ICE Create "real" copies along curve and more

[gitarrenvogel]

Hey, so this is my first post here and I'm not really an advanced ICE user, so please be kind ;)

So, my question is, if there's a possibility to populate a curve with nulls or cubes in ICE which are single objects afterwards. I found Felix Geremus' compound (http://felixgeremus.com/?page_id=13) create copies along curve, but it only works for geometry and inside a single empty polygon mesh. But I would need them as separate objects, so i can use them as part of my envelope deformers.
Any suggestions? If not, is there a way, that lets me group a number of nulls or cubes and then set all the grouped objects position evenly spaced onto a curve, without doing it manually for every one of them?

Another question: I have a number of objects in a row and like to rotate just the first one and make the others partially follow the first objects rotation based on their distance. So, the farther the distance, the less amount of rotation will be applied. Is there an easy way to achieve this? Or do I have to set the rotation seperately for each object?

So thanks in advance!
Cheers, Lukas

[Bullit]

Welcome.

Check this Instances on curve.
https://www.si-community.com/forum/v ... =19&t=2943

Then use a convert instance to mesh.

[gitarrenvogel]

Thanks for your ideas but the ways I found for converting instances to meshes are limited for what I'm trying, because the converted objects are not constrained to the instance positions. So, when I move the curve or curve points, the converted objects do not move.

I hope, you can help me out! Thanks!

[NNois]

Hi, I think you can do it, a least with this method below... you need to think about it in the inverse way by constraining Objects to particles, this is i think the only way you can end up with separated object AND keeping the link with your particles.

Here is a demo scene and the compound scripts neededs https://www.dropbox.com/s/b2kmus4kpdmcr ... mObject.7z

You need
1. A point cloud generating "points"
2. The softimage buildin function "Transform Objects by Particles" (found in ICE->Kinematics->Effects). He takes Objects and constrain them to the point cloud points position

for "1." I've attached you a reworked compound of fabricio chamon "Power Extrude", this compound deals with multiples subcurves in one point cloud. To use it it's preaty straigtforward but you need a special data on your curve (this is to deal with deforming curve(s) updating lenght etc).
The process is simple, install the "NN Curve Tool.py" in your workgroup plugins then select your curve and execute once "Model->Modify->Curve->NN Curve Tools->Generate Data provider"

Edit: for "2." keep in mind this is a script who take you object to constrain, group it, then use the point cloud to update the obects kinematics contained in this group. You can dive in the ice tree created for each object to select or modify the point ID linked. If you further need to add another geometry you can place it manually in the group, then add the same ice tree "Transofrm From Array"

Let me know if it's working for you

[gitarrenvogel]

Thank you very much! This is very close to what I need. The only thing is that with this solution the number of particles changes, when manipulating the curve points/when the curve's length changes. Do you know a way to distribute a fixed amount of particles along the curve, while keeping the same distance to each other. Maybe I can find this out for myself, but if you know it already, you could tell me
Thank you for your help, including a scene file and more!

[NNois]

no, in my compound you can chose in "path subdivision Rule" "Fixed" this way the number don't change

[NNois]

here's attached an other version of the point cloud generation on curve. https://www.dropbox.com/s/c3sfem6zwylv4 ... sicompound
This one don't deal with subcures etc, but it's a different method to generate the points orientations, it can perform better in some cases

PS:each time i need this tools in production i add or adjust certain features so, if you want to use it and don't have troubles i advise you to test it on simple cases before, maybe they are broken !

[gitarrenvogel]

It didn't show me that option, when I opened it.
I am not at my workstation until tomorrow, so I'll give this one a try then. Thank you!

[NNois]

It didn't show me that option, when I opened it.
I am not at my workstation until tomorrow, so I'll give this one a try then. Thank you!

In the compound who generate point positions along curves (pointcloud), there is a switch to generate point by ratio(distance) or just fixed, this is what you are looking for

[gitarrenvogel]

Oh, I'm sorry. I don't understand, how I could oversee that yesterday. Sorry, but anyway the second compound seems to be way faster, so thank you, again - you helped me a lot!

[gitarrenvogel]

Hey, so I have another question. Do you know a way, to change this compound, so I can use two curves and linear interpolate the particles from one to the other? I accomplished this with the second "simple" compound you gave me, by duplicating everything inside and put a 02 onto all of the custom attributes but this compound doesn't match all the rotations. And your other compound, which does that, is too complex for me to do the same simple "trick".
Cheers, Lukas

[NNois]

you can double your point clouds one for the first and one for the second.
Then on a third point cloud you linear interpolate the position.

Sorry I can't build a demo tree now but the basic route would be:

PtCloud1->pointposition->buildarrayfromset
------------------------------------------>linear interpolate ->add point
PtCloud2->pointposition->buildarrayfromset

For the Orientation/Size/etc do the same but with a "select in array" from the particle ID then set the orientation/size/etc

[gitarrenvogel]

Yeah, I already thought about that, but I thought it's not the best thing, performance-wise, to use three pointclouds for what can probably be achieved by one but I'll give it a try.
But thanks you, that you're always willing to help me out

[NNois]

I'm not an ice expert but if you want to blend between two positions you need the two positions to be computed.
The "simple" compound isn't designed to be duplicated so yes you can have some serious problems with it. the "complex compound" can do it by hacking it but i think it's performance wise equivalent to having 3 point cloud

[gitarrenvogel]

Ok, thanks!