Circular Helix Array
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 From:  Brian (BWTR)
1519.15 In reply to 1519.14 
Just to show all works. A bit rough but perhaps you can envisage some of the potentials.
Thanks again.
Brain

EDITED: 30 Dec 2008 by BWTR

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 From:  Michael Gibson
1519.16 In reply to 1519.15 
Hi Brian, you're welcome, I'm glad you are having fun with it.

Pilou wrote:
> How this sort of thing will be integrated to the next version?
> As native function or as Shortkey of plugin or...

Hi Pilou, I think as a plug-in just like this... It is not very practical for me to build every single thing as a "native" option, especially adding too many things to the default UI can cause problems.

It works well to put some interesting but less frequently used type things like this as plug-ins instead - that lets you access the functionality if you want it but keeps the default UI more streamlined.

I do want to make it easier to install and use plug-ins, like for instance I want to make it possible to have a menu that shows all installed plug-ins so that you can run one by picking it off a menu instead of needing to set up a shortcut key for it like you currently do.

- Michael
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 From:  Brian (BWTR)
1519.17 In reply to 1519.16 
I do want to make it easier to install and use plug-ins, like for instance I want to make it possible to have a menu that shows all installed plug-ins so that you can run one by picking it off a menu instead of needing to set up a shortcut key for it like you currently do.

That would be great please Michael.

Here is a last image which I hope better explains the end uses I had in mind.

EDITED: 30 Dec 2008 by BWTR

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 From:  Frenchy Pilou (PILOU)
1519.18 In reply to 1519.16 
Maybe a visual tool box for the plugins by familly like brian show
because when you have hundred of plug, even a menu is a little hard ! :)
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 From:  Brian (BWTR)
1519.19 In reply to 1519.18 
Pilou has a point.
I have LightWave (current version), and I do not use it, partly because the mess it is in.
Take away the plugins, millions of which you have no idea of what they actually do, and what is left in LW?

Visual description of plugin "doings" and logical allocation to end use categories seem to be a pretty important aspect to keep in mind.

I still like the concept of keeping the basic workings of MoI simple and, hopefully, all the addons/plugins selection systems will follow that basic logic.
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 From:  Colin
1519.20 In reply to 1519.15 
Hi Brian,

Some nice test results there, Well done!!

Here's an interesting result or side affect that I got.
Not sure why this happened, but could prove handy for some Oddball ideas later on?

Created a test Toroidal, then created a Profile & used Sweep.
When I moved over the resulting Sweep, there looked to be a different formed helix contained within it.
Selected this new form, Copy & Paste, then another Sweep using the original Profile.

regards Colin
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 From:  Brian (BWTR)
1519.21 In reply to 1519.20 
Colin
Various things happen if the sweep profile is too big relative to the number of turns.

However, there seems to be no concistency/settings/relationships so I just would leave it as an oddball happening--best forgotten?

EDITED: 30 Dec 2008 by BWTR

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 From:  Brian (BWTR)
1519.22 In reply to 1519.21 
Sorry about this one!
Just having great fun!

EDITED: 30 Dec 2008 by BWTR

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 From:  Michael Gibson
1519.23 In reply to 1519.19 
Re: visual plugin toolbox / plugin categories, .... - those are definitely good ideas, but just keep in mind that if I spend several weeks working on a super nice extra-deluxe categorized plugin gallery UI, that is several weeks of work that are not happening on other areas.

That's why probably initially I will shoot for just having something pretty basic in this area that at least gives a text menu, but that should still be a significant step up from needing to make keyboard shortcuts! :)

- Michael
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 From:  Michael Gibson
1519.24 In reply to 1519.20 
Hi Colin, that's a kind of "Michelin man" type effect there! :)

> When I moved over the resulting Sweep, there looked to be
> a different formed helix contained within it.

Yup, that's correct - what happens there is as the sweep profile travels along a curve, it does a slow rotation about the curve's tangent direction. That rotation is visible in the "seam edge" of the resulting sweep surface.

But that additional rotation is a much longer distributed one, it's like an additional long coil, there isn't any way to cause this particular thing to rotate at a higher frequency to make more coils on it, because the purpose of it is to kind of minimize jarring sudden twists during the sweep.

