Hello friends
Amazing software. Makes me feel a lots smater and talented than I actually am! You know you've got something good when that happens!
Anyways - I'm trying to figure out how the units work. I guess what confuses me is that the units don't actually read like 3'-6" just inches or feet. Am I mistaken?

Also - how can I interface between sketchup? Is .3ds the preferred method and why?

Anybody using it for architecture? I've only seen one post that shows it being used for buildings.

I'd like to thank the gentlemen who create the video tutorials. They really are very very useful. Thank you friends

Nice to be here
Ypnos

Is there a push/pull type comand beside extrude?
Sorry for asking a dumb question like this.....I'm guessing this program doesn't work anything like sketchup.

Is it possible to program shortcuts for those of us who use shortcuts a lot?

Ypnos

Hi Ypnos, welcome to the forum. I'm glad that you are enjoying the software!

> Anyways - I'm trying to figure out how the units work. I guess what
> confuses me is that the units don't actually read like 3'-6" just inches
> or feet. Am I mistaken?

Nope, you're not mistaken. Right now the coordinate readouts are limited to decimal type notation only, like 3.5 feet instead of 3'-6".

I do want to add an option for foot + inch notation in the future, but it won't be ready for the initial 1.0 version though.

There are quite a few details like this that are a bit rough and not quite mature and finished in the software yet. These will get rounded out as time goes on and new versions come out.


> Also - how can I interface between sketchup? Is .3ds the preferred method and why?

I think that .3ds is the only method that will work right now, and that's just for going from MoI into Sketchup, not the other way around.

There are a couple of reasons why - one big reason is that Sketchup just doesn't support reading in very many file formats, I think they consider more something where you initially create something rather than something that reads in data from other sources. (MoI kind of has a bit of a focus like that too).

One thing that is annoying is that .3ds only supports triangles, not Multi-sided polygons (called N-gons). The .obj file format which MoI can export to does support N-Gons, but for some reason SketchUp has not implemented an OBJ import. I'm not sure why they haven't done that yet, you would have to ask them. OBJ is a better format than .3ds, it would have been better if they skipped .3ds and had done .obj instead.

MoI and Sketchup use quite different systems for creating 3D geometry - Sketchup uses polygons, and MoI uses "NURBS" surfaces.

It is possible to dice up a smooth NURBS surface into polygon facets, which is what MoI does when you export from MoI to .3ds or OBJ file formats. But it isn't very easy to go from polygons back into NURBS again. This is kind of like how it is easy to make apples into applesauce, but it isn't easy to make applesauce back into apples again. So what I'm trying to explain here is that there isn't really a good way to go from Sketchup into MoI, only from MoI into Sketchup.


> Anybody using it for architecture? I've only seen one post that shows it being used for buildings.

Here are a few links:

http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=558.1
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=176.1
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=178.1
http://moi3d.com/forum/messages.php?webtag=MOI&msg=191.1
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=294.1
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=291.1

But generally MoI is kind of more oriented towards Industrial Design, and sort of "object" modeling. It doesn't have a lot of specialized stuff like an "insert door" or "insert window" type command. Software that is more specialized particularly for architecture kind of handles some of these things more easily.

However, one thing that is cool is that MoI isn't limited to doing only boxy type shapes, you sort of have a lot more freedom to experiment with different forms and shapes. That's kind of the flip side of not having too much automatic "doors" and "windows" type focus.

- Michael

> Is there a push/pull type comand beside extrude?

Nope, that's pretty much the one.


> Sorry for asking a dumb question like this.....I'm guessing this program
> doesn't work anything like sketchup.

Yup, it is pretty different approach. It's not really a replacement or equivalent of Sketchup, it is sort of for doing different types of things.

You'll notice that there are a lot more curve drawing tools in MoI than in Sketchup - in MoI you tend to work more by drawing curves to make a type of wireframe outline of shapes, and then use different construction commands to build surfaces or solids from your curves. Then frequently you trim or boolean different objects together to combine different pieces together.

It is also possible to draw some simple solids directly, like boxes, spheres, or cylinders, and then boolean those together into more complex objects.


Do you have something in particular that you're trying to create? If you give me an idea or sketch of what you want to do I can probably help you get started on it.


> Is it possible to program shortcuts for those of us who use shortcuts a lot?

