TIG_shadowProjector002.skp<!-- ia1 -->[/attachment:12he1z9c]
Sorry for trouble
++simon
I can get it to work with reduced complexity [removing the 'glass']...
[attachment=0:12he1z9c]<!-- ia0 -->Capture.PNG<!-- ia0 -->[/attachment:12he1z9c]
I don't have v1.0 either [lost it!]
I'll investigate...
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Hi TIG,
@unknownuser said:
I can get it to work with reduced complexity [removing the 'glass']...
Me too
I'm going to test the ShadowProjector with incremental complexity models...
thank you for your patience and kindness
*s
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Hiding the glass, or putting it onto an 'off' layer work too...
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Dear TIG
@unknownuser said:
I can get it to work with reduced complexity [removing the 'glass']...
Hiding the glass, or putting it onto an 'off' layer work too...
As I can conclude , ShadowProjector not only take in account the geometry casted by the shadowed selected face, but also the entire geometry of the model.
@unknownuser said:
I'm going to test the ShadowProjector with incremental complexity models...
Alas ShadowProjector is stopped by the first model
TIG_shadowProjector_incrementalComplexity.skp
Simon.
PS1: I am not happy to be the one who show the tool limitations
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You are right.
It would be better/quicker if it found only the objects potentially casting shadows on the face...
BUT the algorithm to do that robustly is beyond me [at the moment].
So at the moment it checks everything that's active for shadow casting even when it doesn't even cast a shadow on the face.
So I suggest that keep the 'active entities' simple [using temporary grouping?] and do small sets of shadows... -
Here's v1.2 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=371243#p371243
Its speed and error trapping are improved.
It now limits its purview to potential shadow-casting objects and is therefore quicker... -
@unknownuser said:
Because faces using a translucent material don't show normal shadows you can now use this tool to add a visible translucent 'gray' shadow-group face [with no edges] onto selected window-glass etc,
As it is, it's already a great tool dear TIG
Thank you so much to make SketchUp each day growing as a wonderful application
++simon
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I can't use the plugin
It crashes my model all the time. I made a magnifier glass and a ground plane (face) . I selected the face, that was oriented with front upwards (the shadow projected on front face), then ran the plugin. ... First time it made a grouped face over my selected one. Now it just crashes every time.
Model attached.
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It Bugsplats for me too.
It's a relatively small object and makes many tiny facets in the shadow that it needs to process.
Some complex shapes just have too much geometry.
I erased the unneeded coplanar edges which up the face count considerably!
Also made sure the forms were solids - tiny holes leak shadows - erased unwanted internal partitions and flaps...
The small detailing on the handle also makes some tiny facets when projected.
Lifting the handle up 1mm so it didn't touch the face [a single point of contact or tiny common facet seems to be awkward].
Making it 1000 bigger using Scale, simplifying the handle and putting the lens on an 'off' layer [you don't want it's shadow anyway ?] - I did get it to work eventually... BUT it took ages !If I copy/paste your geometry into a new SKP I get an error fix now ? message about zero length edges - BUT it doesn't 'fix' within the SKP itself - weird...
This simplified version processes readily without problems.
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Using this technic and some more
creating anamorph art would be great!!!! url:
http://jrengozzi.wordpress.com/page/2/Regards and thanks!
Harry -
If someone is interested there is a similar shadow projector in skelion plugin.
You can project shadows at specific time, but over a range of time too, that's the main difference of the plugin.
I tried with the magnifier.skp test and it works.(Time calculation about a minut) -
to TIG
I try to find the way to reduce the time of ShadowProjector plugin culation process after I found it take a long time when the number of calculated face up to 50 faces.
Now, I study in master degree and try to create plugin to retrieve shadow area from all day solar vector on glass face of building. When I try to put ShadowProjector algorithm to 10 loops solar vector, the time usage graph of 10 loops are not linear. It is parabola although the time usage graph in loop which use the .raytest function is linear.
Please suggestion.
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Morph
The time it takes Sketchup to add objects to a context is not linear.
The more objects the slower it is, but as you have noticed it is almost 'exponential' so x2 objects takes x4 the time etc.
With relatively few objects this is not so noticeable - but the more objects the worse it gets.
Also the number of objects already in the context slows things up considerably... so perhaps compartmentalizing the results inside their own entities context - e.g. a group - might speed things up...
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