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Another general, but useful set of scripts…. especially when you need to move around or scale 100’s of objects. RanPos.mel takes a list of selected objects and gives them a random position based on a user entered range.  RanSize.mel… well… does the same thing but gives each object a random size.

Source:RanPos.mel + RanSize.mel

Uploading a couple of simple utility scripts that I have written to help out with some generic tasks at the studio. Most of them are pretty simple, but maybe useful. They are also a good source to start learning a little MEL since they are small and pretty straight forward.

This script randomizes the position of CVs on a polygonal object based on a user entered range for the position delta.

Source:randomize.mel

I almost forgot about the metaball plug-in in for Maya (was poking around the other day and re-found it… it was like birthday + xmas). You can download it here@ highend3d. It’s pretty fun to mess around with and the latest version works with Maya 8.5 . I remember messing around with this back @ Columbia. The polygon surface tessellates in real time… its very nice. Definitely entertaining! Don’t know if its good for making buildings, but I think we will find a use for it in the studio.

Don’t have too much to say about this… check out the *.swf in the extended post and the file below.

Source:exploding_beauty.fla

Check out the *.swf>>>

As promised here is a sphere packing procedure in MEL. It uses the same logic as the previous 2D post in flash.  I used Subsurface Scattering for the image… nice effect, but doesn’t really look like jadeballs or skinballs… i’ll have to work on that

Source: SpherePack.mel

I have been meaning to do it for a while, and I have finally gotten around to messing with some circle-packing methods. We are working on a site in the studio that is evolving into a circular navigation system and we might need some of these behaviors. This method is based on steps I found on Andrew Kudless’s site MATSYS. I am going to try write this in MEL (2d&3d) in the next couple of days and I’ll post that as well. I think we may need something with interaction between multiple circles. Like this: http://www.cricketschirping.com/processing/CirclePacking1/

I am going to try and figure that out next…

Source: cpack1.fla

Check out the *.swf >>>

The beauty of the real world is that things have thickness. I don’t fall out of the studio onto 27th street because the walls and glass have thickness.

We are doing some experiments in the studio that require snap fit joints so we had a long discussion about tolerance the other day. It seems they don’t teach that in school. I know its not a button in Maya, but I would say its fairly important, maybe even more than smoothing polygons. I have learned my lessons about tolerance with grinders, power sanders, and sometimes a dremel. I know it is sort of an imaginary thing and you can’t see it Maya, Rhino, 3DS, 2nd Life, etc…. but its there and it can strike as soon as you make something real. We have made a lot of prototypes and we have a lot of parts that are broken or too loose, but we only have a few that have that notorious “exact fit.” From now on we will remember to invite tolerance to all of our building parties in the real world (well… until we forget again).

The beginning of the day….

By the end of the day!

Here is a MEL script for generating shaders with random color for a list of selected objects. I have a bunch of these small scripts to help with silly things around the studio. I wasn’t going to post them, but you should always give the little guy a chance… sometimes they’re the most helpful. I’ll post more of these in the future.

Source: RanColor.mel

More Freedom Scripts. Another script we are using in the studio for a magazine spread. This one is a little more interesting. It uses a recursive growth algorithm. The placement of the units are random points on a sphere the size of its parent. I would keep the steps and growth factor low until you mess around with it a bit, it can get a little out of hand. Oh, and these images are just for fun not for the magazine… that’s a surprise.

Source: RanCluster.mel

We are working on a project for a French fashion/art magazine at SOFTlab and we need a couple of organizational scripts.  This one is pretty simple, but useful. Similar effects can be achieved with the Animation Snapshot, but the snapshot doesn’t allow for history or some other nodes like a shader. The script also gives a little more control over a spiral organization. Have fun… it’s French.

Source: Spiral.mel