Yup, this is possible by editing the moi.ini file, check here for some details: http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=35.1

Also Petr has collected some more information on keyboard shortcuts and a variety of useful script macros here: http://kyticka.webzdarma.cz/3d/moi/

Let me know if you need any help getting a particular keyboard shortcut to work.

- Michael

Sketchup and Moi have the same facility of intuitive ergonomy !)
We can say that they are very near cousins in the manipulations :)
(Moi has automatic Boolean functions some powerfull (and some tool like the "follow me of SU" more powerfull too:)
You will see that you will have the same pleasure to use it!

Seems you can use it for architecture:) But at this day there is not yet a system of manage objects !
By Spezio

Yeah, I think there is a similar feel because there is a similar philosophy about trying to keep things quick and easy and uncluttered.

But there is quite a bit of difference in the specific modeling techniques...

- Michael

Michael,

Thanks for your prompt response and interest in my questions. Sketchup made me fall in love with modelling because it was so easy and intuitive. MOI is doing the same for me. I know this happens when I can't stop thinking about the possibilities in the few things I've learned. I've seen the model that spezio has created - looks great. Is there any way I could request more video tutorials from the smart guys in the forum? Those are really helpfull for modelling noobies like me.

In terms of Architecture - I wasn't talking about a componant based system of prefabricated door and window parts. I like your software because it seems like truely unique explorations could occur. Here is what I'm thinking about. I do lots of renovations/alterations to existing structures. I usually model all struture in Sketchup and texture it in that program as well. I was hoping to have the ability to bring that kind of model into MOI to explore different non-orthogonal options. SU is great for orthogonal stuff - even some non-orthogonal stuff as well. But greater freedom is definately attainable in MOI. That is why I'm thinking about. Check out this website.....http://www.ocean-north.net/


I also use Kerkythea (primarily) for rendering. In terms of workflow I'm thinking I would bring my model into Kerky via SU...... I haven't explored the possibility of importing into Kerky directly......not sure that is even possible. How do other people render their MOI projects?

Thanks so much for the links you attached - the ability to use shortcuts should really boost my productivity. I'll post something as soon as I feel I've done worthy of a post. Thanks everybody.
Ypnos

< How do other people render their MOI projects?
You can render your objects in any renderers, because you can export them from moi as format obj !
Someone will use C4D, or Blender or Carrara or any standalone renderer :)

Have good thinking of the fact that import files 3D (who are not Nurbs in Moi) are now quasi impossible! (without special plug)

A couple of last points

- Thanks to Pilou for introducing me to MOI via push pull bar

- Can things be grouped - or made into 'componants' like in sketchup - 'blocks' in AutoCad?
- How much will the program cost when it is first released? Any idea when the initial release is schedule for?

Thanks
Ypnos

Management of Blocks is not yet exist in the present Beta
Ask Michael for that :)
In another way Moi can import blocks from Rhino but at this date I suppose explode it :)
For the price maybe something like Rhino / 5
Ask Michael for that :)

Hi Ypnos,

> Is there any way I could request more video tutorials from the smart guys
> in the forum? Those are really helpfull for modelling noobies like me.

I'm sure that they will make more as time goes on. I'm also planning on doing several myself once the software is complete. That won't be too much longer.


> That is why I'm thinking about. Check out this website.....http://www.ocean-north.net/

Yup, that's the kind of form that can work well in MoI. That's the type of stuff where the quick tools that handle standard architecture quickly don't really help you.


> - Can things be grouped - or made into 'componants' like in sketchup - 'blocks' in AutoCad?

Not in version 1.0. That's definitely something that I want to add in a future version though.


> - How much will the program cost when it is first released?

It will be around US $200.


> Any idea when the initial release is schedule for?

Pretty soon! I wanted to have it finished by now already... But a few things have been taking longer than I had expected. But I'd say within a couple of months the 1.0 release should be ready.

The software itself is nearly ready, once I polish up some stuff and add a couple of more things the software for 1.0 will be complete and then I will switch gears to work on documentation for about a month or so before the whole thing is finished.

Then there will be a lot more stuff to add in future versions!

- Michael

Michael

Thanks for aswering my questions. Looks like you will have a hit on your hands! Great price point. I can definately afford that. It is always hard for grunts like me to convince principals at our office to purchase new software. I end up fronting the cost myself....producing work.....and then saying....by the way - it cost $X amount to do what I just did. Pay up! Sometimes it works - not always. I take on the risk so it's reassuring to now I won't be out taking food off my kids plates if I can't get reimbursed.

Thanks again.