Pfx On Mesh Path Curve

[stealth-kid]

hi. let's say i create a polygon mesh, i make it paintable and i paint something on it. i need to get the world position of CV[0] of the path curve on mesh (the curve parented under the poly shape node, after it gets through the curveFromMesh node). to be more clear, if i paint just one tube, i need the closest point (in world space) to the base of that tube. i figured CV[0] of the path curve drawn on the mesh would be that point, but how can i get its position?
thanks.

[duncanbrinsmead]

If you created a pfx stroke then you can simply get the outPoint array values:
getAttr strokeShape1.outPoint[0]

With a stroke on a mesh there is a 3D curve generated (although only the x and y positions on the curve are set) which then feeds into a curveFromMesh node(which interprets xy as uv and ignores the z). The curve from mesh node also has an input mesh and it outputs a curve which feeds into the stroke node( the stroke knows how to derive the curve positions and normals based on the surface). There is no output "path" curve in this setup. However one can convert pfx to curves if desired, which would yield a true 3d curve(with history).

Duncan

[stealth-kid]

thank you for the reply. i had found a more low-tech solution: turning on end caps for the brush and converting to polygons. so far, vtx[0] was always where i expected it to be (i have only one tube per stroke). should this quick-fix ever fail, i will use your solution.

i have another question. if i have a poly mesh with some strokes painted on it, i need to export and then import just the pfx strokes and brushes, without the mesh. basically, i need to transfer the paint effects from one model to another one which is further along in the pipeline. both the source and destination meshes are identical. i found a way to do this and it works, but what gave me a bit of a headache was transferring the curve parented under the shape node of the source mesh. whenever i tried to unparent it, it said it was not possible to do so in the underworld. just out of curiosity, is there any (clean) way of moving that curve to a different hierarchy?