Particle Goals plugin finally done and submited, sorry about the wait.

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Particle Goals plugin finally done and submited, sorry about the wait.

Particle Goals plugin finally done and submited, sorry about the wait.

2004-04-17 - By lpiasecki76

Back

Reply: 1 2 3 4

I know I promised this a while ago. Unfortunately last year of school proved
to be hectic.

hopefully the exams will be easy and then I'm off to looking for a job :-).

I just got a few hours tonight to finish it. This is my first
script/plug-in.

Without any modesty I think it's better than Maya's goals, although slower
:-).

I submitted it to XSINET, the reference is 2737. I guess it will be
reviewed and posted.

I also tried to post it on XSIBase, but it seems that I need to give it html
link to my web site, which I don't have. I'm not certain if I can upload the
file somehow to XSI Base.

Anyway, enjoy and if you have any questions or suggestions or ideas for
particle plug-ins and behaviours, let me know, but keep in mind that I'm
just starting XSI scripting, although I do have fairy good understanding of
math and graphics, just have to learn the XSI api :-).

Here's the content of the index.html file included with the ParticleGoals
plugin/script:

Plug-in name: ParticleGoalsV1

Author: Luke Piasecki

Copyright April 2004

General notes:

Sorry it took so long for the plug-in. It took me about 15 hrs to code it.
I'm writing the docs at 5am, so there might be a lot of mistakes.

This was my first XSI script, so it's far from perfect. If you have any
suggestions, bugs etc. email me at lpiasecki76@(protected)

I only have access to XSI at school, so updates might be slow to come.
Again, sorry about the wait, but I was swamped with school work and such.

I assume no responsibility for any damage in anyway caused by use of this
plug-in :-). Gotta say it, sorry: use at your own risk.

Description:

This simple plug-in was designed to simulate and extent the functionality of
particle goals found in Alias Maya software.

Some of the features:

- Any object can be used as a goal, including nurbs, polygons, and other
particle clouds! All these can be animated, including their history.

- Speed to the goal can be adjusted

- Randomization of goal per particle is supported

- Particles can be made to randomly flock around object

- Don't forget to make you goal object a collision object, for some cool
effects or animate the goal object history.

- All goal parameters can be animated

- Offset from objects surface can be set

- Particles can have their goal weight decreased with their age

- Particles can use part of object as a goal

Installation:

Drag the 'LukesParticleGoalsV1.xsiaddon' onto XSI workspace.

Usage:

- Select a simulated cloud of particles

- Go to View>Custom Toolbars > Particles

- Click on the 'SetupGoals' button

- Select a nurbs, polygon or another particle cloud as the goal object

Your goal object will have a custom property set called 'ParticleGoal'. Play
with the parameters. You might want to turn off command logging to speed up
the particles.

Limitations:

I wish we could have some global per particle data. It would let me
distribute the particles around the object and have the remember their
position.

In the current implementation, the particles will only use vertices and
points (or other particles) as the goal positions.

This same limitation applies to 'RandomizeGoalPoints' parameter. A particle
will switch its goal vertex every frame. I can't make it remember which
vertex it has and add some kind of structure and more control over intervals
of switching goal points.

When you turn on 'WiggleAroundPoints' make sure you increase 'SpeedToGoal'.

Finally, the 'RandomizeGoalStrength' is not working the way I would like to.
I'll take a look at it someday, but feel free to change, modify, hack the
code to your liking.

Ability to use part of object as the goal is quite limited to how XSI stores
the points in the point array. For instance, if you choose to only cover 10%
of the object, which has 100 points, it will be the first 10 points in the
point array.

Surface offset must be set to 1 for the particles to cover the surface... so
just pretend its 0. So 1 for 0 offset :-).

If you have multiple goal objects acting at the same time, the particles
will assume a position which is a blend between the goals. If you want the
particles to go from one goal to another, animate the SpeedToGoal attribute.

