Convert Instancer into geometry
Type: Python Script (py) Name: sag_instancerToGeometry Version: 1.1 Released: 2010.06.11 Download
Almost every time I use instancer to duplicate geometry via particles, I inevitably want to convert it’s result into standard keyframed objects to modify or simply delete specific ones.
At last I’ve put myself together and have written a tool for this task.
Usage:
- put sag_instancerToGeometry.py into any Maya scripts folder;
- execute python-script:
from sag_instancerToGeometry import *
sag_instancerToGeometry()- select instancer(s) you want to convert and press Convert button in tool’s window. Conversion, static channels deletion and application of euler filter will take place.
Options:
Make Duplicates/Instances – in the first case all created objects will be independent duplicates, in the second one – they will be instances of the original object (the one plugged into instancer);
Start from Current Frame – if enabled, no matter what playback range is set to and whether custom range is enabled or not, conversion will start from the current frame;
Playback/Custom Range – in the first case conversion framerange will be taken from playback range, in the second one – you can enter custom start/end frames;
Convert – [...this description was so long and intricate, that it was removed by the editor...]
Help – link to this page.
Notes:
Of course, there’re some limitations and arrears… Right now I can list these:
- rotations can be converted only from Rotation channel of instancer, Aim channels don’t get evaluated and right now I don’t think they will be at all, since the most often used orientation by velocity could be easily done via expression for the same Rotation channel, e.g.:
float $vel[] = velocity;
float $ang[] = `angleBetween -euler -v1 1 0 0 -v2 $vel[0] $vel[1] $vel[2]`;
rotPP = <<$ang[0], $ang[1], $ang[2]>>;- if an instancer channel is mapped to a “weird” attribute, that can’t be easily read – script would fail. At this point I can’t imagine why anyone would want to do this, though during the tests I’ve encountered that someone had set Scale to Ramp Velocity and my tool couldn’t read it. Possibly some useful attributes can cause problems, but that’s what updates are for.
- for proper rotations with respect to different rotationOrder types, tool has to freeze rotate channels of objects plugged into instancer. As a result, if they are driven by animation curves or expressions, or just locked – script would fail. I don’t see any point in rotating these original objects instead of doing this rotations via particle attributes as it’s meant to be done, so I didn’t bother solving this issue.
So, try it, use it and send me bugReports/toDo’s – I’ll try to correct/implement them.
Several Instancers Converted into Geometry Simultaneously
21 Responses to “Convert Instancer into geometry”
hello,friend,can you send python script to me
mail:yuyu8401936@hotmail.com
Отличная утилита!!!
I’m getting a “Bad Magic Number” error when trying to import.
Can you send me the script please? dans@floathybrid.com
Thanks.
I’ve put original .py instead of compiled .pyc, so there should be no issues anymore.
Положил исходный .py вместо скомпилированного .pyc, поэтому проблем больше не должно быть.
this is awesome man. thanks a lot.
Возможно вас заинтересует http://somesanctus.blogspot.com/2010/08/smartrotation.html
и вы пересмотрите свое отношение к каналам Aim и Up
это – пожелание включить их в утилитую.
Да, спасибо. Я в курсе что это нужно и важно, просто пока не успел обдумать как это все конвертить во вращения.
Whenever i try to source this script I keep getting a // Error: invalid directive // I’ve tried putting the script in every script folder there is in maya. What am i doing wrong? I use maya 2010 btw.
Have you tried the latest .py version? I heard old .pyc caused problems on different OSes, so I’ve put .py eventually.
Hey thanks for the quick reply, i figured out the problem, In the script editor i forgot to choose the Python menu before loading the script.
Now I have loaded the script with no errors, it seems to have loaded just fine, now my question is… Shouldn’t there apear a GUI box whenever i load this script? cause nothing happens.
Am i missing a step or something? Pardon my noobness, I’ve never loaded a python script before.
Oh I forgot to mention that after i loaded the script I ran the “from sag_instancerToGeometry import *
sag_instancerToGeometry()” lines, and a GUI box apears, but it only contains “Start from Current Frame” button.
We are running linux here at the company, perhaps thats the reason, rest of the GUI is missing?
well I guess you could just delete my posts, I got it to work now for some odd reason. = /
Thanks for the help btw.
This tool is really neat at creating objects that translates along with the instanced objects, my question now is… it is possible for it to simulate the rotation of each instanced object/particle as well?
Good that everything is working eventually.
Script bakes rotations, but from ‘Rotation’ channel only – no aims. There’s a mention about that in notes above. So, if you have it mapped – everything should be fine, if you use aims – you should try to convert them into rotations for baking or rotate baked objects afterward.
Alright thanks alot for the tip Sagroth, very appreciated.
Love the script. Thanks for putting it out there!
Your script works beautifully. Thank you so much for making it available. I very often have to create instances on a surface which is the goal of the particles. The instances Aim Direction is connected to Goal World Normal 0 PP so that they get oriented along the surface normal. Is there a way to transfer the instances orientation to the Rotation channel so that your script evaluates it?
Thank you!
Yeap, you just need to use your goalWorldNormal0PP instead of velocity in the angleBetween formula I wrote above. And I think goalWorldNormal0PP won’t get generated at birth, so put this script into runtime expression instead of creation.
Thanks so much Sagroth. It works great!!
Thanks a lot, It saved me quite a lot of time today
you are a great person!!!
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