Instances to Mesh
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Instances to Mesh
Here's a set of compounds for converting an instance particle cloud to a polygon mesh.
You can transfer UVs, etc. It's designed to work when you use a group for the instance
shapes. Note that if you are using a small number of shapes (small enough that you
can reference each one directly), then Guillaume Laforge's compounds are probably
faster. You can get them here.
Usage Notes: To use, put Convert Instances to Mesh in an ICE tree on an empty mesh. It works only with the »self« object. You also need to store the shape index on the point cloud and reference it in the compound's ppg. To transfer attributes, attach one of the Transfer compounds to the Execute port — there's one for each component type.
If you transfer the MaterialIDs, then you can use the Copy Materials checkbox. This works only if all objects in the group have identical Materials arrays. The transfer is based on finding locations on the group geometry, so it's best to move the instance masters apart if they overlap. It uses the 2013 version of »Build Array from Set« which supports topology-type attributes. To use it with Softimage v2012, you'll need to replace it with »Build Array from Per Point Data«.
local backup: Convert Instances to Mesh.2.0.xsicompound Convert Instances to Mesh.2.0.xsicompound Transfer Edge Attribute.xsicompound Transfer Polygon Attribute.xsicompound Transfer PolyNode Attribute.xsicompound Transfer Vertex Attribute.xsicompound
Usage Notes: To use, put Convert Instances to Mesh in an ICE tree on an empty mesh. It works only with the »self« object. You also need to store the shape index on the point cloud and reference it in the compound's ppg. To transfer attributes, attach one of the Transfer compounds to the Execute port — there's one for each component type.
If you transfer the MaterialIDs, then you can use the Copy Materials checkbox. This works only if all objects in the group have identical Materials arrays. The transfer is based on finding locations on the group geometry, so it's best to move the instance masters apart if they overlap. It uses the 2013 version of »Build Array from Set« which supports topology-type attributes. To use it with Softimage v2012, you'll need to replace it with »Build Array from Per Point Data«.
local backup: Convert Instances to Mesh.2.0.xsicompound Convert Instances to Mesh.2.0.xsicompound Transfer Edge Attribute.xsicompound Transfer Polygon Attribute.xsicompound Transfer PolyNode Attribute.xsicompound Transfer Vertex Attribute.xsicompound
author link: n/a / si-community thread
Re: Instances to Mesh
Hey,
IMO sadly you should give up with all of that...
... and take http://www.mootzoid.com/plugin/emtopolizer2 that's build-in
IMO sadly you should give up with all of that...
... and take http://www.mootzoid.com/plugin/emtopolizer2 that's build-in
Re: Instances to Mesh
It's a dream.. I wish it was at App store prices... or free...
My currrency is 3 to 1 when it comes to Euros..
EDIT: Mootzoid definately deserves being paid for what he developed; just on a pure selfish side, I wish I could affort it. It's like a months rent and some to buy it for me.
My currrency is 3 to 1 when it comes to Euros..
EDIT: Mootzoid definately deserves being paid for what he developed; just on a pure selfish side, I wish I could affort it. It's like a months rent and some to buy it for me.
Re: Instances to Mesh
Could it be simply that you didn't pick the attribute yet that you want to transfer? (in the Transfer compound's property page)
These compounds worked fine for me except for transferring UVs in the areas around UV island's borders ( because there are several uv nodes on one point, the clostest location lookup often picks the wrong one ----
As a workaround, the lookup position would have to be moved a little away from the point in the right direction so it picks the right one. Finding that right direction is the tricky part)
These compounds worked fine for me except for transferring UVs in the areas around UV island's borders ( because there are several uv nodes on one point, the clostest location lookup often picks the wrong one ----
As a workaround, the lookup position would have to be moved a little away from the point in the right direction so it picks the right one. Finding that right direction is the tricky part)
softimage resources section updated Jan 5th 2024
Re: Instances to Mesh
You might have already stumbled upon some of these, but if it may be of help, these are from the SI list ;
Convert instance with UV and material to polygon mesh - how?
