Hey Michael,

Got a quick question
Is it possible to ctrl-c a MoI model into Rhino and then use T-Splines to modify it ?
I mean converting the usual nurb surface to a T-Splines one and then ctrl-c it again back to MoI ?

How does the workflow is ?
I seriously consider having Rhino + T-Splines at work for 2-3 specific works
If there's someone here using MoI 3D and Rhino I would love to have some feedback about how the two work together :)

I switch back and forth between MoI and Rhino all the time when I work ... I prefer to do my 3d stuff with MoI and notes and dimensions and such with Rhino 2d.

And there are times when Rhino will work with 3d stuff that MoI has trouble with (though that is very rare).

I have T-Splines but for my work do not use it often ... I am pretty sure that after using T-Splines you have to convert back to nurbs before it can be seen properly in MoI.

cheers,
eric

Does not work like that. You will get poly meshes back from MoI which cannot be translated back into T-Splines.
T-Spline meshes will be translated into nurbs or poly meshes on the fly when you cut and paste into MoI.
On the way back from MoI you most likely will end up with Ply Meshes which cannot be translated into T-Splines again.
I fear that MoI is not adding any benefits to a Rhino - T-Splines combo.
Hope that helps...
Lemo

PS: I am giving a T-Splines/Rhino/Rhino Cam Webinar in July... If interested I post the details as we get closer here.

Hi DesuDeus,

> I mean converting the usual nurb surface to a T-Splines one
> and then ctrl-c it again back to MoI ?

I think T-splines are set up with more the opposite way as the idea - that you would start something in T-splines and then convert from the T-spline to a regular NURBS surface for doing things like booleans, etc...

T-splines does have a mechanism to convert an untrimmed NURBS surface into a T-spline, it looks like you use the tsConvert command to do that.

But only a full surface can be converted like that, I think things like trim curves or booleaned away areas will be ignored.

- Michael

Thanks for all the answers :)
The only thing I need is T-Splines for complex shapes that I don't know how to make in MoI 3D beside building tons of construction curves
So the workflow is doing some parts in T-Splines and then boolean them together using MoI 3D

Also Michael, we need something like Auxpecker for MoI 3D :)
Its so awesome to work with and so usefull to get more visual feedback

Too bad T-Splines is not a standalone software :(

Hi DesuDeus,

> So the workflow is doing some parts in T-Splines and then
> boolean them together using MoI 3D

Yup, that direction (T-Splines to MoI) should work fine.

There is a T-Splines command: tsConvertToRhinosurf which converts a T-spline object into a just a regular Rhino NURBS object.

It looks like T-Splines will automatically do that conversion in many cases as well, but I'm not sure if it will do it for copying stuff to the clipboard or not. You may need to run the tsConvertToRhinosurf on your T-Spline first before copying it.

- Michael

Hello,

This t-spline technology looks like a pure dream for many poly modeler users, it will help to make the bridge
between MoI and any poly modeling package for some specific project.

I'm wondering how complex the 'convert poly sds cage into nurbs' is, as basically, it's the only function
I think usefull for my workflow needs. Well it 'seems' to be handy, has I never really try it for a real
project.

I know T-spline is a much more complex bunch of commands inside rhino, from 't-spline' surface creation,
to many tools that somehow convert rhino into a polygon modeler. But what about just focusing on this command ?

Would be a dream to import a poly-model into MoI, and convert it into nurbs. Aren't they any
free/open source work available than will help to have this functionnality into MoI ? Or does it require some alien technology
and years of developement ?

I know for example that Maya can do that kind convertion since years, turning an sds model into a nurbs one, the only difference is that the surface is
a little bit more complex that using tspline, there are more isocurves ? (not sure if it's the good term) to describe the
surface.

For sure, a maya licence or a rhino + tspline one just to do some converstion from time to time will overkill my budget :P

Maybe in MoI 5 ? ;)

Hi PaQ, well one thing I've suggested to the T-Splines guys is to have a standalone converter program that would read an OBJ file and generate a sub-d NURBS 3DM file from it.

It could probably have a minimal UI... If that sounds like it would be useful you might try contacting them and asking about it.


> I'm wondering how complex the 'convert poly sds cage into
> nurbs' is, as basically, it's the only function
> I think usefull for my workflow needs.

Well actually there is a simple direct conversion on completely regular quad areas, where every vertex has only 4 edges coming off of it. Quads in areas like that can have a NURBS surface sub-d patch created directly.

It's in areas where there are other than 4 edges radiating out from a vertex where there is not a simple direct conversion possible, so those areas tend to need a more complex fitting/approximation type mechanism to fill them in with NURBS surfaces.

- Michael

The patches created by T-splines ARE very complex. But modeling with T-Splines is real fun. Specially because OBJ files can be converted to T-Splines....
Don't use to dense of a mesh or the benefits go away. But some base form created in a poly modeler is easily loaded into T-Splines.
Rainer

I knew nothing about T-Splines before reading this thread and I must say, it looks pretty interesting.

I'm sure Michael and everyone else already knows this but the T-Splines people are licensing the libraries, apparently the same ones as used to develop the Rhino and Maya plugins.

http://www.tsplines.com/products/t-tools-libraries.html

Hello Friendly
I enclose you some Images of a Shape
modeled in Rhino with Tspline ;
it is possible imported it within MOI with simply Copy and Paste
Before to import the Shape ones within MOI it is possible
to define as to convert in Polisurf Entire Superficial TS
al

Thanks Speedy
Its a very good example !
How do you make the sharp edges ? Is it like subd modelling where you add edge loops ?

Its very interesting to build the shape like that and then use MoI for the other things like booleans :)

Hi Speedy,

Thanks for doing this example, looks like a very useful tool, if you don't mind could you separate the surfaces in MoI and show the control points so we can get an idea of the structure of the surfaces or posting the model would be even better.

Cheers

Thanks Speedy
Like a subdivision modeler ( ?! and seems better result than catmull-clarck algo )

Hi Everyone,

I don't actually have T-Splines, but I do subscribe to their Newsletter to get info about their product.

Call it good timing because today I received the May Newsletter offering a case study & also 51 Free models.
Here's the link to the case study on doing a jewellery piece:

http://www.tsplines.com/community/casestudies/jewelrydesign2.html


Lifted from the T-Splines site:
Download these 51 freeform models that can be exported and read in as an IGES or STEP into any CAD program. These models were created using T-Splines. You do not need to have T-Splines installed on your computer to read the files--they will open as watertight, dumb NURBS geometry in any program that can read in .3dm (Rhino) files. To edit the models, download a free trial of T-Splines.

Here's the link for the offer of 51 Free models...

http://www.tsplines.com/tsplinemodels.html

HTH, Colin

Thanks for all the infos :)
Some of the models are really good and would be hard to build using only regular Nurbs toolset

Hi Friends
Attached the file
for see the topology surf
of the Shape-
al

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the info,

I'll drop a little mail, I didn't realise that there is a crease edges system too in T-spline, and I suppose it's something that can't be translated from the .obj using a 'simple' translator.

Thanks al.

Cheers

Not directly no, but if you ConvertToNurbs in the T-Splines toolset first, you can export that geometry just fine. Whether it was creased when it was still t-splines or not. The creasing does flow compatibly into the conversion to Nurbs.