v9.0 -- mcjBuilderA - script to build anything in Daz Studio - updated sept. 16 2017

mCasual

yay @ the first scripted insertion of a "Path Cap" ( the tartan floor )

which means there's a more than faint possibility we'll get Beta 7 on Sunday

for this version only horizontal path caps will be properly handled

if you have many meshes generated by your path script, using the
"break" command, then each one can have its own path cap

Profile square
Turn 360
pathCap

RAMWolff

Beta 7?

Looks great! :-)

mCasual

i posted 6.98 saturday it has most new fixes and features
the manual was extended

IndigoJanson

Congratulations on all the progress! It's an exciting project.

mCasual

testing caps on more than 1 sub-mesh
each submesh ( see break command ) can have its own material
the path-cap material has the same name but with the _pathCap
( should i use a dash and avoid underscores? hmm
important to remember which one LuxRender dislikes)

in the case below, the "default" material is used, so all path-caps use material

define donut
Profile basic
Turn 360
pathCap
break
TransX 2
defineEnd

TransX -2
TransY .001
donut
donut
donut
TransX -5
TransZ 1.8
donut
donut

mCasual

added code to avoid crashing on nonsensical path-caps

3 sided path caps are sensical

( interesting that auto-correct accepts "nonsensical" but doesnt accept "sensical"

ring
move 1
rotate 45
setScaleX 1.4
ring
setScaleX 1
rotate 45
move 1
ring
pathCap

someday mcjBuilder will possibly be able to output more than 1 .obj file

or even, output it as a multi-part figure

------
figure 6 i didnt really take time to make credible bread texture
but anyway if you need a good bread texture
see here: http://hhh316.deviantart.com/art/Brown-bread-seamless-182658273

