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Script or addon that creates Section Planes

ee_hee269ee_hee269 Posts: 17
in Daz Studio Discussion

Does anyone know if there is a script or product that will completely surround an object with a cube or rectangle of section planes? Adjustments of the planes would be necessary as some things or characters are taller/shorter. Right now I'm using Camera Doctor's Cutaway to accomplish this but it isn't as clean as I'd like it and I've not dug my hands into how to make something like this myself just yet but maybe in the future if nothing pops up.

Comments

  • GordigGordig Posts: 10,049

    Camera Doctor is the only product I know of that does this, so if that's not doing what you want, I don't know what to suggest.

  • nemesis10nemesis10 Posts: 3,417

    One product that has a full box shape of section planes and a parented camera too if you need one is https://www.daz3d.com/iray-stand-kit

  • leemoon_c43b45a114leemoon_c43b45a114 Posts: 866
    edited February 2023

    I've just now tried section planes for the first time.  And they work great. :)

    The test scene I created was comprised of the following:

    1 Null object (from the Create menu)

    5 plane primitive objects (1 meter square) arranged to form an open faced cube (box) with the open side facing the camera (from the Create menu)

    5 Iray Section Plane Nodes aligned with each side of the open faced cube - with the y-axis of each section plane pointing out/away from the inside of the cube (from the Create menu.)  I also set each section plane's opacity to zero.

    I parented the 5 planes and 5 section planes to the null object.  This makes moving and scaling the section planes and cube easy by translating/scaling the null object instead of the individual parts.

    I then translated each section plane slightly outwards from each side of the cube (to keep the cube just inside the section planes enclosure.  In other words, I want to see the cube/box sides in Iray.  This can be helpful when scaling the entire setup - you can see the visibile box to give an idea of where Iray clipping will occur.  When time to render, I turn off visibility of each of the box/cube planes so only what's inside the box will render (without seeing the surrounding box.)

    Saved the whole thing as a scene subset for loading into existing scenes.

    Yep, it's probably overkill, but I was just testing how section planes work and wanted a visible clue of where the Iray rendering boundaries would be.  You could omit the "visible" planes that make up the cube and just set up the section planes as a cube and parent those to the null object.  Make sure the section planes point outward (away from the center of the cube).  Then have fun moving/scaling/rotating the null object within a scene.

    It only took a couple of minutes to set that up.

    Not sure if that's the general idea of what you're looking for.  If it seems to be, I can attach the scene subset for you to try.  If not, no worries.  Your question gave me a chance to try something new in DAZ Studio!  Thanks for the inspiration!!

    Lee

     

    Post edited by leemoon_c43b45a114 on
  • crosswindcrosswind Posts: 6,926

    leemoon_c43b45a114 said:

    I've just now tried section planes for the first time.  And they work great. :)

    The test scene I created was comprised of the following:

    1 Null object (from the Create menu)

    5 plane primitive objects (1 meter square) arranged to form an open faced cube (box) with the open side facing the camera (from the Create menu)

    5 Iray Section Plane Nodes aligned with each side of the open faced cube - with the y-axis of each section plane pointing out/away from the inside of the cube (from the Create menu.)  I also set each section plane's opacity to zero.

    I parented the 5 planes and 5 section planes to the null object.  This makes moving and scaling the section planes and cube easy by translating/scaling the null object instead of the individual parts.

    I then translated each section plane slightly outwards from each side of the cube (to keep the cube just inside the section planes enclosure.  In other words, I want to see the cube/box sides in Iray.  This can be helpful when scaling the entire setup - you can see the visibile box to give an idea of where Iray clipping will occur.  When time to render, I turn off visibility of each of the box/cube planes so only what's inside the box will render (without seeing the surrounding box.)

    Saved the whole thing as a scene subset for loading into existing scenes.

    Yep, it's probably overkill, but I was just testing how section planes work and wanted a visible clue of where the Iray rendering boundaries would be.  You could omit the "visible" planes that make up the cube and just set up the section planes as a cube and parent those to the null object.  Make sure the section planes point outward (away from the center of the cube).  Then have fun moving/scaling/rotating the null object within a scene.

    It only took a couple of minutes to set that up.

