> PO Trace, http://potrace.sourceforge.net/

Looks cool! Unfortunately I can't use the library directly because it uses the GPL license, which means it is only allowed to be directly included in other open source programs.

- Michael

I'd like to have something like a button i can push to bring up a small window where i see all the objects and curves in my scene and then i can select the objects/curves i want from there and also reverse my selection. This is useful when you have large complex objects and selecting them only based on what you see in the viewport isn't always easy, it's kinda difficult.

Also i'd like to be able to export a selected object from a large assembly if possible, i can't remember if this can be done already so that's why i write here now. If this can be done already then ignore this request.

Many thanks in advance

/ Magnus

Hi Magnus,

> I'd like to have something like a button i can push to bring up a small window
> where i see all the objects and curves in my scene and then i can select the
> objects/curves i want from there and also reverse my selection.

Yeah, this kind of object manager / object browser is probably the biggest missing thing in MoI right now. But it is going to take quite a bit of work to add a really good one, so this is something that I have planned to work on for version 2.0 of MoI, I won't be able to get this into the 1.0 version. But it is pretty much up at the top of the list for working on after version 1.0 is out.


> Also i'd like to be able to export a selected object from a large assembly if possible,

This one is possible using File / Export. Export really means "Export selected". But right now it will only export complete objects that are selected, it won't do a sub-selection currently. So if you want to export just a few faces from a solid for example, you will need to use Edit/Separate on them to break them into separate full objects, then you can export those full objects.

- Michael

Dear Michael,

A stupid question for a super beginner like me.
Will V1 have a measurement tool,
where I can get the distance in between two points, example?

Thank you,
Rudy

You can do this now, just draw a line between the two points. Pick start point and move to your endpoint. Don't click on it, just read the distance at the bottom of the screen, d nnn < nnn. By using these numbers there, you can even draw lines of specific length and angle.

Hi Rudy, as JTB mentions right now the method is to draw a line and watch that distance control in the bottom bar.

Also, Petr has made a custom command for measuring distance, which you can install to give MoI a new distance command, he has details here: http://kyticka.webzdarma.cz/3d/moi/ (look for "Measure Distance"). That might be useful.

I expect to put in a bunch of "Analyze" related commands such as distance, length, volume calculations, etc.. for the V2 version of MoI.

- Michael

Thank you
Michael,
Thank you
JBT.

Hi Michael,

I know I'm getting way ahead of what you need to do to get ready for version 1, but this discussion about measurements has gotten me thinking about bounding boxes...is there anything in MoI's coding that could scripted to make a bounding box that reports the X,Y,Z dimensions of an object? It seems it would have to come after the distance and length tools are developed.
A BB manager would give one a lot of flexibility for measuring and re-sizing objects *on the fly* from either an area or volume center, or in combination with object snaps, the option to quickly measure and scale in 1 or 2 D. If you made it part of the object properties feature that you're planning to add, scaling (and re-location) could be done by entering new numbers for X, Y & Z length and position... and a tool that relocates an object to the origin, could be an offshoot of this.

-just some ideas for the future. :-)

-Jesse

Hi Jesse, that is something that I would like to add for V2. I would like to have that as one part of an "object properties" panel that would let you see and change various properties for the currently selected object(s).

- Michael

A message for Petr,
regarding the distance between two points you posted here http://kyticka.webzdarma.cz/3d/moi/



" This script allow evaluating the distance between two points.

Unzip the file CustomDistance.zip into the \commands folder.

Go to your moi.ini and add a keyboard shortcut, for example:

[Shortcut Keys]
Alt+D=CustomDistance

Now pushing Alt+D will launch the CustomDistance command."




since I am not a computer guy, where is the commands folder?
Or anyone else?
\Sorry to bother with these stupid questions....
Rudy

Hi Rudy - the commands folder is located on your computer at:
C:\Program Files\MoI beta Mar-29-2007\commands

To add the keyboard shortcut, you will need to open the moi.ini file in notepad. To do this, first make sure that MoI is closed, then go to Start / Run and type in "notepad".

From Notepad, do File/Open and open this file:
C:\Documents and Settings\Michael\Application Data\Moi\moi.ini

This file is where MoI saves all of your options settings, it also lists all the keyboard shortcuts. Right now to activate a custom command you have to set up a keyboard shortcut. Make sure you close MoI before editing this file.