mCasual

~~~~ mcjBuilderA news ~~~~

i just want to correct the way the closed-path textures behave

then i'll post * ! * ! Beta 7 ! * ! *

in the bread image seen above
the bottom edge of the bread was obtained by using the closePath command
and that extra segment's UV map is stretched, which is what i'll correct now

.
.
.
... turns out i will not modify the closePath texturing technique for now

since it can produce good results the way it's set up

and we wont have to deal with any errors introduced by an attempt to fix it

the trick is to understand that closePath doesn't create the closing segment of a path
instead, it deletes the last ring, and connects the ring before that one to the first ring of the path
but we keep the valuably correct UV coordinates of the last ring.

but but i have to see if this works well with multi-mesh paths
because i suspect it doesn't

mCasual

last thing to fix ... multiple closed-path shapes

( which, at least, don't crash the script )

fig 2 Tada ! i think i got it

you know, using just mcjBuilder one could build a whole castle !

for this version Beta 7 we have ebdCaps and pathCaps, in Beta 8 we'll get vertexCaps

Profile classic_torustop
MoldSize 50 100
ClosePath On
Tread 200
StepAngle 45

Turn 360
PathCap
break

TransX 10
Turn 360
PathCap

mCasual

Beta 7 Has Arrived !!!!!!!

( said with the voice of Morgan Freeman ( on helium ) )

5 minutes before midnight

so i sort'of reached my weekend deadline

mCasual

undulating curtains using mcjBuilderA Beta 7

Profile walltop
MoldSize .1 100
closeprofile off
Tread 10
ClosePath off

// note: alcovity is multiple of stepa
var stepa 30
var alcovity 270
StepAngle stepa
Rotate -(360-alcovity)/2
Ring
repeat 6
Radius 1
Turn alcovity
Radius 1
Turn -alcovity
repeatEnd

mCasual

something that could be used as a base dor a ruffle-edge skirt

Profile walltop
MoldSize .1 100
closeprofile off
Tread 10
ClosePath off

// note: alcovity is multiple of stepa
var stepa 30
var alcovity 270
StepAngle stepa
Rotate -(360-alcovity)/2
Ring
repeat 12
Radius 1
Turn alcovity
Radius 1
Turn -alcovity-30
repeatEnd

mCasual

hey i figured something !

minimally, mcjBuilderA animates a node

if you rename this node to something else

and run mcjBuilderA again, you can animate another node with a slightly different pattern

then using mcjRibbons, you can turn those nodes into something quite complex!

... like a pleated/ruffled skirt

mCasual

h y p e r A d v a n c e d t r i c k
: using mcjBuilder to add a dress edge to the Aiko3 bodycon

mcjBuilder can use the services of the daz scripting engine

for example when you do

Move sin(3.1416)

it's the daz scripting engine that computes sin(3.1416)

in version Beta 7 you don't have direct access to some neat objects like the Scene object

( well you do if you create a DzScript() )

but in version 8 you will

as a bonus you'll have quick access to the positions of the vertices of any selected object

Here i used this to build a dress edge !

it worked because the free mcjA3Bodycon's vertices are all neatly sorted

define walk i
Tread 1
var x getX(i)
var y getY(i)
var z getZ(i)
var a getA(i)
MoveTo x y z
SetRotY a
Ring
defineEnd

repeat 64
walk count
repeatEnd

RAMWolff

very cool there Casual!

mCasual

RAMWolff said:

very cool there Casual!

thanks!

i think i'll finish the gothic walls/chapel
then the castle's stairs ( the original impetus )

then it's back to the physics engine wasnt it?

RAMWolff

All made from your script? AMAZBALLS!

mCasual

in case you're new to mcjBuilderA, here's a rush introduction

the 12 columns behind Aiko3 were created using the free Daz Studio script mcjBuilderA Beta 7

To describe mesh creation, we use the analogy of "extrusion"
some solid material is pushed through an imaginary hole/nozzle
The shape of this nozzle is referred to as the "extrusion profile" or "molding shape"

you select one of the 124 profile curves (nozzle shape), in this case a gear shape

you specify a profile size, in this case 1 ft by 1 ft ( which explains why the columns have a diameter of 1 ft

you specify a "Tread" length, in this case 1 ft -

From now on, if you order to advance the nozzle by12 steps, it will advance 12 ft

you compose an "extrusion path script" which is a series of commands in text format

you press the "Build button, it builds the object you designed and writes it to an .obj file on disk

you press the "load" button and badabing your object is in the Daz Studio world

lets go line by line over the "extrusion path script"

define acolumn
Ring
Move 12
Ring
break
Move -12
MoveX 2
defineEnd

rotateX -90

MoveTo -6*2 0 -1*2

repeat 12
acolumn
repeatEnd

──────────────────────────

define acolumn

we begin the definition of a block of commands
we chose to call this block of commands an "acolumn"

──────────────────────────

Ring

wherever we are in space
we dump a ring of vertices, that ring has the shape
of the selected profile curve, in this case a gear shape
for now they are just points in space

──────────────────────────

Move 12

we advance 12 steps forth ( 12 ft )

──────────────────────────

Ring

wherever we are in space
we dump a second ring of vertices
We have two rings and that's all we needed
The script builds a tube going from the first ring to the second one
We now have a 12 ft long gear-shaped tube

──────────────────────────

break

this tells mcjBuilder to stop building tubes
so now, if we move and create a third Ring,
there wont be a tube going from the second ring to the third ring

──────────────────────────

Move -12

we move back 12 ft, so we're exactly where we started

──────────────────────────

MoveX 2

Move to the right, 2 ft

──────────────────────────
with those 2 moves
whoever invoked the "acolumn" knows
where the "extrusion nozzle is located" ....
right where it was before the invocation
but 2 ft to the right

──────────────────────────
defineEnd
we're signaling the end of the definition
of what we chose to call an acolumn

──────────────────────────
so far we didn't create an acolumn!!
we only defined what an acolumn is

──────────────────────────

rotateX -90

when mcjBuilder starts the "extrusion nozzle" is
oriented just like Daz Studio's default camera
if the nozzle were to move forth,
it would move toward Aiko3
so we rotate it around the X ( red arrow ) axis
-90 degrees, the nozzle is facing the sky

──────────────────────────

MoveTo -6*2 0 -1*2

remembering that Tread = 1 ft
this means:
move the extrusion nozzle to the x y z coordinate
-12 0 -2

