Hello Michael Gibson,
The heads-up about Sweeping the HelTor was god-sent.
I am back for more. If you are willing?
Progressive Elemental Curve Transforms (see attached file).
1.
Given a set of curves (C) ready for lofting (Composition 1), I need a way to adjust each curve (element) by a predetermined angle of rotation along the plane of the Edit Frame of each individual curve. As shown in Composition 2 (C+Rotation) in attached file.
To make this work I would like the ability to universally set the center of rotation of each individual curve by making that selection upon the first curve in the sequence. So each consecutive curve (in order of selection and/or closest neighbor from the first) would rotate a little more, say, by +2.5 degrees.

2.
Given a set of curves (C) ready for lofting, I need a way to adjust each curve (element) by a predetermined Scaling factor. As in the next composition to the left (C+Scale) in attached file.
To make this work I would like the ability to universal set the Origin Point of each individual curve by making that selection upon the first curve in the sequence. And (as in Composition 3 in the file) setting a single scaling Origin Point that is common to all individual curves, shown as the Point below Composition 3. So that each consecutive curve (in order of selection and/or closest neighbor from the first) would progressively get smaller and lower by, say, a factor of 0.95.

3.
Given a set of curves ready for lofting, I need a way to Move each curve (element) by an increasing predetermined distance toward/form a common Control Point (not shown in attached file)

Composition 4 in the attached file would be a result of combining [Progressive Elemental Rotation 5 degrees] and [Progressive Elemental Scale factor of 0.95] operations.

I know this is a big ask, Michael. However, I believe that these functions would make the Array type orations infinitely more useful. And save many days of tedious fine tuning.

Hope you can help
Ivan

Hello Ivan,

your wishes are very special and a script for that is a lot of work, but you can do such things with the nodeeditor written by Max Snirnov in the modified version. Maybe it is not what you want, but something you can get;-)

Nevertheless the fine tuning will not take days ...



Have a nice day
Karsten

Hi Ivan,

re:
> I know this is a big ask, Michael. However, I believe that these functions would make
> the Array type orations infinitely more useful. And save many days of tedious fine tuning.

I'm sorry but there isn't much chance that the regular array commands in MoI would be modified to do this, it's just far too specific of a case. It's a big focus for MoI to be an easy to use program, and often times having a huge variety of options runs very against ease of use, it's easy for a user to just get overwhelmed by a huge detailed control panel for a command and then doing simple things becomes more difficult.

The main strategy for doing such a detailed and specialized type of array like you're describing would be to write a script plug-in or to use the Node editor to make a new command that is specifically tailored for your particular case. (as I write this, I see Karsten has posted an example above).

The node editor is a lot easier to get started than writing script code, so I'd probably recommend digging into that first.

For doing it in script, a way you could get jump started in that would be to use the ScriptArray.js plug-in from here as a starting template:
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=5595.18

But definitely with the type of detailed steps you're describing you'd want to use some kind of programmatic way to do it, you shouldn't expect the regular built in MoI array tools to do something so detailed and specialized.

- Michael

Thanx guys,
I was hoping.... but deep down I knew. {:(

Nodes and Scripts... here I come!

Again thanx, Karsten and Michael.
Will keep you posted, but may take a while.

Ivan