Scroll down until you find the section [Shortcut Keys], and add a line directly underneath it:

[Shortcut Keys]
Alt+D=CustomDistance

Then save the file. Now the next time when you run MoI, you can use Alt + D to activate Petr's "CustomDistance" command.

Let me know if you get stuck on any of these steps.

I am planning on making an easier way to run custom commands, I just haven't got to it yet...

- Michael

Thank you Michael
as usual.
Rudy

Dear Michael,
I got it. Nice tooling for my purposes.
Thank you and also Petr.

Have a nice weekend all

Rudy

Dear Michael,

As an hobbyist with very limited budget, I learned that the 3d navigation device Space Navigator Personal Edition from 3dconexxion is availbale for only Euro 51 (all other 3dconexxion device are much more expensive). So I did myself a favor and bought one.
Could you please add support for the 3d navigation devices in V1?

Support for 3dconexxion (alle device use the same driver) and a proper manual in V1 and price not above $200: if so I'm willing to preorder :)

Regards

Hans

Hi Hans, I do plan on working on 3dconexxion support, it will probably be one of the last things that I work on for V1.

> Support for 3dconexxion (alle device use the same driver) and a proper
> manual in V1 and price not above $200: if so I'm willing to preorder :)

Well, I think I'll have you covered. Price will be right around $200, and I will be working on a manual next month. But I'm not ready to take preorders yet... :)

- Michael

Thanks Michael,

Thanks for implementing support for the connexion devices in V1. And indeed, you have me covered. Whenever you are ready for ordering, I will be happy to be one of your customers.

Best Regards.

Hans

Complaints by Steph
Seems for the Import OBJ that Moi gives Normal's facetts of "Open surface" transformed in Poly in impredictable result !
So does it possible to see the normals of Poly Surfaces (by color (?) and possibility to click on them for inverse it before export?

You can say take an another Poly prog for make that,
but seems that Moi Smooth Phong is very "complex"
and the other poly progs have many difficulties for manage this problem !

A new challenge ? :)
PS Or use an algorithm for make "Open surface" artificially like "Closed surface" for have Normal to the external?

Always by Steph
All was made by Moi (Symetry too)
problem on the left
After Symetry problem is inversed!!!
Open surfaces (transformed in poly) seems have a problem in Moi ?
It's some annoying for the export to the real time system :(

> You can say take an another Poly prog for make that,
> but seems that Moi Smooth Phong is very "complex"
> and the other poly progs have many difficulties for manage this problem !

Hi Pilou - I think that what you are talking about here is that MoI exports nice smoothing information in a form called "vertex normals". These normals are very accurate since they come from the original NURBS surface.

It sounds like in Steph's polygon program (Cinema4D??) , flipping the direction of a mesh causes it to throw away existing vertex normals and calculate new ones - this is bad because the normals calculated "from scratch" in a polygon modeler come from just averaging adjacent polygon faces. This is not as accurate as the original normals and can cause shading defects.

Has Steph reported this problem to the makers of his polygon program? The authors of that program should improve the way they flip objects - instead of discarding the good normals they should just flip those normals to the other direction.

It is not really a difficult problem to solve at all, it is actually a very simple procedure, each normal should just get multiplied by -1.0.

- Michael

Hi Pilou,

> All was made by Moi (Symetry too)
> problem on the left
> After Symetry problem is inversed!!!

I'm not sure that I completely understand, but one thing to try is to make sure to use Edit/Join to join surfaces that are next to each other so that they become one object that has a shared edge.

MoI should create polygons with a consistent direction on them when there are shared edges.

I'm not sure from just looking the image (instead of seeing a .3dm file), but it looks like the smaller object there has different orientations along each of its 3 surfaces - this is possible if they are surfaces that are just positioned next to each other instead of joined.

If there is an object that is all joined together but is generating meshes with inconsistent normals between different pieces of the same object, then that would be a bug. If this is the problem it would help to have an example model so I could fix the bug.


> Open surfaces (transformed in poly) seems have a problem in Moi ?

Well, open surfaces should work without a problem, but there is not an automatic "outside" direction that can be calculated for an open surface, unlike a closed surface.

- Michael