so, 12 ft to the left, at ground level, 2 ft behind Aiko
( who is currently standing at 0 0 0 )

──────────────────────────
nothing was created yet, we only defined what's an acolumn
and we moved the extrusion nozzle at the position
where we want to build the first acolumn

──────────────────────────

repeat 12

this tells mcjBuilder to ....do .... whatever follows ... 12 times
( and to stop when it encounters the word repeatEnd )

──────────────────────────

acolumn

create an acolumn, right here!

──────────────────────────

repeatEnd

this signals the end of the things we told mcjBuilder to repeat 12 times

mCasual

oh my i made a video in May :)

* * * Here's pointing at you * * *

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PD75e8vF-k

( not proud of my youtube channel productivity, i used to make a lot of videos ! )

RAMWolff

Hmmm, that's not a good link. It takes me to MY Videos which I haven't uploaded any so ... lol

mCasual

RAMWolff said:

Hmmm, that's not a good link. It takes me to MY Videos which I haven't uploaded any so ... lol

maybe here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PD75e8vF-k

the title is "Here's pointing at you" so you could find it that way

-------
( mcjSuperLathe curve converted into an mcjBuilder path )

RAMWolff

Neat. So your saying that one could create all sorts of stuff with your script, which so far from looking through all the posts, you can indeed. Are they auto UV'd or is that a separate script?

mCasual

RAMWolff said:

Neat. So your saying that one could create all sorts of stuff with your script, which so far from looking through all the posts, you can indeed. Are they auto UV'd or is that a separate script?

auto-UV

it makes tubes and caps

the list of commands you supply bends and stretches those tubes

the shape of the tube is one of the 124 bundled curves - but you can also make your own

RAMWolff

Neat. OK... I'll have to try to find the time to test this out. Currently I'm trying to get all my personal items I made that I had in DAZ Studio set back up with Smart Content data as my upgrade to 8.1 started DAZ Studio from scratch and all that went away for some stupid reason. So time consuming this content data stuff.

olmil

hey Jacques,

I play for three days with yours BuilderA.*
and now I think I'm comfortable with, I must tell you

your script is toooooooooooo much Top !!!

not only fun to play with but, for me,
it learn many things taking a look inside

and it seems anything is doable with it.

love this type of open tools instead of
premade ones

sorry for my english

congratulations for all your work and
thanks, thanks, thanks

one thing else, perhaps tou know it:
does'nt work in Ds 4.6 (release 3.50)
cause line 20 hangs (var rxChunk ...)
log says
"SyntaxError: Invalid regular expression:
range out of order in character class"

a pity, sure you can do something in the next releases

Thank you again and keep on :)

mCasual

olmil said:

hey Jacques,

...
one thing else, perhaps tou know it:
does'nt work in Ds 4.6 (release 3.50)
cause line 20 hangs (var rxChunk ...)
log says
"SyntaxError: Invalid regular expression:
range out of order in character class"
...

thanks for the tip !
i'm always using DS3A because 4.6 tends to crash on my PC

i'll post version Beta 8 very soon
it fixes an issue with closePath

still thinking about adding repeat-within-repeat

but arrays could be done using

var spacing 2
var len 7

define acolumn x z
MoveTo x*spacing 0 z*spacing
Ring
Move len
Ring
endCap
break
defineEnd

rotateX -90

repeat 16
var row Math.floor(count/4)
var col count%4
acolumn row col
repeatEnd

mCasual

mcjBuilder news

Beta 8 will be DS 4 compatible, it was only DS3 compatible

here's the first semi-succesfull run !

it built the caps, it created the vertices for the tube

but didn't .... oh wait .... nah ... it didn't build the tubes

.... oh i know ! wait wait

ah ha! it was fully functionnal, it's just that i told it to close the path
close the "ring of tube"
but our ring of tubes, was just a straight tube
the result was a zedo-length tube
but as you can see in Figure 3
when we turn off the closePath option, everything works A-OK !

i'll test all the features and post Beta 8

technically, to make the script DS4 compatible

i had to replace

var rxChunk = new RegExp( /[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*|[-+]?[0-9]*\.?[0-9]*|[+-\*\/()]/g )

with

var rxChunk = new RegExp( /[\+]|[\-]|[\*]|[\/]|[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*|[\+\-]?[0-9]*\.?[0-9]*/g )

this is used to parse your statements
and turn them into lists of operators and
numbers and function names and variable names

oops lets not forget the parenthesis !

var rxChunk = new RegExp( /[\+]|[(]|[)]|[\-]|[\*]|[\/]|[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*|[\+\-]?[0-9]*\.?[0-9]*/g )

( i'm not very RegExperienced )

Miss B

Oh that last screenshot looks like tall stacks of coins. ~LOL~

mCasual

stay tuned ( or tune back in, it's not like you need to stay tuned and wait here doing nothing )

this evening i'll post mcjBuilderA Beta 8 with Daz Studio 4.6 compatibility
it also will include access to the "Scene" object for your path scripts
maybe also access to the positions of the vertices of the selected object
so you could for example make your script build something that fits a figure!
---

i dont post it immediately because i want to perform a few dozen test runs before posting it ....

----
in the image below, the grid-walls were created in Daz Studio 4.6 using this mcjBuilderA path script

// grid
profile square
profileSize 1 1
profileUnits cm
tread 10
pathUnits cm
closePath off

define bar
Ring
Move 10
Ring
Move -10
MoveX 1
break
defineEnd

moveTo -5 0 -5
repeat 11
bar
repeatEnd

rotate 90

moveTo -5 0 5
repeat 11
bar
repeatEnd

profileSize 2 1.5

moveTo 0 0 5
Ring

repeat 4
Move 5
HardTurn 90
Move 5
Ring
repeatEnd

break

setRotY 0
moveTo 0 0 -5
Ring
Move 10
Ring

figure 2 - DS soft render .... i could do better than that but gotta return coding !

figure 3 - Testing materials and caps

see how i obtain numbered material names using the "repeat" counter

repeat 4
Material "mat"+count
theletterF
repeatEnd

mCasual

release will be ... in the night

because thorough testing is a good idea and is ongoing

testing is not uneventful :)

mCasual

more Beta 8 in DS 4.6 succesful tests

release in 45 minutes ... tic toc tic toc

... who will be the first to build a castle ?
i mean like a fortress

sorry if i'm taunting you!