@caul said:

2) The second point concerns the relation between the projection grid and the target surface. Flowify sets up a coordinate system between the grids where all cells have the exact same size in uv-space. As seen in the image below, the results are more predictable if the projection grid and target surface have more corresponding cell sizes. This can be achieved by either constructing a custom projection grid (Image 2) or by having about equal sized cells in the target surface (Image3). In regards to the tutorial, if you keep the idle points in the poly line and convert these into quads, then the regular grid (constructed with impose grid) will better match the target surface.

Thanks for the advice. The problem with 'keeping the idle points' is that then one has to manually stitch up the resulting surface to create quads, which can take quite some time-- unless you know a way of automating quad generation on non-quad topology?

Check out the video at 3:25 where I confront this issue. If there are co-linear groupings of 3 or more vertices in the polyline, it will not generate a quad compatible surface. Any thoughts on how to automate quad generation during Follow-Me?

Thanks again for a GREAT tool!

Been wanting to do this one for awhile. There's some great resources including threads, posts, plugins which helped me figure all this out for myself, and I thought I would share.

One point I don't mention in the video (there's now a callout), is you MUST work from the TOP view (thus the name Voronoi XY I suppose!). Any other view and it won't work.

@pilou said:

I see you use Solid Inspector and not Solid Solver: why ?
Fist don't fill a missing face, second yes!

I just got in the habit of using Solid Inspector. I like it. I'll check out Solid Solver too! Thanks for the tip.

A follow up to the Tire Tutorial, this shows how to use Flowify and Vertex Tools to create a rim for a tire.

I couldn't find any Tire tutes which showed how to create a high polycount tire for close-up photoreal renders, so I decided to create my own.

This requires CAUL's most amazing Flowify plugin (did I mention it was amazing?). It's kinda fast, but should be fairly straightforward. (I know I sometimes mumble

Vertex Tools does a great job of this and can do it in any plane as well. Artisan also has a flatten function.

Thanks for you help. I'll test your new code tomorrow when I get a moment.

The workaround I found seems to be doing the trick: Here's a model I built tonight and used a SU wireframe overlaid on top (autonomous mobile office meeting room for an article) and it seems to work pretty well . FWIW, the model is not complete...just WIP).

@driven said:

btw, so you know...

the only thing I change was a 'back up' for a SU shortfall

 if cam_aspect == 0.0
>         cam_aspect = width/height.to_f.round(3)
>       end

I you don't have a Advanced camera set, SU sets the aspect ratio to 0.0, which is crazy...
this bit of code just tell KS to use 16:9 in that circumstance...

I'll have a look at your skp...

Thanks again for your generous help.

I did look at your Ruby and saw that, and was wondering if there was anything else. I've written some Python scripts for Vue-Infinite, but don't know much about SU's api-- other than other plugins have figured this out-- and KS hasn't. I believe they first mentioned to me SU didn't have the correct api hooks to get an accurate camera from. That's when I mentioned all the other renderers have figured it out. They said they would take a look at it. Last time they said they'd work on the SU plugin it took them 2 years.

Too bad Thea and Vray are so damn slow compared to Keyshot. Of course, they both can do a lot more too!

Fwiw, here's an interior shot modeled in SU, and rendered in KS @ 1920x1080. Took a bit under 3 hours on my 2013 i7 iMac. Anyone think Thea can do that? If so, I have a license and can try. My early tests told me no, but then I'm not an accomplished Thea user.

Here's the SKP
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3788438/3D/test.skp

Thanks.

I did what you said, but the results weren't what was expected:

1. ORIGINAL in SU (Focal Lenght 42mm, FOV 46.8 degrees)
2. Using your plugin code. Note the FOV is different, but still not correct.
3. ORIGINAL KS Plugin. Note the FOV is also different.

So then, what do I do next? Use the Keyshot plugin button to export the file? Will it use your script or it's script?