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic ... QJmtLc_gzo
Texturing Instances using UVs off underlying geometry
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic ... ACEIv7FVwY
And from http://www.rray.de :
Convert instance with UV and material to polygon mesh - how?
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic ... QJmtLc_gzo
Texturing Instances using UVs off underlying geometry
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic ... ACEIv7FVwY
And from http://www.rray.de :
(quite an impressive list of types of things from early on from Helge, maybe Canvas one day...)ICE Tutorials - Author: Helge Mathee
A collection of ICE Demo scenes created by Helge Mathee for the 2009 Stuttgart FMX conference.
It includes the sample scenes for mt_strandNodes.
Scenes available are: Align Particle, Atomic Model, Camera Projection for Particles, Cob Web, Crowd: Procedural Crabs, Crowd: Two Wheelers, Filter Emission,
FMX Folding Cubes, FMX Growing Flower, FMX Retro Trail, FMX Swarm, Hair Dynamics: Basic Setup, Hair Dynamics: Turbulence, Hair Dynamics: Turbulence Collision, ICE Bezier Deform, ICE Curve Deformer, ICE IK Solver, ICE IK Solver Spider, ICE Roll Deform, Increment Rotation, Instancer Copy UVs, Instancer Kolosseum, Plants Growing on Surface, RBD Bricks Cloning, RBD Cereals PostSimStack, Rolling Gate, Squares Randomly following Footage, States: Bees, States: Tree, Strands Abstract Formula Shape, Tank Chain, Text Dissolve to Particles.
local backup: ice_tutorials_part1.zip (Note that the mt_strandNodes plugin which is part of this backup is not working with current versions of Softimage — use the one above)
Instances to Mesh - Instances to Mesh Author: Grahame Fuller
Here's a set of compounds for converting an instance particle cloud to a polygon mesh.
You can transfer UVs, etc.
It's designed to work when you use a group for the instance shapes.
Note that if you are using a small number of shapes
(small enough that you can reference each one directly),
then Guillaume Laforge's compounds are probably faster.
You can get them here.
Usage Notes: To use, put Convert Instances to Mesh in an ICE tree on an empty mesh. It works only with the »self« object.
You also need to store the shape index on the point cloud and reference it in the compound's ppg.
To transfer attributes, attach one of the Transfer compounds to the Execute port — there's one for each component type.
If you transfer the MaterialIDs, then you can use the Copy Materials checkbox.
This works only if all objects in the group have identical Materials arrays.
The transfer is based on finding locations on the group geometry, so it's best to move the instance masters apart if they overlap.
It uses the 2013 version of »Build Array from Set« which supports topology-type attributes.
local backup: Convert Instances to Mesh.2.0.xsicompound Convert Instances to Mesh.2.0.xsicompound Transfer Edge Attribute.xsicompound Transfer Polygon Attribute.xsicompound Transfer PolyNode Attribute.xsicompound Transfer Vertex Attribute.xsicompound
Re: Instances to Mesh
Thanks for all the feedback guys. I'm going to look at the point rray made firstly, as it could be as simple a fix as you suggest. If thats not where I'm going wrong I will expand to look at other methods suggested by FXdude (thanks for those).
I figured the best industry standard solution would be to get the excellent emtopolizer but this is for a personal project and I can't really go dropping a couple of €ton on this. If I can get a commercial job where mootzoid tools would be useful I'll be on it like Sonic!
I figured the best industry standard solution would be to get the excellent emtopolizer but this is for a personal project and I can't really go dropping a couple of €ton on this. If I can get a commercial job where mootzoid tools would be useful I'll be on it like Sonic!
Re: Instances to Mesh
OK yes, nice spot rray, I missed specifying the particular attribute...so stupid... I thought everything transferred wholesale by using the compound.
So I am trying to work out the correct way of transferring the texture projections. On the Transfer PolyNode Attribute I am not sure what to select as the source and write to options. Do I choose the Texture_Projection (Cubic) or Texture_Coordinates... and what is the correct item to choose for write to. I tried clicking a few options but the compound goes red and I encounter errors.
