Hello Al,

that's a really cool mechanism. Now it's clear for me that vectors can really help;-)
I've made the nodes without an understanding how to really use it and got my motivation by the possibility to display vector fields, but your examples are the right starting point for me to study what is possible in the context of Moi and mechanism.
thanks for sharing!

- Karsten

Warning! In order to 'not' get banned I need anyone who finds my posts offensive, or has an anxiety attack - to please stop THIS POST reading immediately.

POST:

Alright! Question for the GENIUS BAR - and it must be happy hour?

Seeing how Moi3d is like a buffet - and you go along the table (forum) helping yourself to every course - nodes, scripts, hotkeys, icons, jpg's, png's, zip's, txt and 3dm files freely - hoping you're getting something 'fresh' as opposed to 'rotton' i.e. an old version - the big question is: How do you install all this without screwing up your already custom UI (or anything else!)?

Why can't we have an option? A STANDARD or CUSTOM optional install feature when you download & install your purchase? Then you could simply CHOOSE from the CHECKBOXES which options you'd like to install, and then have a SAVE WORKSPACE AS option - and various GUI SKINS to choose from - as well as ICONS?

See attached items, e.g. the CUSTOM INTERFACE I have which is easy on the eyes, the downloaded NODES which I'm about to install - gingerly - and all the whistle's and bells which are gleaned from the FORUM JUNKPILE:

Hi Ced,

Welcome to the forum!

I appreciate getting all sorts of ideas for improvements, projects, and features, from yourself, and other forum members.

In response to some of your observations, with the caveat that I am merely
another very enthusiastic user of MoI, with no standing whatsoever, and
am expressing personal opinions. Occasionally I utilize double quotes, "",
to express concepts which may have slight inaccuracies, or not be quite the
proper phraseology.

The "core" MoI version 3 program has a "standard" installation.
MoI is a commercial program with, as far as I know, one developer, namely
Michael Gibson. Solids++ is utilized. In addition Michael has, very professionally, written numerous additional scripts, some "special purpose"
and others very useful. I used up my hotkeys a few years ago. I recollect reading in the forum some years ago that another method of dealing with these additional scripts was desirable, but had a lesser priority.

This gap was filled by Max Smirnov, a very competent programmer, "pro bono."
Max is the author of the Custom Interface, which I have found to be very handy, despite my having "too many" scripts in it, which necessitates scrolling its window.
It might be nice to have some sub-categories, such as spirals and utilities, etc.
I now, for the most part, reserve hotkeys for "one-liner" scripts.
I would hypothesize that at some time, Michael may devise
his own analogous program. Max also created the very cool NodeEditor program, based upon node code from a third party, but it is still in "beta,"
and it is still evolving. In addition, Max has written numerous other high quality scripts.

Others have written "add-on" scripts as well. The ones that I have cobbled
together, often with help, have various amounts of imperfection.

I do not think that it is reasonable to expect that 3rd party "add-on's" be
bundled with a commercial package, due to several reasons. These include
the possibility that the add-ons have defective code, are in beta, or utilize public
domain programs with non-commercial use clauses, or some other legalities.

Regarding Max's NodeEditor, aka project Elephant: Out of respect for Max,
I perceive that other node writers have avoided directly altering Max's
current version NodeEditor.v.0.85, although they have done a mod version, which will have to be altered to match new future versions by Max.
So a lot of these additional nodes do not run on the "stock beta" version.
I find the situation with these additional nodes to be a bit confusing.
So expecting NodeEditor to be bundled, seems to me to be an unreasonable expectation, at this time.

I've been taking a break from the NodeEditor for a while, and have not incorporated Max's latest update.
In the recent past, I've attempted to lighten up it's display, mainly
to avoid using as much toner in a laser printer :-)
Karsten's cursor is nice. Now, back to the plastic number.
I've no interest in a "flame war," or whatever it is called, and
personally think that the commas and periods should follow the quotes...

Sincerely,
- Brian

So - Ben - you advise 'not' install what's in the attachment below? Thank you for the explanation on the other 'stuff' which makes for better understanding.

From my seat, it appeared that Moi3d was like a 'buffet' beginning with a bowl of rice, and then where you go get the meat - if you can find it fresh - on the forum.
Sir Pugnacious III

Hi Ced,

I think that NodeEditor.v.0.85 is well worth installing. I recall that it installs easily.

(You could also install, in and via Max's customUI, as a second copy, NodeEditor.v.0.85mod, a modified version, for testing purposes.)
To make a second copy of NodeEditor in customUI, link: http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=7713.500

I did install Karsten's yellow cursor, and a bit lighter background.
Karsten's yellow cursor link, and a cursor type remark: http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=7713.547
I could not get the still fairly dark background any lighter. I think that two or more shades of darkness must be combined or blended somehow, in canvas?
I must have lightened only one of two shades, so the combo still seems medium darkish (?).

Slightly lighter canvas, link: http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=7713.462

but with Max's latest update to index.htm maybe the non-Max "nodetypes".js will load with Max's v.0.85(?)
(I have not done any testing for 3 months.)

Max's latest index.htm: http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=7713.572

- Brian

So the subdirectory "nodes" has various node types with a .js extension. (Which are scripts, each of which makes one node box function.)

Another directory is needed, somewhere easy to access, (I'll call it node-files, or better yet node-programs), for node programs (combinations of wired node boxes), with .nod extension.
(I find this slightly confusing.)

