Itoo Software Forum

RailClone => RailClone Pro (*) => Topic started by: MF1030 on October 25, 2017, 06:36:57 PM

Title: Staggered wall with random materials
Post by: MF1030 on October 25, 2017, 06:36:57 PM
Hello

I would like to create a staggered brick/stone/panel wall with random materials and railclone.
The base object is the same all the time. I have a node chart that works almost perfectly.
I pick the base object, change randomly the material, then shift and compose and use this as default

It works perfectly but I have issues on the left or the right depending on the sign of the shift

I tried to add the shifted object to the right input of the array2s but I have to adjust manually the shift for each spline

Please find a screenshot and the max file attached

Does someone have a suggestion ?

Thank you very much

Brice
Title: Re: Staggered wall with random materials
Post by: Paul Roberts on October 25, 2017, 08:21:49 PM
Hi,

Thanks for the question.

Please take a look at the attached files which uses a slightly different technique. In the Left input I have a tile that uses an incremental negative padding value to offset each row. This was created using an expression, which has the benefit of allowing you to change the number of offset steps should you wish to. Padding also does not suffer from the same problem as translating each row, so the right side is correctly sliced.
(https://i.imgur.com/D2sYVBj.png)

I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any further questions.

Many Thanks,

Paul
Title: Re: Staggered wall with random materials
Post by: MF1030 on October 25, 2017, 09:16:39 PM
Hi Paul,

I think we are very close, if I understand your expression well, the shifts will be (for 5 shifts for example) 0, -20%, -40%, -60%, -80%.

Can you help me modifying the expression if I want shifts like 0, -10%, -30%, -36.5%, -72% ie, arbitrary shifts

Ie, I would like to chose the input for the shift depending on the mod(segmentYcounter,numberofshifts)

Thank you
Title: Re: Staggered wall with random materials
Post by: Paul Roberts on October 26, 2017, 07:04:23 PM
Hi,

If you want arbitrary values then it's probably easier to just use a Sequence operator set to Increment on Y. You can then wire in transform operators with the required negative padding values to get whatever effects you need! Check out the attached file for a demo.

I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any further questions.

Many Thanks,

Paul
Title: Re: Staggered wall with random materials
Post by: MF1030 on October 26, 2017, 08:37:40 PM
This is working perfectly,

Thank you !
Title: Re: Staggered wall with random materials
Post by: MF1030 on December 15, 2017, 06:26:41 PM
Hello

Sometime, generally after moving the spline some of the sliced mesh disappear. I tried to refresh the source but it is not working.
The one that disappear are not always predictable but always at the edges.

Do you have ideas on why this happens and how to fix it ?

I attach the result and the graph, I use the padding technique to have different shifts on the different rows.

Thank you

Title: Re: Staggered wall with random materials
Post by: Paul Roberts on January 12, 2018, 01:43:49 PM
Hi,

Thanks for the question. Please excuse the delay in replying.

This is probably because the padding is causing the segments to cross the boundary spline and they are getting clipped. Any clipped geometry (or bent) is no longer instanced as it is now a unique mesh.

There's no way around this fact I'm afraid. the only solution is to use different sized bricks for the first segment instead of shifting them using padding. In that way you can prevent slicing and maintain instancing.

I hope that helps and all the best,

Paul
Title: Re: Staggered wall with random materials
Post by: MF1030 on January 12, 2018, 07:24:50 PM
Hello

Maybe I was not clear, if you look the image above, the vertical period is 5 courses and the meshes missing are not periodic, they are a few ones close to the bottom left corner

I have tried to illustrate the situation on a simple example below

OK shift 2OK shift 2OK shift 2OK shift 2OK shift 2
OK shift 1OK shift 1OK shift 1OK shift 1OK shift 1
MISSING shift 2OK shift 2OK shift 2OK shift 2OK shift 2
OK shift 1OK shift 1OK shift 1OK shift 1OK shift 1

Also, I have other railclone objects in the same scene with the same structure that do not show issues and I don't find why this particular one is not working.

Could it be related to where the pivot is ? How do RailClone decides that a sliced object is out of the spline thus do not build it ?

Brice

Title: Re: Staggered wall with random materials
Post by: Paul Roberts on January 15, 2018, 12:52:11 PM
Hi,

My apologies, I misunderstood the issue. Sometime these issues are related to the spline itself. RailClone uses Max's built in boolean operations via its SDK and as we know, Max's boolean is not perfect. In the past I've been able to fix this by clearing the Spline and reselecting it, or somtimes deleting an isolated vertex in the spline can do the trick. If you can upload the problematic object I'd be happy to take a look at it. If you prefer not to upload it here, please feel free to send it to helpdesk@itoosoft.com.

Many thanks,

Paul
Title: Re: Staggered wall with random materials
Post by: MF1030 on January 22, 2018, 08:11:28 PM
Hello Paul

Problem Solved !

Thank you for the hint, I added the pro optimize modifier on the mesh to clean it up and it works.

Unfortunately I cannot upload the project here but it does come from a STP import in 3Ds Max.

Brice
Title: Re: Staggered wall with random materials
Post by: JI5496 on May 29, 2018, 02:24:54 PM
Hi,

If you want arbitrary values then it's probably easier to just use a Sequence operator set to Increment on Y. You can then wire in transform operators with the required negative padding values to get whatever effects you need! Check out the attached file for a demo.

I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any further questions.

Many Thanks,

Paul

i hope it's ok if I dont start a new topic.

I want exactly that, arbitrary values, but I dont want to wire 50 transform operators into a sequence.
is there an easier solution? I can't seem to find it.
Title: Re: Staggered wall with random materials
Post by: Rokas on May 29, 2018, 03:19:32 PM
You can simply add Your padding values and expand clipping area.
Title: Re: Staggered wall with random materials
Post by: JI5496 on May 29, 2018, 03:59:11 PM
thank you!
I am still having problems though. please see the attached file.

I want to use a shift of 20cm for each row. With padding I can't seem to make it work, only translate but expand doenst seem to work then - im guessing its because of the translation.
If i use padding now for the shift and then later want each tile to have padding on all 4 sides (2cm) how do I do that?



Title: Re: Staggered wall with random materials
Post by: Rokas on May 29, 2018, 05:14:13 PM
I modified Your scene with some expressions:
(https://i.imgur.com/FgTnP5T.jpg)
Title: Re: Staggered wall with random materials
Post by: JI5496 on May 29, 2018, 05:28:17 PM
okay, no chance i could have figured that out!
thanks for your effort! much appreciated!
Title: Re: Staggered wall with random materials
Post by: Rokas on May 29, 2018, 05:41:58 PM
Practice makes perfect and we are more than happy to help You.