Q2.....

If all development ceased on MoI tomorrow, it would still be a go-to tool for 10 years out!

It's just not a concern.

Let's not kill off Michael just yet, though. He's a good tomatoe, and we'll keep him around for a bit longer.... :o

How if some of you that live around Michael G can have a gathering with him...? So we can keep him alive and healthy for another 100 years :). Building community.

Buying MOI and supporting Micheal will alleviate his stress and enable him to eat healthy and keep paying his Health insurance, while at the same time keeping him doing what he's good at - developing MOI :-) It will also cause stress for Autodesk ;-)

LONG LIFE TO OUR "MASTER" MICHAEL :)

I think that if you could jump to 3000 A.D. and could for some reason still run a version of the actual Moi, I'm pretty sure you will say :
"Hey...what is this ? How come they was able to create something like that ? ...so, folks from 2000 was not so bad!"

I'm not young, I've seen many many things related to the computer world...since the glorious days of the "legendary" Pong (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pong), Spectrum Sinclair, C64, Amiga 500 (loved so much)...and I've seen and used tons and tons of software.

Well, as I've written many times here on this forum, IMHO Moi is one of the BEST software ever written.
It's not a software, it's "nearly" a video game :)

A 3D nurbs cad can be funny and serious and powerful at the same time ?

YES. The answer is "Moi"!

I'm a software developer and I admit that I'm fascinated by what Michael was able to do.

Have a nice day to Michael and everyone.

Marco (mkdm)

Hi,
New here to the forum too. I've purchased moI some years ago but haven't started yet but would like to do so now. Question I have, I am using an architectural modeling program called Arc+ until now but it is limiting me in what I want to express. I'll put in one or two pics, something I've been trying out few years back and my question is if moI would be suitable for making these kind of models/shapes. It would be great if I can change proportions during the process. In the cad program I have difficulties with its rigidity, and I can't adjust during modeling (more flexible, organic), which leaves me starting a new model over again each time.
I am a digital nitwit, sorry about this, but is this method of changing proportions during modeling called 'parametric design'? Read a few posting on this subject and it is a feasibility on moI now if I am correct? I would have to learn from scratch, from that point of view moI would be a good option I think, i my case of digital ignorance?
Thanks for reading, looking out for a response.

edit; just found this, interesting: http://www.cgchannel.com/2011/08/michael-gibson-posts-beta-version-of-moi-3/

willem

No problem for that! :)

And as there is also Elephant by Max Smirnov inside Moi, a special module of Parametric Nodes (the same than Grasshopper in Rhino3D! ;)
you can make your own parametric system! With a little training of course! :)

Hello Pilou and willem.

@Pilou "...you can make your own parametric system"

Ok, this is true if applied to the things feasible with the "Project Elephant (or Node Editor)" or scripting in general, but I think that we have to be clear to give the right info to new users.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Moi IS NOT a true "parametric" Cad. It simply doesn't have that feature.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About this point I think that all should be clear :)

Ciao!

Thank you Pilou, that's great to read. Thanks mkdm for addition too, it clear now.

I will purchase an update later tonight. First the basics though, excited to start yet a bit intimidated too, about learning a new program.

What would be the best way, just starting and youtube? I'd consider a course or workshop too but didn't find anything here in the netherlands.

Hi williem!

@You : "...yet a bit intimidated too, about learning a new program. "

Listen to me...I must warn you that...Moi it's addictive :) ;)
It's powerful, yes....but it's easy and it's incredibly fun!!!

@You : "...What would be the best way, just starting and youtube? I'd consider a course or workshop too but didn't find anything here in the netherlands..."

1) : Moi's official Resource page : http://moi3d.com/resources
2) : THIS FORUM !!!

3) Many places on the web...
for example this is the place by which I loved Moi : http://www.k4icy.com/tutorials.html (Amazing tutorials)

Last but not least....THE PRICELESS DIRECT HELP OF ITS CREATOR : Michael Gibson !!!

Ciao!

If you understand French you have all functions in video here! :)

http://moiscript.weebly.com

Ah, thank you both, very encouraging! The tutorials look great too!
Unfortunately my French is at a similar level as my moI skills so I will most likely stick to enjoying the visuals.

I will search the forum in case I am looking for answers, but how is it commonly used here, does one line up in previous postings according to the subject or do people tend to start a new subjects easily. I'd say preferable the first scenario?

edit: and thank you for the enthusiastic welcome!

Both are available! :)

In any case post an image and a 3dm file : that speed light accelerate the comprehension of an always dauting text! :)
(especially for a no native English language like me)

Hi willem,

> I am a digital nitwit, sorry about this, but is this method of changing proportions
> during modeling called 'parametric design'?

Yes, although often times that specific term 'parametric' CAD is more focused on mechanical parts and the parameters are things like hole diameter values and constraints on 2D profile curves. This type of parametric design is not focused on generating forms of an organic nature.

