hey Pilou, i cant install scripts as fast as you yet ;o)
But yes looks super cool and im glad you might see use for it as well...

Having seen your 'gif' video - even more apparent is I really like the logic of way Michael
has set this up e.g. Target alignment object 1st.

FYI: in other software would typically select the sources 1st...
More i I think about Michael's "target 1st" approach more i like it.

Small details can make big differences.

the more speed install method for a simple script than above

Input the script inside the folder commands
call it by a classical shortcut
or press tab and write "CenterOnFirstSelected" and press Enter
you can write "CenterOnfirstselected" , "CenterONfirstselected", "centeronfirstselected"
etc but without space...

the more hard method is to use the Custom UI by MaxSmirnov

Extras is another easy way to be able to access your scripts: https://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=10353.1

--Larry

After watching a few youtube videos on car modeling via Rhino and next version of Plasticity, I would vote for XNURBS and the ability to import Sketchup models.

Cheers and many thanks

Kenmo

You can yet import SKP files directly inside Moi!
Maybe just convert them in 2017 SketchUp version !

Sorry but I was not aware MOI3D ver 4 could import native Sketchup files. Is it a plugin or script that is required. Never the less, this is great news.

Sorry It's EXPORT SKP!

So In SKetchUp export as OBJ format without Texture ( some free Plugins by Tig or Thomthom)

Then reload it inside Moi by the plugin _ImportObj by Max Smirnov
https://moi3d.com/download/scripts/max/ImportObj.v.1.5.2015.09.10.zip
and Escape as soon as your OBJ object it's reloaded !

You must have the geometric wire..

Another cool solution but...
AN SKP file from Trimble 3DWarehouse (you must have a Gmail address )

Open the SKP file inside the free PCon Planner
https://pcon-planner.com

Export as OBJ format

Launch Obj23dmWireframe By Michael Gibson
http://moi3d.com/download/Obj23dmWireframe.zip
You will obtain a 3dm file format

As you can see some faces are not present but...

The image above inside Vizcom :)
(you can also insert the file OBJ directly inside Vizcom !!!

Hi Kenmo , re: import SketchUp models - that isn't really feasible because SketchUp files contain only polygon mesh data, not CAD surfaces and solids.

Something that looks like a sphere for example in SketchUp is not a single sphere surface like it is in a CAD program. It's actually made up of a lot of little triangles.

Moi is not designed to work with that type of polygon mesh data, you would need to use a polygon mesh editing program to work on SketchUp models, not MoI.

- Michael

Not sure if my minor usability suggestion to show / hide images using object manager was missed (few posts before)

Another feature request “wishing for V5” >

Ability to link commands together to create basic workflows…(I’ve seen this requested elsewhere
a few times)

leading to…

basic macro recorder perhaps with a tree view / step by step interface .

I suggested in an email to Michael if a script recorder had some sort of “live” window showing users the commands syntax it creates it could become quite educational…

Whatever could be introduced in this area of “simple automation” could introduce major usability improvements for users who may use set tools in set orders, again and again…

Hi stefano,

re:
> Not sure if my minor usability suggestion to show / hide images using
> object manager was missed (few posts before)

I saw it, I didn't know that you needed a reply to it though.

It does make sense - the reason why it's not done that way currently is that the Scene Browser did not exist at the time that the View > Image command was created.

At some point I would like to move it under the scene browser but I don't know when.


> basic macro recorder perhaps with a tree view / step by step interface .

It's also a good idea but will involve quite a lot of work to implement. So it's difficult to know when that might happen.

- Michael

Cheers for the reply Michael. Have an idea that I might see as a minor improvement for dxf import >

For V5 >

Can you provide an import option to copy dxf object name or dxf
exported layer straight to object list instead of or in addition to styles list…

Hi stefano,

re:
> Can you provide an import option to copy dxf object name or dxf
> exported layer straight to object list instead of or in addition to styles list…

I'm not sure that there is a concept of an object name in DXF, it is focused on using layers for organizing things.

Do you have an example DXF file that has some object names set in it?

- Michael

Hi Michael correct maybe to be precise I would be talking dxf entities or shapes or type 8 layers not dxf objects as dxf is the file format

So when these “shapes” or lines and curves are exported out of Corel to moi for example and I’ve got a coloured layer with some shapes inside at moment they seem to appear in moi styles (all as black)

Can we get these into the objects list as an option and ideally coloured ?

Happy to prepare a test file when on pc…

Hi stefano, there are 2 ways that colors can be set up in DXF files. An entity can have color as an object property or it can have color "BYLAYER" which means it gets color from the layer the object is assigned to.

MoI itself only has the "BYLAYER" method of setting up color where color comes from the style assignment.

There is not any mechanism in MoI for an object to have a color as a direct object property instead of from the style assignment.

So because of this MoI will only read layer colors from DXF and does not try to do anything with entity level colors.

It might be possible to do something about this like if your DXF files have all entities on a layer set with the same entity color. I would need to see an example file to know if that is the case.

But if it is making a DXF that has different entity colors for things on the same layer then that probably won't be compatible with MoI's "By style" only color setup.

One reason why MoI only supports "by style" colors is it simplifies making a materials list when exporting to a rendering file format, the style list can be directly converted to a render materials list.

For object name, I can probably set up a script that will do that after you do an import, I would need an example file to test with.

- Michael

Hi Michael, attached the files...
Created 2 layer file in coreldraw and exported as ACAD2000 (dxf)
coloured the layers using RGB pallette..

1 of moi files shows you straight dxf import
2 moi file shows you sort of result i'd expect or hope for.

Hi stefano, for the names set up a shortcut key with this on it and trigger it after you do the DXF import:

script: /* Copy style name to object name */ var objs = moi.geometryDatabase.getSelectedObjects(); var styles = moi.geometryDatabase.getObjectStyles(); for ( var i = 0; i < objs.length; ++i ) { var obj = objs.item(i); if ( obj.styleIndex < styles.length ) { obj.name = styles.item( obj.styleIndex ).name; } }

I'll see if the DXF importer can be adjusted to get the color from entity properties if there are no "BYLAYER" entities and all entities on the layer have the same entity color which seems to be how your DXF is structured.

- Michael

Hi Michael, thanks a lot for this...will try !
As the import was not getting the result expected e.g. "all black" in styles list
the dxf-export file (from corel) tried to cover both bases. - it was not my intention to also have to colour the layers initially***.
i did it both ways as an experiment to see if it made any import-difference to getting colours on into MOI styles list.

My opinion is:

If the dxf shapes (or entities from corel) was coloured and/or the layer coloured and moi could intelligently pick up would be very flexible.
Or i guess it might need an import tweak with a few options.

** I do think colours by layer is the best approach for larger imports of many dxf entities or doing an import from
a more organised drawing,whereas byentity colour would be the icing on the cake - might be used when there
is less objects to import or less organised drawing.

Food for thought! I'd hesitate a guess MOI DXF importer could cover both bases.

Would you like me to give you any more flavours of dxf export from coreldraw?
I currently have 3 licensed versions X3, X6, X9.

<< basic macro recorder perhaps with a tree view / step by step interface .

There is a record by / for Elephant! By Nkallen
See bottom page!
https://moiscript.weebly.com/install-elephant.html