mcjTransport, model/animate spline based tubes - Version 1 is out !!

mCasualmCasual Posts: 4,607
edited September 2012 in Freebies

Download page and manual --> https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts2/mcjtransport

using this script you'll be able to create curvy tubes in 3d space, right here in Daz Studio

the method is similar to mcjRibbons https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts/mcjribbons

( which, by the way, lets you model an infinity of things )

but makes use of something called "parallel transport" described here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_transport

you'll be able to create and adjust "control points"

based on those points, the smooth tube will be created by the script ( this takes only 1 or 2 second )

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version history
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sept 24 9 pm Version for DS1 and DS2
sept 24 early morn. Version 3 limited the maximum segments to 4096 to prevent accidents
sept 23 9:15pm Version 2
sept 23 9pm Version 1

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Post edited by mCasual on
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Comments

  • mCasualmCasual Posts: 4,607
    edited December 1969

    spiraling cord

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  • JimmyC_2009JimmyC_2009 Posts: 8,891
    edited December 1969

    This looks super, great for so many things. Coming soon I hope :)

  • mCasualmCasual Posts: 4,607
    edited December 1969

    This looks super, great for so many things. Coming soon I hope :)

    possibly tomorrow !

    but if you read this tomorrow, then it's possibly today

    it could be yesterday!

    ok lets say, possibly saturday september 8th

    maybe 1day later if it's for the good cause of increased ease of use :)

  • SimonJMSimonJM Posts: 5,980
    edited December 1969

    Wow - that is damned impressive!

    By the way, your Jump script is brilliant in DS4.5 when a Geometry Shell is created for a prop the shell has (for me, thus far) appeared offset from the original item - a quick firing up of your script sorts it all out :)

  • JimmyC_2009JimmyC_2009 Posts: 8,891
    edited December 1969

    Thanks for replying. I think we can all manage to wait a little while longer. I really like the 60s telephone cable, that would be a nightmare to model properly.

  • mCasualmCasual Posts: 4,607
    edited December 1969

    well i updated the hpatch/hblock figures ( https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts2/hpatchc-and-hblockc ) so, the tube maker thingie isnt ready .. but, yeah the s word . . . soon :)

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  • mCasualmCasual Posts: 4,607
    edited December 1969

    well today too i didnt have much time to put on the tube thing

    though i did advance a bit

    still there's a 'flippin angle" issue to fix

    i'd say it will be ready this week :)

    the silver lining is, i get to make new images that will decorate the web-page for this script

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  • JimmyC_2009JimmyC_2009 Posts: 8,891
    edited December 1969

    Nice work, looks like it will be a lot of fun. Thanks for the hard work.

  • mCasualmCasual Posts: 4,607
    edited December 1969

    Nice work, looks like it will be a lot of fun. Thanks for the hard work.

    the moment i fix the kink ( seems to be a problem with angles near 180° ) ... i think i'll publish the script as-is.

    later i'll see if this can be used to make trees

    gigantic render :)

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  • JimmyC_2009JimmyC_2009 Posts: 8,891
    edited December 1969

    A very big render, but IE9 doesn't give me any scroll bars, so I can't see it all. At least the forum software can handle large images now.

  • MattymanxMattymanx Posts: 6,902
    edited December 1969

    Impressive work!

  • GreymomGreymom Posts: 1,110
    edited December 1969

    WOW! This is going to be very useful - I can think of a lot of applications!

    Thanks!

  • mCasualmCasual Posts: 4,607
    edited December 1969

    Good news. Ther is no "flippin angle" issue to fix, the script was just doing what it was told.

    so, in the image below, you can see how it works.

    using a script named mcjZeroTubeMaker, i created a 6 sides by 64 segments tube
    that tube is initially so deflated that it's invisible ( hence the name zeroTube )
    on the ground, i placed a photo of a real-life paperclip (a textured primitive plane )
    i switched to the top-view camera
    then i animated the sphere held by Amy (Aiko3)
    the animation starts at frame 0 and ends at frame 64 (since our ZeroTube has 64 segments)
    the red dots on the photo correspond to the animated sphere's keyframes
    at frames 0, 3, 6, 9 ....... 63, 64
    then i executed the mcjTransport script
    and the zeroTube was inflated and bent to become the paperclip !

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  • ThatGuyThatGuy Posts: 794
    edited December 1969

    hmmm...I've always been partial to green paperclips. This script should be very handy. Thanks for creating it. I can't wait to put it to use.

  • Tempest!Tempest! Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    REALLY looking forward to this. The script is going to have so many uses.

    Will the script support texturing (UV mapping)? One of the images is showing the checker pattern but that could be a Procedural or a Cycles shader...

  • mCasualmCasual Posts: 4,607
    edited September 2012

    Tempest! said:
    REALLY looking forward to this. The script is going to have so many uses.

