MCG Spline Conform

8 votes
Version: 
1.05
Date Updated: 
02/26/2017

Get your spline to wrap onto a mesh or multi-meshes... Yes it is a bit rough around the edges, so it is what it is...

ver 1.01: bit more stable when tumbling around...

ver 1.02: now shooting rays are from Spline Normals. Also for ortho projection mode, say from front on or top down, you can use World Axis for shooting direction. When there's no Hit, you have option to leave knots where they are...or just shoot to the nearest verts of the mesh. Tumbling issue is still there but is now less likely...so just keep an eye out for the BBox.

 ver 1.03: now supports Multi-curve in a spline

ver 1.04: for verts with no Hits, have option to Remove. It's far from perfect, but it's something there for you to work with, maybe manually move a few knots here and there with an Edit Spline (see large pic below).

ver 1.05: added Progress.......and that's a wrap folks....

ps: I found that put a Sweep on with Banking OFF seems to work best in most cases..

3ds Max Version Requirement: 
2016
Other Requrements: 
2016+Ext1/2+SP3, 2017
Video URL: 
AttachmentSize
vu_splineconform_1.00.zip10.07 KB
vu_splineconform_1.01.zip9.42 KB
vu_splineconform_1.02.zip16.87 KB
vu_splineconform_1.03.zip18.47 KB
vu_splineconform_1.04.zip19.21 KB
vu_splineconform_1.05.zip19.89 KB

Comments

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vusta's picture

yeah...it takes a bit of geting used to...

that's just how MCG is...because there's no default 'icon'...you click somewhere in space to create the MCG object...but you can't see it !!! Frustrating....

You CAN see the object in the Select by Name dialog tho...also if you have your transform gizmo showing...then you can see the 'arrows' (or rings, whatever) where you clicked...

asymptote's picture

@ vusta

Not sure, I may have been using it wrong in the first place :)

It wasn't until I uninstalled SP4 that I realised you click in an empty space to create, then go to the command panel to configure, I was initially clicking directly on a spline.

sunman's picture

is the MCG Spline Conform

is the MCG Spline Conform able to generate a spline around a bodypart what simulates 100% the behavior of a real world measuring tape? So would it bridge over "valleys"?

If not, could you implement that function? I would also pay for the development, cause I would use it commercial. When a 3ds max plugin would be even faster then a MCG then I would prefer a plugin development.

vusta's picture

wow weee...

so SP4 broke it ??? I never knew that...(didn't even know there was there was an SP4)

asymptote's picture

Looks cool and very useful,

Looks cool and very useful, should this work on Max 2016 with EXT 1 & EXT 2 + SP4?

I can't get it to work, should I need to downgrade to SP3 ?

thx.

EDIT: Ok the answer is yes, I just downgraded to SP3 and all is as it should be.

vusta's picture

No. 2 first

well to simplify thing, for the 1st/last verts tangents, I actually stole them from their neighbours, ie. 2nd and 2nd last...so Done !!!

No.1, Well I did think about interp/lerp, and even some sort of tension, gravity affected setting, however there is still a problem, like in a circle surround a guy's legs...a vert on the far left may hit the right thigh and so interp would be weird...hence you see the crisscrossing effect between the legs...

Maybe if the raycasting logic gets a bit more advanced then I can make use of..but...who knows what the future of MCG is...lately, I haven't heard jack from the devs...then the subs news recently, I'm
a bit disillusioned tbh.

eugenio's picture

Suggestions for next version :)

Nice tool man! I was thinking how to improve the no hit vertices and I have some ideas:

1) How about for vertices with no hit in the middle of the spline, to interpolate them between prev/next that have hit the mesh? Since there might be a sequence of vertices with no hit, maybe store them in a separate array to fix them in a second pass.

2) For vertices in the start/end of the line, to extend them tangent to the last hit vertex. If possible, to maintain the segment length they previously had.

It ain't easy to do I guess, but would produce better results.

-Eugenio

vusta's picture

bad memory..

no not your RAM...I mean my bad memory in my head...
I think the INODE error means you need the Extension (either 1 or 2)

Because you are on 2016, you need it, 2017 doesn't.

Once you get rid of the first error, I think the 2nd one would compile.

(ps: INode Array that is, originally just 1 INode works fine, then the Extension gives you INode Array at some later stage)

IhabAli's picture

deserialising error

I got this error, any solution

http://imgur.com/m1yS1sQ

http://imgur.com/kAvXMsH

vusta's picture

ver 1.04

option to Remove verts with no Hits

(bring out the gimp!!!)

AttachmentSize
splineconform5.jpg 1.06 MB

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