Thanks Ed. Yes! I can't wait to try out the flow along path tool.
That's some skill set to work with the good stuff...
BTW, I'll consider you the next time I get to buy a ring. ;-)

There's a couple of those "bird cage" style rings in the jewelry render gallery on KeyShot. One has a stone set into a round bezel supported by the curved wires.

I attached a 3dm of a diamond if you have a need for it. Got it a long time ago off this forum.

I'd buy a copy of MoI before a ring. Make lots of money off your modeling talent - then go shopping :)

Ed

I know! Right? ;-)

Thanks for the model!

Hi Magic,
Did you know that if you right clcik the MoI viewport it will perform the last command again??? FYI

Hi Mike,

> 10) The guy used some kind of smart repeat feature, but
> I'm sure the added programming for esoteria like that would
> be like feeding an infant a monster burger.

Check out the LineWeb plugin for MoI here:
http://moi3d.com/forum/display.php?webtag=MOI&msg=3700.2

That basically automates that process of making evenly spaced points across several curves and connecting them either with lines or curves.

Basically plug-ins are the method that I use to add in various special case helper tools like that - that way it's something that advanced users can install to help them out but it doesn't complicate the regular default UI.

In the future I want to make a better system for downloading and installing plug-ins like a plug-in browser or something like that.

There are a variety of them listed on Petr's page here:
http://kyticka.webzdarma.cz/3d/moi/

- Michael

Here's one for you also... If you look at the resources-petr's MoI page, find the "LineWeb" Script...



Nice modeling once again!

He's fast like lightning... Foiled again by Michael and his Rabbit... :o

bwahahaha you got slowed down by making a screenshot! But that means your post looks nicer than mine too though... ;)

Nah... Your posts are always way more informative and correct...

Actually, I was using loft to get my seam point of my curves to line up... I followed Majics model method, then when i went to use the Lineweb, Of course I had to use the flip command with the objects that were mirrored, but the seam point of my curves were slightly in rotation to each other, and my lineweb was scewing...

I lofted the curves and used the seam alignment of the loft command to get a straight seam, then extracted those curves from the loft to use for LineWeb.....

Maybe some kind of means to look at and align a "curves" seam position?? (I think we discussed this before?)

Heres a sample file with the twist from the curves seam point I was talking about... If you lineweb these, you will see it.. I used loft-Straight to create a surface where I used the lofts seem point aligner... Then extracted the edges from that surface to use Lineweb.

Hi Burr yeah there needs to be a way to adjust the seam manually to help out for cases like this. Probably some stuff like an "Edit seam" button can go on a detailed object properties dialog where I can jam in a whole bunch of special edit tools.

For the more regularly used tools like Loft I've tried to set it up so that you don't have to worry about seams since it will relocate them automatically but other tools especially kind of "quick and dirty" plugins will probably need them adjusted manually.

- Michael

Rememeber I'm great with this type of UI design.. Just ask me....

(Wasnt sure weather to laugh, or if you really planned on a detailed properties option...)

I'm now having "ask for more buttons remorse!!!"

I havnt run into this too often....

Hi Burr - actually that wasn't a joke - I really do plan on a detailed properties option that will have a whole bunch of stuff on it. It should be a good place for me to add a lot of additional functions but without adding any clutter to the main regular UI since it will be on a dialog box that you can pop up. Kind of like how Options works now.

- Michael

WOW!!

Thanks guys! LineWeb has potential. I saw mention of LineWeb before, but thought it was some kind of exclusive feature, overlooked it on that page. I use one or two other script plugins including SullScreen.

I took LineWeb and Pipe for a test drive here:


Had problems with Pipe. It didn't produce the inside dimension. (Does Pipe2 fix that?)


Michael, if it's possible for more plugins to be created, have you thought of some kind of pop-up screen, menu or single button activated window that comes up with an icon list of non-ui scripts (plugins). Reason I ask, ise plugins are real easy to forget about or "out of sight, out of mind", especially when a seldom used key or command line entry has to be used.
I really like your proposal to add a dialog for extra controls!

...some kind of pop-up screen, menu or single button activated window that comes up with an icon list of non-ui scripts (plugins)

I agree. There are some great scripts available and it would be neat to have them all in one place where they can be browsed and easily accessible via clicks from within MoI.

Ed

Maybe an icon and pop-up list down there where "options" and "help" are.

Hi Mike, yeah the current idea is to have a "Plug-ins" button on the bottom toolbar next to options, and it would pop up a menu with all your installed plugins on it.

Then the other part is a plug-in browser that would let you look through a centralized repository of plug-ins so you could find ones you wanted to install.

Probably the pop up menu will just be a text list of plug-ins though and not an icon for each one, because making good icons is difficult and if I had to make an icon for every plugin it would probably mean that not as many of them would be made.

Not sure exactly when this will happen - generally some other kinds of stuff like making new modeling or editing tools is at a higher priority.

- Michael

Michael, Cool Deal. It may inspire more programming inclined users to make more useful plugins.
A list would be just as efficient.

For the time being, the "plugin Gallery" from Petr's MoI page will do what you want.... I use it when i cant rememeber shortcuts I set for stuff.

Before I mess up my MoI installation, are the instructions for installing PlugInGallery3
the same as for MoI version 1?