    Will the script support texturing (UV mapping)? One of the images is showing the checker pattern but that could be a Procedural or a Cycles shader...

    yes there is a UV map,
    shown below is the texturing template for a 5 sides by 64 segments tube

    note that all this is doable (since 2010) using mcjRibbons https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts/mcjribbons

    the difference is that the new script is that you'll just have
    to create the path, and the script will take care of keeping the "tube" non-kinked

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    Post edited by mCasual on
  • Tempest!Tempest! Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Casual said:

    yes there is a UV map,
    shown below is the texturing template for a 5 sides by 64 segments tube

    note that all this is doable (since 2010) using mcjRibbons https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts/mcjribbons

    the difference is that the new script is that you'll just have
    to create the path, and the script will take care of keeping the "tube" non-kinked


    UV maps make me happy :cheese: I remember checking mcjRibbons out when it came out but the "Usage" bit on on the page was (and still kinda is) bit too intimidating to give it a whirl...

    I did somewhat recently "rediscover" your mcjWarp (my old rig couldn't really handle it well enough). It turns out to be really handy for "fitting" dynamic clothing before draping them - especially since you don't need clean looking morphs for that purpose.

  • mCasualmCasual Posts: 4,607
    edited December 1969

    well mcjWarp intimidates me ! :)

    next time i get back to it i may add an UnDo, that's the main missing element to make it less stressful to use :)

    ----

    acid test of the upcoming script, a marching band French horn

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  • mCasualmCasual Posts: 4,607
    edited December 1969

    Amy touting mcjTransport's horn

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  • JimmyC_2009JimmyC_2009 Posts: 8,891
    edited December 1969

    It is KEWL! You could make a whole Brass Section.

  • mCasualmCasual Posts: 4,607
    edited December 1969

    It is KEWL! You could make a whole Brass Section.

    actually i was hoping that you would make the rest of the brass section

    kidding kidding

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  • JimmyC_2009JimmyC_2009 Posts: 8,891
    edited December 1969

    I really should have said 'one' could make a whole brass section, but you never know, I might surprise everyone :)

  • mCasualmCasual Posts: 4,607
    edited September 2012

    see, one of the advantages of mcjTransport over mcjRibbons, is that the script takes care of making sure the tube doesn't get twisted, which would result in a strangulated tube.

    but mcjRibbons has the advantage that you can specify and modulate the shape of the section of the tube
    whereas mcjTransport, for now, can only make tubes with circular sections

    but maybe i'll devise a mcjTransport-to-mcjRibbons conversion button

    and vice-versa

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  • JimmyC_2009JimmyC_2009 Posts: 8,891
    edited December 1969

    It looks like a really nice clean mesh too.

  • mCasualmCasual Posts: 4,607
    edited September 2012

    still not quite ready

    there's bizarre things happening near the control points

    i compensate by tweaking my control points

    but that's not what we want, we want the control points to be masters of the tubeverse


    --

    if the tube's interior was a pure mirror, i don't think we'd see darkness
    else it would mean that some rays are trapped in the tube, which i doubt is possible


    ... though, after googling it, it's interesting to see that "trapping light" is a very active research field
    and in recent years graphene seems to be a gamechanger

    and read about opalescence

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  • skipper25skipper25 Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Absolutely amazing. I can't think of a more general-purpose tool, or one that we have needed for so long.

  • mCasualmCasual Posts: 4,607
    edited September 2012

    as some know, this summer i posted the mcjSuperLathe script, which, among other things, lets you create curves using your mouse

    well mcjTransport will be able to load those curves and use them as the tube profile

    you could use this to make complicated stair handrails

    in the image below, i was making a 300-ohm twin lead for VHF/FM antennas

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  • Mustakettu85Mustakettu85 Posts: 2,933
    edited December 1969

    You sir are genius, and an incredibly generous genius too *patiently waiting for the script to be released*

  • mCasualmCasual Posts: 4,607
    edited September 2012

    the last touch

    image 2 : you can see the texture can get slightly stretched or compressed,

    that's the last function i'll add to the script

    meaning the release is nigh

    image 3 : (posted 10 minutes later) shows that it works !

    image 1 to do now, fix the UV Map, laterally

    image 4 shows the lateral UV spacing after the fix

    i'd say tomorrow, is the likely release date

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  • mCasualmCasual Posts: 4,607
    edited September 2012

    Fig 1 : after fixing the UVs to remove stretching, the script will suggest tiling for 1:1 ratio texturing

    Fig 3 : the script can weld the ends of the tube together
    the texture defect is being investigated as we speak
    oops think i got it, i was trying to stretch a 128 segments tube on a 32 segments path

    fig 4. tube-ends-welding functionality completed

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