The type of thing you show there is more what's often now called 'Generative Design' in architecture : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generative_design although that term 'Parametric Design' is also used for it too.

Generative Design involves a process that is similar to programming, where you work on forming a type of recipe for a model rather than just drawing it directly.

It's not an easy process, there is a significantly high learning curve involved with it. Your shape has to be broken down into many small pieces of logic. So it is something that you'll need to expect to dedicate a lot of time to gain experience in.


> Read a few posting on this subject and it is a feasibility on moI now if I am correct?

Yes, there is a MoI extension called Project Elephant (usually just called the "node editor") developed by Max Smirnov which adds this type of toolset to MoI.

But it's not a built in feature of MoI and isn't MoI's primary focus. It's more of an experimental thing.


> I would have to learn from scratch, from that point of view moI would be a good option
> I think, i my case of digital ignorance?

Probably the Grasshopper toolset in Rhino would be better for you if you have absolutely no prior experience with programming. It has a larger user base and has more information, documentation, tutorials and books about it so there are just more resources available to you to use in the long and intensive learning process that you'll need to undertake.

- Michael

Hi willem, you should probably consider going to some Rhino/Grasshopper training courses.

You might find something here:
https://www.rhino3d.com/training/United_States/

And if you search around you can probably find video courses like this:
https://thinkparametric.com/

You might actually start out with Rhino training courses for a while first and then Grasshopper courses after that.

It could very well be a 2-3 year long learning process to get to where you want.

- Michael

Hi Michael,

Thanks for your elaborate answer, much appreciated!
I am used to a cad program with parametric features like adjusting seizes of doors, windows, walls etc. Like you wrote, very limited indeed.

You wrote; "So it is something that you'll need to expect to dedicate a lot of time to gain experience in."
I fear that's not me, don't see myself do that until I'm really forced to do so.

The works I have in mind are usually not that big of a scale, or at least I want to be able to relate to it. And perhaps a downside of generative design, the way I perceive it, can be the absence of 'the hand of the master', a kinda random character without expression of will or direction. Anyway, this might get to philosophical and off topic.
Mostly I do have a general idea of what I want to create, my current cad program is nice but just not designed for purposes I have in mind. If I can do molding/shaping during the process, that would already be a welcome improvement.

Thought I'd made up my mind but will sleep on it one more night after your comments. it will get clear at some point

Thank you again.

edit; will study the links!

Hi willem,

> The works I have in mind are usually not that big of a scale, or at least I want to be able to relate to it.

That helps make them not so difficult for someone with experience in this type of design but unfortunately the bar to reach that level is pretty high. Prior experience in computer programming is helpful. You could also label it as "programmatic" or "procedural" design.

It is pretty much like you are making a computer program that is custom designed for building that particular model. The environment gives your program a vocabulary of geometric operations (which is helpful) but it's up to you to form all the logic of how many individual geometric operations are combined.

- Michael

Thank you Michael,

for putting the time in to explaining so well.

Perhaps nice anecdote, I've made this model, I think some 25 years ago now, with this arc+ cad program.
The funny thing was, when modeling the top 'glass' section from the upper pic, after the 3rd layer or so, the dome started to finish building it self?!
I talked to some people about this afterwards, no one had witnessed this, no explanation either : )

Uhm, but now I am uncertain, you've explained clearly, yet a 3 year rhino-grasshopper training appears like a mount Everest expedition to me (although those get easier by the year).

> "Yes, there is a MoI extension called Project Elephant (usually just called the "node editor") developed by Max Smirnov which adds this type of toolset to MoI.
> But it's not a built in feature of MoI and isn't MoI's primary focus. It's more of an experimental thing."

My life seems to be more of an experimental thing, I've re-read your comments carefully but considering my lack of confidence in a steep learning curve, could it be worth trying in my case, moI with later some gradual Elephant try outs?

Hi willem,

> could it be worth trying in my case, moI with later some gradual Elephant try outs?

It could be worth a try! But the part that will probably be a stumbling block though is that there just aren't many introductory resources available like video tutorials or books. Rhino + Grasshopper does have a lot of those types of resources available so it just seems like a better fit for you from what you've described.

To learn how to do it in MoI you'd need to be pretty self motivated and persistent.

- Michael

As Moi is so easy and intuitive maybe you have not to use the parametric world
and just direct modeling your Moment(s) of Inspiration(s)! ;)

Last image are floating houses ?

Thank you guys, appreciated.

Then I perhaps should just go for it!

Michael, I've never been a person studying with books on my lap, working trough material according trails, being impatient and undisciplined.

Pilou that sounds Inspiring (the sacred word), trial and error because the fun of it and energizing persistence, that may work here...

And the humane character that moI seems to represent realy appeals...


Indeed floating, we've a lot of water around here in Holland, it saved me creating an environment too.