Branches Generator Script

[metasword]

Hi there,

I have used in the past the 'An Ivy Generator by Thomas Luft' and imported the meshes into Maya

http://graphics.uni-konstanz.de/~luft/ivy\_generator/

but I was wondering if there is any kind of script that will do the same giving me more control over the output: for example over the direction, how to avoid objects, etc.

I have seen examples in movies like Hollow Man
http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com...6&Itemid=68

and I know there are designers using scripts to grow branches and that stuff
http://suckerpunchdaily.com/xuberant\_2.jpg

Any ideas?

Thanks
Metasword

[gmask]

Well in the case of Hollowman they say they used guide curves so there was no avoidance and then in the case of that design reference I'm not sure that was scripted.

There might be some scripts around that demonstrate some of the features you are asking for but to get what you want it's probably gonna require some custom scripting.

[joojaa]

Hollow man is actually raymarched in many places so its kindof not geometry at all most of the time is actually built form a volume field by sampling steps. The body is based on the human scan model made forma real medical data if i remeber correctly and the data has different tissue typesmarked out in it. Anyway you can now easily build things out fo volume fields as you can voxelize the data and let computer build a mesh out of that. I usually use mathematica for this.

Anyway what you seek is a L-parser tough with some added intteligence.

[metasword]

That's the magic word. An L-system parser with intelligence. Something like this?
http://www.arch.columbia.edu/gsap/42142

I saw also in a post something related with the Magic Level in Lightwave that creates growth from an object
http://www.cgform.com/images/028.gif

I took some images of a Maya script that creates something like that at an exhibition . How do I uploaded from my computer?

[joojaa]

QUOTE(metasword @ 03/16/09, 09:15 PM) [snapback]303157[/snapback]
That's the magic word. An L-system parser with intelligence. Something like this?

Read on Lsystems they are pretty torughly developped to describe most plants, Even pfx is a sort of Lsystem

Anway you can easily make avoidance seek if you have time to grow the plant. Do rudimentary L sytem (you can download ones for maya form this site), then add a additional step to segment generation. At each step bake to verices the top vertexs ambient occlusion bent normal and Opt turning that way. This will naturally avoid the other parts as it want to turn towards the sun just like a real plant.

Ive done this several times, this si just the easy way you could go all fancy but not with mel.
QUOTE
Magic Level in Lightwave that creates growth from an object

thats not actually at all hard to do. You can do taht with extrude.

heres a four year old 10 mintute concept test mockup of growing things along paths.
QUOTE
How do I uploaded from my computer?

You dont you uppload them elswhere and link the image in

[metasword]

Thanks Joojaa. Here are the links about the exhibition(sorry about the bad quality of the image):
http://rapidshare.com/files/210091556/IMG\_0015.JPG.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/210091557/138\_...\_space.pdf.html

It looks like they are extruding the vertex randomly but at the same time affected by forces.