New curve extrude plugin

[kim aldis]

A new, feature rich plugin for XSI, extrudes curves along curves

Features:
Free!
Fcurve driven rotate, scale and translate of profile curves as they’re swept along a rail curve.
Auto generation of UV coordinates.
Capping of extrude ends.
Correct mitring at rail curve corners giving better results for architectural and manufactured profiles.
Blending of multiple profile curves along rail curve.
Replace, add or delete and remove order of profile curves at any time.
No flipping at points of inflection on the rail curve. A point of inflection is a point on a curve where the centre of curvature transitions from one side of a curve to the other. Points of inflection are notorious for causing sweeps to flip. The method used to calculate curve normals doesn’t allow flipping at these points.
New segment interpolation method, close to regular spacing while ensuring there’s always a segment at all knot points. Because there’s always a segment at a knot point, on both rail and profile curves, sharp corners are never missed and detail isn’t lost in the resulting mesh.Download at www.kim-aldis.co.uk (http://www.kim-aldis.co.uk)

Enjoy

[Adrian Lazar]

Thank you Kim, extremely useful!

[kim aldis]

forgot to mention, it's time-bombed to quit working on April 1st because it's still in testing. I'll have an updated version which may have some changes, depending on what kind of feedback I get from this first release.

[Serguei]

Really cool stuff, thanks a lot Kim!

[Heinerich]

Kim, do you have a 64bit version in the making?

[dbachmann]

very good. thank you a lot for the effort you put in it and for the free release.

[Squid]

The mitring looks very snazzy.

releasing it for free is fantastic news too.

:)

[jamination]

Kim,

I had this installed when you first introduced it last year sometime. I uninstalled it and reinstalled the new version, However, I get the a message that it needs to be registered.

BTW if you were thinking about a donation page, I would certainly contribute.

Phil

[Delirium]

Hey Kim. That's yet another proper cool tool you made.
Why don't you make a set of tools like polyboost and merchendise it? Great functionality and great execution.
I am pretty positive you'll find customers.

[Macphisto]

I wish a sweep like I used in 3ds Max... and finally it's here!!

Thanks!!! If someone say "XSI is not good for ArchVIZ", now with this don't have excuse for came in this beautiful family :)

[Leo]

Thanks Kim, for yet another great tool!

[wailingmonkey]

the first feature is the clincher! ;)

Thanks for sharing your hard work, Kim. :)

*edit* out of curiosity, what codec should I have to view the video example?
(I only get the sound and the first frame)

[Steve_C]

I wish I had enough knowledge to create plugins.
Great idea for a plugin. I have seen similar stuff for maya.
Keep up the nice work.


:D

[kim aldis]

Kim, do you have a 64bit version in the making?

My 64 bit install is still relatively new and I'm still making adjustments but I'll be looking at a 64 bit compile when I'm happy it's stable.

[kim aldis]

Kim,

I had this installed when you first introduced it last year sometime. I uninstalled it and reinstalled the new version, However, I get the a message that it needs to be registered.

BTW if you were thinking about a donation page, I would certainly contribute.

Phil

Are you sure you've fully un-installed the old version Phil? I've checked it on my system which also had the old version and it seems OK.

[Macphisto]

The profile curve works only if this is on the center of the scene? Making a extrusion and move the profile curve cause problems, some triks about?

Thanks

[kim aldis]

By design. you can offset the extrude from the curve. It also reacts to scale and rotation.

[Macphisto]

OK

Another question... I've tried to make a simple railing, a linear curve for rail and a square for the profile (see the image). Don't work... trying with all the interpolation type and with U set to 1 the extrusion goes from point 1 to 3, with the U set to 2 is like the image, with U to 3 goes from point 1 to 2... upper value cause the vanishing of the extrusion :(

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/3949/tinycurveds9.png

[kim aldis]

there seems to be a problem with linear curves. Use non-linear NURBS with Bezier handles and it'l be fine.

If you haven't already, be careful about the number of points in your square - see note in documentation about step length and distance between knots.

[Macphisto]

Ok thank... I've raised the degree of linear to 3 and work fine :)

Is not easy work with the profile in the origin, but I've bypass this with a cloning :)

Thanks... now it's very simple making a profiled frame :)

[kim aldis]

Is not easy work with the profile in the origin, but I've bypass this with a cloning :)



the advantages far outweigh any disadvantage :-)

I think, but I've not checked, that if you parent it to a null it'll take the local transform.

[Macphisto]

Mmm... OK I try later, for the moment work with the clone it's easy :)

[ebbmeister]

Thanks a lot, Kim. Really useful!

Phil

[Toonafish]

Unfortunately it no longer works, will there be an update ?

Thanks.

[kim aldis]

Try this link. It should work for 64 bit now and I've combined a bunch of stuff into one addon. Let me know how you get on:

http://kim-aldis.co.uk/drupal-6.1/node/40

[jamination]

I don't know if it is worth your time, but if you set up a donation page I would contribute.
It really is a nice set of tools, worthy of compensation.

Phil

[kim aldis]

I don't know if it is worth your time, but if you set up a donation page I would contribute.
It really is a nice set of tools, worthy of compensation.
Phil

very kind of you Phil but I had a hard enough time getting the rest of them to pay when they had to. ;)

[Alex2002]

SO cooool~~~
Thx a lot.
I'll try it soon!!!

[nevermetagerman]

thanks kim, extremely useful here at work. thanks again ;)

[Macphisto]

Hi Kim, the new TinyMeshTools package work fine. Only a question for the TinyThickness plug, I made a simple shell with this tool, but some is strange...

If my setting are this the bottom vanish (see the image below)

http://img152.imagevenue.com/loc717/th_39015_1_122_717lo.jpg (http://img152.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=39015_1_122_717lo.jpg) http://img235.imagevenue.com/loc99/th_39022_Capture_122_99lo.jpg (http://img235.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=39022_Capture_122_99lo.jpg)

If my setting are this I've bottom polygons, but if a polygon near the border is moved away they have another polygon!! See the two edge I've highligted in yellow.


http://img208.imagevenue.com/loc455/th_39020_2_122_455lo.jpg (http://img208.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=39020_2_122_455lo.jpg) http://img229.imagevenue.com/loc61/th_39023_Capture.1_122_61lo.jpg (http://img229.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=39023_Capture.1_122_61lo.jpg)

Thanks :)

[kim aldis]

I can reproduce the first problem but not the second. I can see what may be happening in the first instance and I'll take a look as soon as I get a chance. It may not be for a while though, I'm a bit chocker just now. I'll keep you posted.

[Macphisto]

Thanks for reply... :)