    Not sure if that's the general idea of what you're looking for.  If it seems to be, I can attach the scene subset for you to try.  If not, no worries.  Your question gave me a chance to try something new in DAZ Studio!  Thanks for the inspiration!!

    Lee

     

    Nice practice!

  • ee_hee269ee_hee269 Posts: 17

    leemoon_c43b45a114 said:

    I've just now tried section planes for the first time.  And they work great. :)

    The test scene I created was comprised of the following:

    1 Null object (from the Create menu)

    5 plane primitive objects (1 meter square) arranged to form an open faced cube (box) with the open side facing the camera (from the Create menu)

    5 Iray Section Plane Nodes aligned with each side of the open faced cube - with the y-axis of each section plane pointing out/away from the inside of the cube (from the Create menu.)  I also set each section plane's opacity to zero.

    I parented the 5 planes and 5 section planes to the null object.  This makes moving and scaling the section planes and cube easy by translating/scaling the null object instead of the individual parts.

    I then translated each section plane slightly outwards from each side of the cube (to keep the cube just inside the section planes enclosure.  In other words, I want to see the cube/box sides in Iray.  This can be helpful when scaling the entire setup - you can see the visibile box to give an idea of where Iray clipping will occur.  When time to render, I turn off visibility of each of the box/cube planes so only what's inside the box will render (without seeing the surrounding box.)

    Saved the whole thing as a scene subset for loading into existing scenes.

    Yep, it's probably overkill, but I was just testing how section planes work and wanted a visible clue of where the Iray rendering boundaries would be.  You could omit the "visible" planes that make up the cube and just set up the section planes as a cube and parent those to the null object.  Make sure the section planes point outward (away from the center of the cube).  Then have fun moving/scaling/rotating the null object within a scene.

    It only took a couple of minutes to set that up.

    Not sure if that's the general idea of what you're looking for.  If it seems to be, I can attach the scene subset for you to try.  If not, no worries.  Your question gave me a chance to try something new in DAZ Studio!  Thanks for the inspiration!!

    Lee

    @Nemesis10 - that is almost what I was looking for.

    @ leemoon - This is basically what I was aiming for when I posted this. Thank you so much. I can follow this easy and create a preset following what you outlined exactly. Much appreciated! I had basically already created a preset from Camera Doctor after I posted and realized how absolutely easy it would be and your instructions made it that much easier.

     

    Thank you to everyone who replied! Super helpful.

  • ee_hee269ee_hee269 Posts: 17
    edited February 2023

    I should expand a little on what the full intent was because it wasn't just to use the camera that is also isolating the object using section planes. And I'll explain in case someone else might find it useful or help their workflow. I am using a 2 punch method to isolate several objects within a scene. In this specific case characters. So example:

    1. Create the overall scene

    2. Populate scene with objects, characters, etc.

    3. Create primary camera where I want it. This will be what the final render uses.

    4. Import the isolating cube preset as discussed in this thread. Fit or parent this to the object or objects I want isolated.

    • 4a. Render isolated objects separately (isolating cubes ON), using only the Primary camera. If there is more than 1 object I want isolated, I'll save individual scene versions of just them being isolated 1 at a time.

    5. Hide all isolated objects from scene. Including the isolating boxes themselves. Render Primary camera

    6. Recombine elements using image software with layers (Photoshop, studio paint, GIMP, etc)

    The reason for this process to me is to reduce render time at large by isolating objects or characters specifically that when combined with other elements, can compound and increase render time as a result of calculations for everything at once. It also solves the issue of missing shadows of those objects once I recombine their elements within image software using layers of those objects cut from the same cloth of the overall image. Which (the shadows) are something several others expressed in different threads I perused on the internet wanting to retain during certain workflows to accomplish the same thing as I wanted to. Longer shadow just means I move a section plane further from the object.

     

    7. I am also combing this entire process with ManFriday's Render Queue (who recently released an updated version I've yet to purchase - Render Queue 3 )

     

    So overall I've just added a final element to my workflow when I am finishing a scene to now import those isolating boxes. Easy-peasy. Hope the step-by-step of leemoon_c43b45a114 and myself make it easier for others! Just thought I'd share.

    Post edited by ee_hee269 on
  • leemoon_c43b45a114leemoon_c43b45a114 Posts: 866

    Excellent! I'm so glad you have a working solution, ee_hee269. :)

    Lee

     

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