[Plugin] SurfaceGen (0.9.0b) — 28 April 2012

[TIG]

Cool.
The 'rand' function is also interesting...

Capture.PNG

[jim4366]

I'm sure it's simple but..
Can I re-size the user window? Can't see the generate button.

[Diggsey]

Just updated again fixing a small bug with the expression parser.

Check out this graph:

Equation = min(((max(abs(y)-(2*sqrt(z+4)) ,(x+0.5*abs((abs(y)+4)/3.5)/(1+(((abs(y)+4)/3.5)^2-2)^2)/2 *2/(1+(z-2)^2)+abs(y/1.5)^3.5/7 ) )*max( max( abs(x+0.15+(y/0.7)^2)+(z-1.3)/1.4,max(z-2.3, max( abs(x+0)/2.4 -1+2*abs(1.5*y)+(z+0.1)/2 , -z ))) ,x-0.8+z/2)-0.1 )*(abs(x+y^2/3)-0.2+abs(abs(z+1.8)-(0.5-(y/2)^2) )^1.2 )-0.1 ),( (x+1.2+abs(y)/10)^2+(abs(y)-1.1)^2/2.5+(z-2.3)^2/1.8-0.64))
x: -3 to 1
y: -4 to 4
z: -4 to 5.4


@TIG
Yes you can use any built in ruby function;)

@jim
I can't make the window resizable because it is shown and hidden by resizing it to a fixed value and zero respectively, and there is no API function to get the size of the window to save it. However, you can easily change the height of the window. Open surfacegen.rb in notepad and change the line "WINDOW_HEIGHT = 320" to about "WINDOW_HEIGHT = 350". You can try different values until you get what you want.

[driven]

yes,

working on the mac...

I don't know if I downloaded before or after your latest tweak,
is there a version number somewhere on the files?

another thing, is it possible to have a 'use last' settings option?

playing around with the box size on the head requires [re]inputting the data each time
cheers
john

[Diggsey]

If you need to use the same settings as last time just copy and paste the graph, and then change the settings you need to. All the settings are stored as attributes of the graph so will be copied with it. If you need to change the size you can use the scale tool just as easily as creating a new graph.

[notareal]

You already have 'pi' [in lowercase] as a function?

Also now in axes... get improvement with other functions too

[driven]

BTW.. the varying size of content seen by jim is most likely due to your using [ font-size: 8pt; ] as although 1px=0.75pt different browsers treat pt oddly,

with safari, in SU, on my mac 8pt is reading as 8px and everything fits if a bit small.

[jim4366]

Open surfacegen.rb in notepad and change the line "WINDOW_HEIGHT = 320" to about "WINDOW_HEIGHT = 350".

Thanks. 380 let's me see the generate button. Hope it's not a bother, but also the width. Can that be increased?
Actually, no need. It was because I have the font size of win 7 bumped up one step.
So it's okay. Thanks again.

[notareal]

Got some inspiration from http://abdelhamid394.blogspot.com/

[Pixero]

This is very cool.
Two questions:
Is there any noise available? If not that would be a great addition.
I've tried with rand but that isn't noise.

A few links to good sites with functions and equations for surfaces would also help getting up to speed.

[Diggsey]

I've updated the first post with version 0.8.

@Pixero
What exactly do you mean by noise? Surely just adding (rand-0.5) will put noise on the graph?

[Jim]

Thanks, Diggsey.

Just a minor annoyance. Since the dialog steals the focsus, whenever I select a Surface, my SU shortcuts don't work. For example, select the Surface to move it - press the 'm' shortcut to Move it - can't Move it because the dialog got the keypress.

[Diggsey]

Unfortunately, I don't think there's a way to give focus back to SketchUp from ruby. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong!)

[Jim]

I don't think so either, and I realize a small change in workflow is all that's required - but as the saying goes "old habits die hard." No worries.

[TIG]

If you pick a surfacegen-entity the surfacegen-dialog appears.
Minimize that surfacegen-dialog.
The focus will then return to the SKP window.
So now you can use shortcuts etc to Move the selected entity etc.
Restore the surfacegen-dialog to change the surfacegen-entity's settings...

[Pixero]

What exactly do you mean by noise? Surely just adding (rand-0.5) will put noise on the graph?

With random numbers there is no relationship between a given random and the next random.
Noise however, produces a naturally ordered smooth sequence of numbers with makes it more useful when creating surfaces or textures. (Think surface displacement to create waves and clouds.)
Here's a few links that explain it better than I can:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplex_noise
http://www.noisemachine.com/talk1/
http://webstaff.itn.liu.se/~stegu/simpl ... xnoise.pdf

[Pixero]

Instant roof.

instant_roof.jpg

[d12dozr]

Just uploaded a fairly major update to the first post!
...
@d12dozr
Helpful error message are now shown when an expression is invalid.

Thank you...helps me take my baby steps

One thing...when I start a new SU file from File -> New, the dialog for SurfaceGen doesn't pop up. It does work if I close SU down completely and restart. I can draw the boundary box, but then cannot do anything else. I opened the Ruby Console while opening a new file, but didn't get any error messages.

[robert111]

nice roof Pixero

but your fonction is not visible.

[Pixero]

-abs(x)+sin(8*y)

The rest I think you can see in the picture.

[Oxer]

Thanks Diggsey for this incredible plugin!
I have translated the plugin to spanish language.

SurfaceGen 0.8 .zip

[noteman8.0]

nice plugin....THX

[LannorMov]

Me gusta este pluguin,se ve interesante, pero lo veo un poco complicado y de poco uso en Arquitectura, no sé si en otras carreras sea tan útil. Voy a buscarle una función. gracias Oxer.

[66searcher]

@Diggsey
great plugin ! great job !

[LannorMov]

El otro dia dije "Gracias Oxer" cuando en realidad quería decir "Gracias Diggsey"
Disculpa.

[66searcher]

a test :

[justinplunkett]

I feel like a 5 year old. The geometric forms created are gorgeous and I haven't the faintest idea how to use this.

[make.GQ.china]

Thank you very much! Good plugin

[Heven7_floor]

Thanks you very great plugin

[boilingsnow]

Very cool plugin!
But a progress bar could be very helpful. Because I 've installed it and by performing the plugin it seems to take hours to generate a surface and I don't know if it is really working!

I've waited for more than 25 minutes for a simple eqation so I have to give up finally...
In other words, I can't get it work in my sketchup 8.