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Author Topic: Using helpers instead of geometry  (Read 1873 times)

JQ4668

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Using helpers instead of geometry
« on: July 01, 2015, 01:34:32 PM »
Hey.
I got alot of help once with making a railclone script for some cable stays for a bridge.
I'm trying to rework the script to make it more customizable and alot easier for ppl who really dont know railclone.
So i'm thinking.... is it possible to use a helper object instead of geometry. So that you can place a helper in the default slot? And are you able to divide the railclone object into multiple objects? or somehow acces the boxes/helpers individually
i'll link a really simple scene so you can see what i've done so far and what i would like it to look like.

If you don't uderstand what i mean then please tell me and i'll try to ask the same question in another way

Thanks in advance
Kasper

Paul Roberts

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Re: Using helpers instead of geometry
« Reply #1 on: July 01, 2015, 03:40:36 PM »
Hi Kasper,

I'm afraid that only geometry objects are currently supported. You can however break a RailClone object into its individual components using RailClone tools which might be useful if you wanted to use them with another script to create the cables.  You can read more about this utility in our help documentation here.

I've also tried another approach which is to parametrise the path itself using standard modifiers. This could then be used as the source for a RailClone object. This approach is to use a single spline for the deck, then add a mirror modifier at a 45 degree angle to create the vertical spline (or you could create these manually if they need to be of different lengths). You can then add a Normalise Spline modifier to create the number of divisions and a Cross Section modifier to create the splines between the horizontal and vertical splines. Finally to delete the original horizontal and vertical splines, add a Select Spline modifier and pick them and finally a Delete Spline modifier to remove them.

The nice thing about this is that it's also full parametric, you can change the splines and divisions at any point. My modifier stack looks like this:





I've attached an example file for you to check out. Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Many thanks,

Paul

Paul Roberts
iToo Software

Klonsemann

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Re: Using helpers instead of geometry
« Reply #2 on: July 09, 2015, 08:51:38 PM »
Just read some threads and found that nice build.

Always remember that u can have references of objects. And have different modifierstacks on them if u have multiple objects referencing the same base.
I referenced the base spline object and XForm-Linked the vertices to some helpers.
Then applying the orgininal modifier stack and u can have a lot of fun with it.

Paul Roberts

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Re: Using helpers instead of geometry
« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2015, 11:11:40 PM »
Thanks for the tip, very nice!  :)
Paul Roberts
iToo Software