On a second point:
I've also noticed the MaterialID transfer is now working by choosing MaterialID on both attributes but I am getting attribute 0 on every surface. I'm still looking at this and I feel I might be able to solve this one. Thought I'd throw it out there too anyway as you have successfully worked with this rray.
So I am trying to work out the correct way of transferring the texture projections. On the Transfer PolyNode Attribute I am not sure what to select as the source and write to options. Do I choose the Texture_Projection (Cubic) or Texture_Coordinates... and what is the correct item to choose for write to. I tried clicking a few options but the compound goes red and I encounter errors.
On a second point:
I've also noticed the MaterialID transfer is now working by choosing MaterialID on both attributes but I am getting attribute 0 on every surface. I'm still looking at this and I feel I might be able to solve this one. Thought I'd throw it out there too anyway as you have successfully worked with this rray.
Re: Instances to Mesh
It's the UVW attribute under texture projection that needs to be transfered (to a custom attribute, just type "uvw", should be enough .. a different tex. projection is not possible for some reason)
You can then associate it with the materials later (see autodesk.com link above) . (Am a bit short on time can post some more info tonight)
You can then associate it with the materials later (see autodesk.com link above) . (Am a bit short on time can post some more info tonight)
softimage resources section updated Jan 5th 2024
Re: Instances to Mesh
Perfect rray, thats the texture projection coming through great! Like you said, edges are an issue, but I'm currently referencing basic cuboids. I've given them a slight bevel on the edges and I'm going to give the polys in between a shading to match the average colour of the texture on the 6 main sides. I'm still to look over the materialIDs all coming through as 0 but I'm about to start looking at that now.
Basically I'm making a way of quickly generating split faced tiling such as this
I'm off to solve the materialID issue, I'll let you know how I get on. Appreciate the help btw!
Basically I'm making a way of quickly generating split faced tiling such as this
I'm off to solve the materialID issue, I'll let you know how I get on. Appreciate the help btw!
Re: Instances to Mesh
It seems that all my polygons are getting a MaterialID of 0 regardless of what I do. The faces cluster consists of the large poly faces on each side of the cuboid. I showed the MaterialID value and everything is all 0! Not sure if they are being set back to 0 by something (no idea what) or if they are never getting to 1 at any point. Very odd.
As I understand it from the documentation 0 means it will use the assigned material in the render tree. 1 and above selects from the material array.
As I understand it from the documentation 0 means it will use the assigned material in the render tree. 1 and above selects from the material array.
Re: Instances to Mesh
That's probably a bug. What works here is when you move the compounds that access clusters into a different region of the stack, like the animation region.
I had an idea how to solve the uv transfer problem (just add a bit of the adjacent edge vectors) I'll post something in a few minutes.
I had an idea how to solve the uv transfer problem (just add a bit of the adjacent edge vectors) I'll post something in a few minutes.
softimage resources section updated Jan 5th 2024
Re: Instances to Mesh
here's an update to the Convert Instances to Mesh.2.0 compound
It should fix the uv border issue, the node lookup point is shifted a 0.00001 fraction of the adjecent edges lengths, that way the right polyon node is picked.
Optionally the old behavior can be restored (uncheck "apply node fix" in the compound)
It should fix the uv border issue, the node lookup point is shifted a 0.00001 fraction of the adjecent edges lengths, that way the right polyon node is picked.
Optionally the old behavior can be restored (uncheck "apply node fix" in the compound)
- Attachments
-
- Convert Instances to Mesh(rcfix).2.1.xsicompound
- (137.73 KiB) Downloaded 286 times
-
- Village.zip
- sample scene, the factory building has several cluster materials applied
- (253.89 KiB) Downloaded 265 times
softimage resources section updated Jan 5th 2024
Re: Instances to Mesh
FYI I've just had the file opened in SI 2015 and the materialID problem is gone. It looks like a problem/bug with SI 2014. I'm going to rebuild my scene tonight, hopefully using both 2015 and the new compound I'll achieve the goal of procedurally generating split face tiles!
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