- Michael
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 From:  Frenchy Pilou (PILOU)
1519.25 In reply to 1519.24 
< those are definitely good ideas, but just keep in mind that if I spend several weeks working on a super nice extra-deluxe categorized plugin gallery UI, that is several weeks of work that are not happening on other areas.

Suggestion
So give just the possibility to the user to build his own library of plug ! :)
(background, image, text)
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 From:  jbshorty
1519.26 
Michael - Having a specialized Toroidal Helix command sounds llike a bit of a temporary solution. As you mentioned, it's not practical to make a helical version of every curve type. So why not have an "Around Curve" option as in Rhino?

Brian - There is a very easy way to control the "tangent spin" on the swept surface. You need to run the sweep using 2 rails. Just make two helices with same # of turns and same starting point, but give them different radius values.

jonah
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 From:  manz
1519.27 In reply to 1519.12 
Hi Michael,

Nice result there.

I do find much interest with the math_functions. If you have time could you post the available math_functions allowed (there is no need for examples or explanations, just correct syntax for input/use)

Example:
You show use of cosine via: "Math.cos" so would that infer a "Math.tan" function, and are there further such as arc_tan / sq_root etc etc.

TIA

- Steve
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 From:  Michael Gibson
1519.28 In reply to 1519.25 
Hi Pilou,

> Suggestion
> So give just the possibility to the user to build his own library of plug ! :)
> (background, image, text)

If you'd like to write your own UI, that is actually possible right now...

I've attached an example here: PluginGallery.htm - copy that to the \ui subfolder in MoI's main installation folder, and then set up a keyboard shortcut that has this as the command for it:
code:
script:moi.ui.createDialog( 'moi://ui/PluginGallery.htm', 'resizeable' );


Now when you push that key, the PluginGallery.htm page will come up in a dialog box.

It is a page of big buttons, you can click on a button to start the command - currently only the ToroidalHelix one is filled in.

But you can edit the PluginGallery.htm file with as many different images, backgrounds, or text as you like.

- Michael
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 From:  Michael Gibson
1519.29 In reply to 1519.26 
Hi Jonah,

> So why not have an "Around Curve" option as in Rhino?

I'd like to do that in the future, but I don't currently have enough stuff exposed for scripting to make a script plugin right now that will do that.

On the other hand, there is enough stuff in place to do a quick toroidal helix one.

So that's why I made that one, to solve the immediate problem at hand.

A lot of times I may create these little plug-ins to solve some immediate particular problem...

- Michael
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 From:  Michael Gibson
1519.30 In reply to 1519.27 
Hi Steve - re: Math functions

That's actually just straight JavaScript code there, so check out any JavaScript programming reference to get the complete list. (in this case look for something like "Math object").

Here are a couple of links:

http://www.w3schools.com/js/js_obj_math.asp
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/b272f386.aspx

- Michael
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 From:  Frenchy Pilou (PILOU)
1519.31 In reply to 1519.28 
I will test that :)
---
Pilou
Is beautiful that please without concept!
My Gallery
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 From:  Frenchy Pilou (PILOU)
1519.32 
Works like a charm!
Of course theses colors are my own fantasy for this post:)
If I good understand I must just edit the Html file for add my own Plug button image, background, Text... etc... :)
The only important thing are these lines ?
<html xmlns:moi>
<head>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="moi.css" type="text/css">
<title>MoI Plugin Gallery</title>
<style>
moi\:PushButton table
{
text-align:center;
width:220px;
}
</style>
</head>

and each lines
<moi:PushButton command="ToroidalHelix">


EDITED: 5 Apr 2008 by PILOU

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 From:  Brian (BWTR)
1519.33 In reply to 1519.32 
Thanks Jonah and all.
I am going to have more fun today it seems.
It's 9.30am here.

Sailor Ed has suggested to me that I may want to create braided rope! (As in plaited?)
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 From:  Ed
1519.34 
re: Math functions

I have a project at the moment where I need to draw a sine wave. I was going to plot a sine wave in an Excel spreadsheet graph, then trace over in MoI.

I'd like to see an example of how to program one in MoI.

Ed
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