Hello Brian,

>>> So a lot of these additional nodes do not run on the "stock beta" version.

I always try to keep all additional nodes compatible to the actual version of Maxs core development. The core is still untouched - also in the "modified" version. It may be, that there are some bugs - if I know that, I will try to correct them. I've made a lot of nodes that are not my point of interest, but I always try to collect different aspects of the nodeeditor. My intention is to collect a pool of nodes for further developments. A lot of them was going obsolete, but I think that it was not obsolete to create them. I've asked in the past for a better naming - maybe the menue structure is bad, but all these aspects helps to develop the project;-) Every experiment from James, Al, Marco and some others shows what is still missing and I hope that Max can get some useful informations from that.

So if we want a perfect tool - we have to wait ...

Have a nice day
Karsten

p.s.: Do you think it's better not to publish new nodes? I went back to this thread, because a lot of people was worried about that stuff in the main thread- Please let me have this little island

Hi Karsten,

I must apologies for making inaccurate statements, due to my own limited experience and limited understanding of the additional nodes.
Your very competent efforts are appreciated by myself. I've never written, nor even tried to write (or modify) a ~node.js. That is still
on my to do list :-)

What I was trying to express is that, in the past, running Max's nodeeditor, and trying to load a node-wired-program, without the needed
node.js files being loaded, or being in the node subdirectory, results in missing node-boxes and wires on the canvas.
Has yourself or anyone utilized the new index.htm to load the other node.js files? I'll have to try it out, as time permits.

So I've got your nodebundle as a separate install in customUI, for testing purposes.

"Publishing new nodes" is great!

Sincerely,
Brian

ps, how is your "loxodrome-like" program coming? I'm probably misunderstanding it.

Hello Brian,

I agree with you that every new version causes problems with node files created with previous versions. And I know that you have made and shared also some great examples. And every change in the interface causes a a lot of work in all nodes - not only my nodes - in Maxs nodes also (great job). But every change means a better system:-)

So let us keep our motivation!

Have a nice day
Karsten

p.s.: The "loxodrome" node is a simple stereoscopic projection node, with very simple math. I will post it next time, if you want to have a look. And I think that your mathematical know how is better than mine;-)

:-)

Hello Brian,

here is the node. It has also the long/short option which gives interesting results while playing:-) search for the blue node.
The formula is based on vectormath -> linear equation system -> -p/2 +/- Sqrt((p/2)^2-q) maybe useful for further experiments ???
By the way I put an updated info node here. I took Dinos volume script (stl -based) (thanks for sharing) and wrapped it in a node and a modified version for calculating areas of faces/surfaces.

Have a nice day
Karsten

Hi Karsten and Friends ,
I used the new nodes Vector
to obtain the tangent and the perpendicular
of a point on a curve ...
( I think you need to script this function)
to obtain a "Point on curves" node ,
that works with , a parameter,
or more parameters, from 0.0 to 1.0 domain
indicating the shift on the input curve
that returns a vector of tangenza-
I think this may facilitate, in the future,
a blend node between curves that can
use as input values the points and their Vectors on curves
input-
I hope I was clear
Have a nice day to all-
best
al
link:http://www.mediafire.com/file/1m4t9lo3xld7huf/CP_Tangent_and_Perpendicular_from_a_Curve.rar

SPEEDY - I think that's beautiful poetry - although I understand nothing.

Hello Ced,
This is the mystical side of this forum:-)

It's mathematical Dadaism or surrealism, made by Gauss, Euler .... not Max Ernst.

Have a nice day
Karsten

My favorite topic here is the one labelled: METHFUSION - never a dull moment. Where do nodes go when they die?

It depends on their religion;-)

Hello Moi3D community, this is my first post here! I hope it is appropriate for me to tag on to this topic.

I have been a regular reader on the discussion forum, and am very grateful to everyone for being so generous with sharing knowledge and tools. I am a Graphic Designer by trade and love Moi3D to experiment in 3D as it seems so similar to other tools I use. My interests lie in Phyllotaxis, ever since studying Karl Blossfeldt's photography.

My question,

Would it be possible to translate the attached, into a customisable NodeBundle for outputting points? I have tried my best to translate something myself, but alas my inexperience is limiting.



I found the example from the excellent post by Christopher Carlson on the Wolfram Blog, http://blog.wolfram.com/2011/07/28/how-i-made-wine-glasses-from-sunflowers/

Thank you so much for the great tool Max, and thank you for the amazing builds and mods since developed.
Thank you in advance for any help or pointers, Christian

If you are interested in some of my Moi3D experiments, here is my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/christianbirdnyc/

Any contact with the Fermat Fibonacci Flower?
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=7356.11

Hi Pilou, I hope this message finds you well!

Thank you very much for replying to my question.

The Fermat script is indeed a perfect match, but I am hoping to further manipulate the points within NodeBundle and to have greater control over the process, with the opportunity to add objects to each point.

Where I became stuck with NodeBundle was attempting to create a point array, I have the underlying math which I can apply to 1 x point, but I was unable to figure a way to generate multiple points, or apply the rotation and distance to the n'th point in a defined range.

Thanks so much,

Christian

Hi Christian, welcome to the MoI forum!

I'm not familiar enough with the node editor myself to set that up for you but hopefully someone else will help you with it.

- Michael

Michael,
Why not arrange a WEBINAR of sorts - even for making NODES?!

Webinar's are interesting where we can all input to the online action - and learn new 'tips & tricks'.

What do you say?
Cheers,
Charles daVinci