I have not fully tested this with complex objects!

Future additions:

- Implement ability to use weight maps to paint the goals

- Have the particles cover the whole object, not just it's vertices

- Lots more ideas, just too little time :-).

Brief description of the parameters:

SpeedToGoal - self explanatory

SurfaceOffset - self explanatory

RandomizeGoalPoints - particle will switch its goal vertices each frame

PercentOfPoints - percent of points to consider for goals. For instance, if
you set it to 50%, and your object is primitive>sphere, particles will cover
half of the sphere

Under_OverShoot - particles will overshoot their target and then comeback in
a spring-like behaviour. If this number is negative they will slow down as
they approach the goal

ParticleAgeAffectsGoal - the older the particle, the slower it gets, just
like all of us :-)

Randomize... parameters - self explanatory

Wiggle around points - particle will never stick to a point, but more so,
they will wiggle around it :-) Not sure what this is useful for, but
wiggling is cool!

Experiment and enjoy!

This plug-in can be used to simulate a lot of forces and particles behaviour
that could not be done otherwise.

Not if we only could get hyper voxel-like rendering :-(.

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<body lang=EN-CA link=blue vlink=purple>

<div class=Section1>

I know I promised this a while ago. Unfortunately last year
of school proved to be hectic.<o:p></o:p>

hopefully the exams will be easy and then I’m off to
looking for a job J.<o:p></o:p>


I just got a few hours tonight to finish it. This is my
first script/plug-in.<o:p></o:p>

Without any modesty I think it’s better than Maya&
#8217;s
goals, although slower J.<o:p></o:p>


I submitted it to XSINET, the reference is 2737. I 
guess it
will be reviewed and posted.<o:p></o:p>

I also tried to post it on XSIBase, but it seems that I need
to give it html link to my web site, which I don’t have. I’m not
certain if I can upload the file somehow to XSI Base.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Anyway, enjoy and if you have any questions or suggestions
or ideas for particle plug-ins and behaviours, let me know, but keep in mind
that I’m just starting XSI scripting, although I do have fairy good
understanding of math and graphics, just have to learn the XSI api J.<o:p></o:p>


<o:p> </o:p>

Here’s the content of the index.html file included
with the ParticleGoals plugin/script:<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Plug-in name: ParticleGoalsV1<o:p></o:p>

Author: Luke Piasecki   <o:p></o:p>

Copyright
April 2004<o:p></o:p>

General notes:<o:p></o:p>

Sorry it
took so long for the plug-in. It took me about 15 hrs to code it. I'm writing
the docs at <st1:time Minute="00" Hour="5" w:st="on">5am</st1:time>, so there
might be a lot of mistakes.<o:p></o:p>

This was
my first XSI script, so it's far from perfect. If you have any suggestions,
bugs etc. email me at <a href="mailto:lpiasecki76@(protected)">lpiasecki76
@(protected)</a><o:p></o:p>

I only
have access to XSI at school, so updates might be slow to come. Again, sorry
about the wait, but I was swamped with school work and such.<o:p></o:p>

I assume no responsibility for any damage in anyway caused by
use of this plug-in J. Gotta say it,
sorry: use at your own risk. <o:p></o:p>

Description:<o:p></o:p>

This
simple plug-in was designed to simulate and extent the functionality of
particle goals found in Alias Maya software.<o:p></o:p>

Some of the features:<o:p></o:p>

- Any
object can be used as a goal, including nurbs, polygons, and other particle
clouds! All these can be animated, including their history.<o:p></o:p>

- Speed
to the goal can be adjusted<o:p></o:p>

-
Randomization of goal per particle is supported<o:p></o:p>

-
Particles can be made to randomly flock around object<o:p></o:p>

- Don't
forget to make you goal object a collision object, for some cool effects or
animate the goal object history.<o:p></o:p>

