Extensions:2.6/Py/Scripts/Modeling/Array Sketch
| UI location | Group: Text Editor | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | 2.0 | Author(s) | Eclectiel |
| Blender | 2.5 Rev:#26022 | License | GPL |
| File name | ArraySketch.py |
|---|---|
| Data | ArraySketch_hotkeys.py |
| Links | http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=178175 |
|---|
Additional information
There is a tutorial PDF in the download
|
Video
Installation
- Load the files into the text editor.
- run ArraySketch.py then ArraySketch_hotkeys.py
Information
Some technical aspects for those who care:
This script uses actual Blender 2.5 features combined using Python. Essentially it takes advantage of the beautiful capabilities of the actual grease pencil, the speed and versatility of the Array modifier, together with Curve modifier, and all the curve editing goodnesses available, like curve radius control, tilt, etc. This proves how a user with Python knowledge, but without deep math knowledge, can bring nice tools out of Blender 2.5 and its new Python capabilities.
The All quads meshing feature is a trick that works like this: - Metaballs along the curves - Convert them to mesh and use Decimate modifier to reduce polys quite a lot. - Convert Tris to Quads feature from Blender (which leaves some tris) - Add subdivision (which makes the trick for "All quads"). - And finally use Shrinkwrap modifier to get this new decimated/subdivided mesh to the surface of the original mesh obtained from the metaballs.
It's slow, it may take a few minutes depending on the complexity of the model. Always check the console to see the progress, and get an idea of how much it will take. The slow down takes place mostly in the metaballs creation process. And then when the metaballs are converted to mesh. The decimation and Quads convertion is relatively quick.
The good thing is that as result you get a mesh with fairly uniform distribution of quads, and a number of them that benefits the speed of sculpting, since actual sculpting speed increase a lot when the base mesh has enough faces. And at the same time I tried to balance the number of them enough to get a result that reflects what was sketched with the arrays strokes, and at the same time don't get too many of them.
Not sure what's the state of Genscher's Decimate modifier, but if it will be integrated into Blender it may give nicer results.
The meshing is done in 3 steps. This should be just one step in the future, but for some reason right now Blender doesn't do some steps all in one operator, so I had to divide things into more than one. Not sure if I'm doing something wrong.
You can change the material of the strokes by changing the material of the brush object before adding the stroke, or after adding the stroke by simply selecting that stroke and changing its material.
Known issues
- You have to apply the scale and rotation of the main object before start adding strokes. - Right now the brush object must be in the same layer as the main object. - The metaballs convertion seems to get slower with each metaball created. This seems natural at first glance, because there are more metaballs. But after deleting those metaballs and doing a new meshing the conversion maintains its slowing down. This is solved by saving the file before doing the meshing and opening it again. It's like something remains there in some place but don't know what or where. Maybe a Dev knows better what happens here.
Source: Blender Artists Forums
Support
- Python & Plugins forum at Blender Artists.
- Back to Extensions:2.5/Py/Scripts
