My Tools

[Guest Swann]

Hello.

Some time ago I filled strong enought to start build my own tools. Here are some effects.

Before we go on couple things first.

Thanks for Ole Geir Eidsheim (Ole on odForce) for ideas how to make UI more beautifull. I just saw his LightRig Asset and falled in love. I just somehow missed Labels before. Last day I just spended on reworking GUI of my tools. Also thanks to SYmek and Kuba for some tips along the way.

Now lets begin.

Tangent tool

There is a tangent tool on exchange but I failled to make it work somehow. OK, it worked, but this is simpler. Some time ago Peter Claes sold me sweet tip and I thought it should be packed into OTL. Tool is made from three nodes (not counting visualization and clean nodes). Simple is beatifull.

Look of the GUI:

Features:

1. We can change name of created tangent. By default it's N.

2. For visualisation viewport Norlmals should be turned ON. No matter what name you will pick for attribute in visualisation mode it will always change it to N, so don't forget to turn Off it when you don't need it.

Example how it works.

NOTE: The most updated tools you can find in my signature link.

tangent.otl

Edited September 12, 2009 by SWANN

[Guest Swann]

Flattern Points Tool

In Modo there is option to take information of some point position and level another point/polygon position to mach it on X,Y or Z axis. Some time ago I started to model Hokum KA-50 in Houdini and I missed this option. So I messed a little with Vops and made my own, hopefully, better version.

Look of the GUI:

Features:

1.Tool have two modes of working:

- in first you can flatten points/polygons only to X,Y,Z axis. In this mode you have to specify point in space from which tool wil take position information

- in second mode (turned on by switching ORIENT) it will preserve selected geometry orientation and apply only flatten

- you can change power of flattening

- if you want to use some existing group as a geometry to process, turn on "Use Incoming Group".

Example how it works:

1. In example below I wanted to have points from 1-4 (left) to lay on the same level on Y axis and mach position of point 2 on it (right).

2a. Here is example of Oriented flatten(right) vs. flatten on Z axis (middle). As you can see orientation os selection was preserved.

PS: Those spheres are not rotated. Only on picture it looks like that.

2b. Here is another example of Oriented flatten (left). Geometry is not alligned to any axis and as a bonus it's rotated. First I extruded polygons from the tube(middle). Problem was that I wanted to have end of extrusion flatt. Geometry is not alligned to any axis so I couldn't transform it easily by hand and flattenning to X,Y or Z axis will not help here.

NOTE: The most updated tools you can find in my signature link.

flattern_Points.otl

Edited August 27, 2009 by SWANN

[Guest Swann]

Orientation Change

I know. Weird name for a tool. But if Cher's daughter can, we can too .

Sometimes we need to place object in front of another object/polygon and doing it by hand is not so easy. Especially when object is floating freeally in space. This tool will aid you in this task.

Look of the GUI:

FEATURES:

1. It can tak any piece of geometry and place it in front of another. Groups are NOT IMPLEMENTED YET. For now it can move only all geometry that is plugged into first slot.

2. You can move away/closer to object selected as orient to.

3. To work correctly tool needs UP vector to be added. HDA will add UP if geometry doesn't have one. Later you can modfify UP with a help of Moduify and Visualize part of the tool.

Example how it works:

In example below I wanted to make bridge beetween two objects. Both where rotated and not allignet to any axis. Doing this by hand with precision will be hard while with this tool it was ony couple of seconds.

NOTE: The most updated tools you can find in my signature link.

orientation_Change.otl

Edited August 30, 2009 by SWANN

[Guest Swann]

Bridge Polygon

Tool for making connection beetween two sets of specified polygons. Edges are not implemented yet.

Look of the GUI:

FEATURES:

- connect sets of polygons

- it can modify shape of created connection with a help of ramp parameter.

Example how it works:

Here you can see how how two geometries are merged and then resulting bridge is than shaped with a help of Ramp parameter.

Result after subdivide.

NOTE: The most updated tools you can find in my signature link.

bridge_polygon.otl

Edited August 26, 2009 by SWANN

[Guest Swann]

Extrude By Line

Most of you propably know this tool from other packages. Here aditionaly equiped with ramp to allow more freedom when modeling.

Look of the GUI:

Example how it works:

Extruding and shaping by hand object that you can see below on right will be painfull without this tool. Other thing is that I don't have any idea what the hell is this .

NOTE: The most updated tools you can find in my signature link.

extrude_By_Line.otl

Edited August 26, 2009 by SWANN

[Guest Swann]

Create Polygon

As title says this tool allows for creating polygons. Allows for little easier and faster creation of polygons when modeling. Propably it will not work in every scenario but whitch tool does ?