- All
goal parameters can be animated<o:p></o:p>

- Offset
from objects surface can be set<o:p></o:p>

-
Particles can have their goal weight decreased with their age<o:p></o:p>


-
Particles
can use part of object as a goal<o:p></o:p>

Installation:<o:p></o:p>

Drag the
'LukesParticleGoalsV1.xsiaddon' onto XSI workspace.<o:p></o:p>

 <o
:p></o:p>

Usage:<o:p></o:p>

 -
Select a simulated cloud of particles<o:p></o:p>

 -
Go to View>Custom Toolbars > Particles<o:p></o:p>

 -
Click on the 'SetupGoals' button<o:p></o:p>

 -
Select a nurbs, polygon or another particle cloud as the goal object<o:p></o:p>


Your goal
object will have a custom property set called 'ParticleGoal'. Play with the
parameters. You might want to turn off command logging to speed up the
particles.<o:p></o:p>

 <o
:p></o:p>

Limitations:<o:p></o:p>

I wish we
could have some global per particle data. It would let me distribute the
particles around the object and have the remember their position.<o:p></o:p>

In the
current implementation, the particles will only use vertices and points (or
other particles) as the goal positions. <o:p></o:p>

This same
limitation applies to 'RandomizeGoalPoints' parameter. A particle will switch
its goal vertex every frame. I can't make it remember which vertex it has and
add some kind of structure and more control over intervals of switching goal
points.<o:p></o:p>

When you
turn on 'WiggleAroundPoints' make sure you increase 'SpeedToGoal'.<o:p></o:p>

Finally,
the 'RandomizeGoalStrength' is not working the way I would like to. I'll take a
look at it someday, but feel free to change, modify, hack the code to your
liking.<o:p></o:p>

Ability
to use part of object as the goal is quite limited to how XSI stores the points
in the point array. For instance, if you choose to only cover 10% of the
object, which has 100 points, it will be the first 10 points in the point
array.<o:p></o:p>

Surface
offset must be set to 1 for the particles to cover the surface... so just
pretend its 0. So 1 for 0 offset :-).<o:p></o:p>

If you
have multiple goal objects acting at the same time, the particles will assume a
position which is a blend between the goals. If you want the particles to go
from one goal to another, animate the SpeedToGoal attribute.<o:p></o:p>

I have
not fully tested this with complex objects!<o:p></o:p>

Future additions:<o:p></o:p>

-
Implement ability to use weight maps to paint the goals<o:p></o:p>

- Have
the particles cover the whole object, not just it's vertices<o:p></o:p>

- Lots
more ideas, just too little time :-). <o:p></o:p>

 <o
:p></o:p>

Brief description of the parameters:<o:p><
/o:p>

SpeedToGoal - self explanatory <o:p></o:p>

SurfaceOffset - self explanatory <o:p></o:p
>

RandomizeGoalPoints  - particle will
switch its goal vertices each frame<o:p></o:p>

PercentOfPoints - percent of points to
consider for goals. For instance, if you set it to 50%, and your object is
primitive>sphere, particles will cover half of the sphere<o:p></o:p>

Under_OverShoot - particles will overshoot
their target and then comeback in a spring-like behaviour. If this number is
negative they will slow down as they approach the goal<o:p></o:p>

ParticleAgeAffectsGoal - the older the
particle, the slower it gets, just like all of us :-)<o:p></o:p>

Randomize... parameters - self explanatory
<o:p></o:p>

Wiggle around points - particle will never
stick to a point, but more so, they will wiggle around it :-) Not sure what
this is useful for, but wiggling is cool!<o:p></o:p>

 <o
:p></o:p>

Experiment
and enjoy!<o:p></o:p>

This
plug-in can be used to simulate a lot of forces and particles behaviour that
could not be done otherwise.<o:p></o:p>

Not if we
only could get hyper voxel-like rendering :-(.<o:p></o:p>

 <o
:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

</div>

</body>

</html>