Python Shelf Tool To Create Nurbs Hulls

[Atom]

I was watching a video on how to model cleanly with skinning nurbs curves and I thought that entire process could be turned into a shelf tool script.

Here is a script that makes a series of nurbs curves and skins them. Then all you have to do it tweak points on each curve to shape the result into the surface you need.

Place this code into a new shelf tool button and give it a try.

import hou

# Make a list out of points.
lst_points = []
i = 3
if i == 0:
    # Each curve is a circle made up of 8 points.
    obj_name = 'geo_circle_nurbs_8_points'
    coords ="0.199896,-0.00135633,0 0.141061,0.135946,0 0.000196548,0.201143,0 -0.148343,0.129586,0 -0.199228,0.000404187,0 -0.140393,-0.140737,0 0.00112954,-0.199571,0 0.147421,-0.139146,0 "
if i == 1:
    # Each curve is a circle made up of 12 points.
    obj_name = 'geo_circle_nurbs_12_points'
    coords ="0.200049,-2.80302e-05,0 0.178722,0.0897887,0 0.105347,0.173801,0 3.18798e-06,0.200027,0 -0.102717,0.173868,0 -0.176395,0.0946115,0 -0.199966,-2.77692e-05,0 -0.177798,-0.0917639,0 -0.108816,-0.162907,0 -8.24313e-05,-0.199995,0 0.11598,-0.165246,0 0.181712,-0.0912162,0 "
if i == 2:
    # Each curve is a circle made up of 16 points.
    obj_name = 'geo_circle_nurbs_16_points'
    coords ="0.199989,-1.26676e-05,0 0.190041,0.0731502,0 0.156104,0.130593,0 0.0953511,0.176511,0 -2.58479e-05,0.199939,0 -0.0919984,0.179028,0 -0.150667,0.13433,0 -0.185264,0.0771601,0 -0.199996,6.17147e-05,0 -0.188199,-0.0731249,0 -0.151323,-0.13508,0 -0.0916997,-0.179085,0 -5.45059e-05,-0.200103,0 0.0895729,-0.179231,0 0.151534,-0.129568,0 0.188371,-0.0707092,0 "
if i == 3:
    # Each curve is a square made up of 16 points.
    obj_name = 'geo_square_nurbs_16_points'
    coords ="0.2,0.0,0 0.2,0.1,0 0.2,0.2,0 0.1,0.2,0 0,0.2,0 -0.1,0.2,0 -0.2,0.2,0 -0.2,0.1,0 -0.2,0,0 -0.2,-0.1,0 -0.2,-0.2,0 -0.1,-0.2,0 0,-0.2,0 0.1,-0.2,0 0.2,-0.2,0 0.2,-0.1,0 "

ary_points = coords.split(" ")
for s in ary_points:
    vector = s.split(",")
    if len(vector) == 3:
        lst_points.append((float(vector[0]),float(vector[1]),float(vector[2])))

# Create new object to contain internal nurbs curves.
obj = hou.node('/obj').createNode('geo', obj_name)
obj.node('file1').destroy()
merge = obj.createNode('merge')

offset = 0.25
curve_count = 9
for n in range(curve_count):
    curve_name = "nurbs%s" % (n+1)
    curve = obj.createNode('curve', curve_name)
    geo = curve.geometry()
    hou_parm = curve.parm("type")
    hou_parm.set("nurbs")
    hou_parm = curve.parm("method")
    hou_parm.set("breakpoints")
    hou_parm = curve.parm("coords")
    
    s = ""
    for v in lst_points:
        s += "%s,%s,%s " % (v[0],v[1],v[2]+ (n*offset))
        
    hou_parm.set(s)
    hou_parm = curve.parm("close")
    hou_parm.set(1)
    curve.moveToGoodPosition()
    trans = obj.createNode('xform')
    trans.setInput(0,curve)
    trans.moveToGoodPosition()
    merge.setInput(n,trans)
    merge.moveToGoodPosition()
    
skin = obj.createNode('skin')
skin.setInput(0,merge)
skin.moveToGoodPosition()
convert = obj.createNode('convert')
hou_parm = convert.parm("lodu")
hou_parm.set(0.25)
hou_parm = convert.parm("lodv")
hou_parm.set(0.25)
convert.setInput(0,skin)
convert.moveToGoodPosition()
convert.setDisplayFlag(1)
convert.setRenderFlag(1)

 

Edited November 10, 2017 by Atom