mcjPathTube script - create tubes that follow a node's path D|S 1/2/3/4+

mCasual

right over here: https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts5/mcjpathtube

WARNING : In very rare circumstances this script may produce a corrupt .obj file
and when Daz Studio will attempt to load that file IT WILL CRASH,
so save your work before using this script

usually when i want to visualize a path in daz studio i use the mcjTracePath script and the mcjTracer plugin

when i want to make sinuous tubes i use mcjRibbons or mcjTransport

there's a few other of my scripts which let you create/fashion tubes

notably https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts3/mcjbuildera

this script here lets you make a simple tube from a node path

( simple but very well UV mapped )

you select a node

set the Daz studio Timeline playrange to the start and end of your moving node's trip

set the number of sides for your tube

press a button and bam a sinuous tube that precisely follows your node's path appears

caveat is that, unless i fix the maths, this only works well for moderately horizontal paths
( because the transport frame relies on the (0,1,0) vector and the node-movement vector

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to be on the safe side i'll probably add a normals-inversion and UV-U mirror option

oh and why not both UV-U and UV-V

mCasual

four sided tubes by default would give diamond shapes,

i'll add one more option ! a "Twist" setting allowable values -180 to 180

Fig2, see we get something which could be the walls of a tunnel

mCasual

Ready !

right over here: https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts5/mcjpathtube

WARNING : In very rare circumstances this script may produce a corrupt .obj file
and when Daz Studio will attempt to load that file IT WILL CRASH,
so save your work before using this script

note: if you downloaded the script in the 5 minutes following its release
you must re-download it, there was a sort of bug that will prevent it from working
( i was using the variable ' i' which didn't exist anymore after i quit the program, and wont exist for you either ! )

the version for DS1 and DS2 was inserted in zip package V3

mCasual

today i'll post a version that tube-traces all the selected nodes, not just 1

what you see here is 1 object built by selecting 32 animated null nodes and clicking on the do-it button!

note that due to the excellent ! UV texture layout, making special effects with the resulting props is easy

( also, each tube will have it's own material )

the playrange was 30 frames long

the tubes are 5-sided

resulting in a 4800 Quad-facets mesh

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someday i'll look into the vertical tubes issue
but there's the other scripts i mentioned earlier for those cases

mCasual

New Version ! now supports more than 1 selected path-node

and each path-tube has its own material

https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts5/mcjpathtube

i also included the little script to animate 32 null nodes along splash curves

mCasual

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE 

https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts5/mcjpathtube

this new version loads the tube without requiring you to change the import scale ( 100% )

so that saves you 6% annoyment !!!

 

mCasual

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE 

mcjPathTube was updated. if you can animate a node in Daz Studio, you can create tubes of any shape and size https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts5/mcjpathtube …

Seven193

Thanks!

In DS, I can Create -> New Primitive and add some keyframes for a box or sphere.  However, I can't find a way to edit the keyframe's interpolation type  on the DS timeline.  I'm forced to use some annoying bezier curve type, so the path doesn't follow the keyframes the way I want, like as straight as possible.

Syrus_Dante

There is another script to do that SetInterpolation.

And a plugin to see and edit the animation curves mcjSceneGraf for DS4.5.

Ofcourse you can also purchase graphMate by Daz 3D that does both.

Seven193

Thanks, those are life-savers!