Itoo Software Forum

RailClone => RailClone Pro (*) => Topic started by: SnipeyX on December 03, 2015, 06:24:23 PM

Title: Generate on Surface - Standing Seam?
Post by: SnipeyX on December 03, 2015, 06:24:23 PM
First off - I'll admit that I haven't gone through all of the tutorials, so if there's something I need to see there with regard to this question, feel free to just point me that way. I've been a casual user of RailClone for a while now, but pretty much getting by at only using the basics, haven't really built my own. I think I'm struggling understanding how some of the operators really work. What I would like to do is a way to generate patterns on a geometry surface, without guide splines preferably. Specifically what I'm after is a way to take a model and generate "standing seams" on it, that match the orientation of that surface, and aren't generated outside the geometry shape. So, align with angled roofs and walls of buildings with door holes cutout. Like attached image.

I'm experimenting with trying to do it via ForestPro UV surface modes instead, not sure if that is better or not, or just different. I can kind of get it to work there by making the forest obj source geometry be a short box that is then tiled vertically. Issues there would be getting the tile to be just right so it doesn't overlap and get coplanar faces, and the spacing being UV based makes it harder to specify exact spacing dimensions, so that's why I was thinking maybe RailClone would be a better option, allowing to specify padding, maybe scale a single box to the proper width instead of having hundreds for a single line, etc.

Appreciate any guidance!
Title: Re: Generate on Surface - Standing Seam?
Post by: Paul Roberts on December 03, 2015, 06:56:24 PM
Hi,

I'm afraid would difficult to do automatically with RailClone because its arrays are generated using splines not surfaces. The answer would be to use clipping splines but you'd need a closed spline and a seperate RC object for each face. You might find the Clipping Splines (http://docs.itoosoft.com/display/RAILCLONE/6+-+How+to+use+Clipping+Splines) chapter from the Next Steps with RailClone guide (http://docs.itoosoft.com/display/RAILCLONE/Next+Steps+with+RailClone) useful and there was also this similar question recently on the forum  (http://forum.itoosoft.com/index.php?topic=3299.0)that might be handy.

Many thanks,

Paul
Title: Re: Generate on Surface - Standing Seam?
Post by: SnipeyX on December 03, 2015, 07:04:37 PM
Thanks, that's kind of what I figured. I had seen the clipping splines method and had the exact same thought as the person in that other thread, 'seems complicated to do for every face!' However, on the surface (pun!) it seems like something that could likely be scripted with MaxScript to automate across lots of objects/faces, maybe generate the clipping spline automatically based on 'visible edges' of the source polygon, etc. Hmmmmm, I might investigate further if I get a chance and will post back. Thank you!
Title: Re: Generate on Surface - Standing Seam?
Post by: NP2889 on December 04, 2015, 09:42:17 AM
Well,

i think this could be something very nice for a futur RC releas..   as for in example   parametric array,   where you can use uv  mapping coordinates to pannel a surface. 

so a uv input comparable to the clippinspline maybe cound do th trick, if mapping coordinats are set up right..   also, this could give a way to array objetcs directly on uneven surfaces like nurbs or bzier patches or mapped polys or meshes that for example can be turned down or up or what ever.. 

would be a very   :)
Title: Re: Generate on Surface - Standing Seam?
Post by: Bobby Parker on August 20, 2019, 05:31:06 PM
Has this ever been worked out? I do standing seam roofs often and there isn't an easy solution
Title: Re: Generate on Surface - Standing Seam?
Post by: Rokas on August 21, 2019, 08:48:21 AM
Standard way is to create separate RC objects for each of the planes and manually adjust offset to Your liking, as in answer in second post in this thread.