Sorry to be a pain. But now, when I copy/paste it in I receive:

> load  "~/Downloads/keyShotExporter.rb"
/Users/chippwalters/Downloads/keyShotExporter.rb;35; warning; already initialized constant KeyShot5;;Set
/Users/chippwalters/Library/Application Support/SketchUp 2015/SketchUp/Plugins/luxion_keyshot5/keyShotExporter.rb;35; warning; previous definition of Set was here
/Users/chippwalters/Downloads/keyShotExporter.rb;316; warning; already initialized constant KeyShot5;;TEXTURE_PATH
/Users/chippwalters/Library/Application Support/SketchUp 2015/SketchUp/Plugins/luxion_keyshot5/keyShotExporter.rb;309; warning; previous definition of TEXTURE_PATH was here
/Users/chippwalters/Downloads/keyShotExporter.rb;319; warning; already initialized constant KeyShot5;;VERSION
/Users/chippwalters/Library/Application Support/SketchUp 2015/SketchUp/Plugins/luxion_keyshot5/keyShotExporter.rb;312; warning; previous definition of VERSION was here
true

Not sure what to do...

Yes, I contacted them. They don't really have an answer. They say it works with SU15 but the camera transfer doesn't work right. I was hoping to try and figure out a manual way to go from one setting to the other. I know it's possible to do it manually, I just need to find the right 'formula' and while I posted this same on their forum (and support ticket), I doubt there's much if any answer there.

@driven said:

however, you want to see if this works, without the workaround?
[attachment=0:3036vr1q]<!-- ia0 -->keyShotExporter.rb<!-- ia0 -->[/attachment:3036vr1q]
in Ruby Console

load ~/Downloads/keyShotExporter.rb

then test a correctly size window export...

may work...

Thanks for the help! When I run it I get this:

> load ~/Downloads/keyShotExporter.rb
Error; #<SyntaxError; <main>; unknown regexp options - kyShtEprtr>
SketchUp;1;in `eval'

I'll take a look at the plugin and let you know.

Even though the image is small, I believe the details aren't important other than the overall notion that one can manually adjust the FOV using the imported SU Camera Geometry Object to get 'close.'

Here's the same test using a different FOV and aspect ratio (green is because it's using your plugin and is perfect 16:9).

1. Green 16:9 Aspect Ratio with different FOV than first test.
2. Imported into Keyshot. Border is indicated.
3. Adjust Field of View to match border then render. Looks very close.

Nope, KeyShot does not adjust. It always defaults to the last screen setting which KS was left in.
Interesingly, the CAMERA shows up as an object in KeyShot. Here's a possible workaround-- though certainly NOT perfect.

See below:

1. Camera Object in KS
2. Camera Object shown in SU Camera view (inside of cube) showing the 'bounds' of the camera cone.
3. Camera Object shown in SU showing 'bounds' of camera cone
4. First change FOV so that the edges of the 'bounds' extend to the horizontal borders of the KS camera window.
5. Set aspect ratio so that it matches the SU aspect ratio..

Still need to test:
Different FOVs and Different SU aspect ratio other than square.

Yep, using your fine plugin to set the screen window resolution. Thanks!

I don't know, maybe the 1280x720 is set from the plugin. I typically use the same fixed size as my default, but I can certainly check and let you know.

If what you're asking is if I used the Advanced Camera, I believe so. I did actually use an AC for export as shown in the first image above (see the camera settings values in dot 1).

That said, I had installed some AC plugin and I have now about 20 different camera 'types' I can set. I suppose this does not matter. I am setting the SU window to 1600 x 900 pixels and the Keyshot is set to 1280 x 720 which is the same 16:9 aspect ratio. Let me know if there's anything I need to send or do, or if I'm miscommunicating anything.

I can try modifying the plugin code.

Thanks for your help.

Here's the file.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3788438/3D/keyshot5.xml

I can, but first tell me what is that file for? What exactly does it do? I may need to get it from my office computer unless it's okay to reproduce on my home computer.