Look of the GUI:

FEATURES:

- There are couple options that you can use for correction of polygon that was created wrong.

- Works interactively in viewport.

Example how it works:

Just select edges or points, hit enter and say SHAZAM!

Below is example when created polygon is broken (middle). Selection and created polygon is perpendicular to Y axis so to fix it switch "correct method 1(y)" (right).

NOTE: The most updated tools you can find in my signature link.

Edited September 14, 2009 by SWANN

[Guest Swann]

I hope some of you will like them and find them usefull. They are mostly in Beta yet so expect problems. If you find bugs or have any tips how to solve some things better I will love to hear it.

Cheers

[Guest Swann]

Snap Along

snap_Along.OTL

Edited November 30, 2009 by SWANN

[Marc]

Hey Swann

Some interesting tools in there, nice. Thanks for sharing

M

[LEO-oo-]

Nice stuff - thank you for sharing and the additional information!

[rob]

Nice work there ! Any chance of a tri's to quad poly tool ?

r

[Guest Swann]

Something like this ? Select, hit enter and set it to "Tri to Quad".

I just added this to Create Polygon Tool but you have to test it. Two other options you will be interested when something goes wrong are flip normals and correct quad.

EDIT: I supose this is not what you wanted. It simpler just take and disolve edge than use this tool like that. You propably want tool that splits triangle and make quad from it not merge two triangles into quad. In that case I have to investigate more.

create_Polygon.otl

Edited August 28, 2009 by SWANN

[G.P]

Kawal dobrej roboty (good job) Swann.

More, more

I would like to see something like bandsaw pro in LightWave (loop slice in modo).

[Guest Swann]

Any chance of a tri's to quad poly tool ?

Yes, sure, why not . Test it. It works in viewport. Just select triangle poly and pick this tool from TAB menu. Selecting multiple triangles is also implemented.

Example how it works:

PS. For more hardcore solutions look on Sibbarick page Houdini Tools

TriangleToQuad.otl

Edited August 30, 2009 by SWANN

[Guest Swann]

I would like to see something like bandsaw pro in LightWave (loop slice in modo).

Cześć.

Coś w stylu Loop slice można zrobić pewnie za pomocą ClipSOPa. Wyselekcjonować LOOP i pociąć z pomocą forEach.

Propably you could do it with ClipSOP. Just extract LOOP and cut it with a help of foeEach.

Pozdrawiam

EDIT: On the other side, there is a loop Edge tool added to Houdini(old polySplit) and it works pretty well. Alot better than when I tryed it last time. It doesn't support poly groups but for viewport modeling is really good. Anyway, if you want you can play with attached OTL.

loop_Slice.otl

Edited September 7, 2009 by SWANN

[rob]

Cheers ! I shall give the tri's to quads a whirl

r

Edited September 6, 2009 by rob

[Guest Swann]

Cheers ! I shall give the tri's to quads a whirl

r

Hey,

There is a new version of Create Polygon tool that is completely reworked.

For now I found only one scenario where it breakes and create wrong polygon. You will propably not see this when modeling, its really extreme scenario but for this I have another algoritm. And the best is that number of controls shortened and now there are only three correction parameters. All very intuitional. In feature two methods will be automated so control amount will shorten even more and propably only thing that will be needed to correct is normals. For now it use only one method for creating polygon because I want to find all scenarios where it breakes. Try it, it works alot better now.

If anybody is interested you can download it from my signature link.

Edited September 7, 2009 by SWANN

[Guest Swann]

Create Polygon v1.5

Use correct y or z when created polygon is perpendicular more to y or z axis.

Below is example when created polygon is broken. In this example polygon is perpendicular to Y axis so to fix it switch "correct method 1(y)" ON. By default tool use creation method penpendicular to X axis.

Here is extreme scenario. I wanted to fill this hole so I made selection and hit Enter. Result wasn't to good (second from right) and normal correction methods are not suited for this scenario. In this case better is tu use "Use if multi breakes" switch (first right).

But in most modeling cases it will be only a mattter of selecting points/edges and hiting enter and polygon will be created.

If anybody got some questions about how to use tools feel free to ask.

NOTE: The most updated tools you can find in my signature link.

create_Polygon.otl

Edited September 12, 2009 by SWANN

[rob]

Hi I would advise uploading your tools to the exchange as they will automatically be converted from non commercial otl files to commercial files that licence holders can use

r

[itriix]

nice work! and i agree with rob - upload them to the exchange so that they are converted over to commercial from non commercial version

Jonathan