Deinstance PointClouds

When distributing object-instances across the scene, it’s most oft the time, the fastest way to do this within the ice framework of Softimage. The problem comes across if the director want’s to move objects manually. There are may solutions for that. In our last project, the most effective and time efficient way was to deinstance the pointcloud and to move the objects by hand.

I have programmed a small function in Python, that makes instances of models, clones of objects and new primitives plus clones from ice primitives.

Usage:
* Just select a pointcloud and run the script.

Known Issues:
* It’s getting slow with >250 particle Instances.
* When there is no per-point rotation data is set, the script will crash. Workaround: Set a particle orientation during the emission. For example with the “randomize rotation by cone” node.

from win32com.client import constants as c
xsi = Application
log = Application.LogMessage
collSel = xsi.Selection

def deinstancePointCloud():
	if collSel(0).Type == "pointcloud":
		#Turn Off Logging
		xsi.SetValue("preferences.scripting.cmdlog", False, "")

		pointShape=collSel[0].ActivePrimitive.GetICEAttributeFromName("Shape")
		pointPosition=collSel[0].ActivePrimitive.GetICEAttributeFromName("PointPosition")
		pointOrientation=collSel[0].ActivePrimitive.GetICEAttributeFromName("Orientation")
		pointSize=collSel[0].ActivePrimitive.GetICEAttributeFromName("Size")
		pointScale=collSel[0].ActivePrimitive.GetICEAttributeFromName("Scale")


		#Get Shape Type (0-9 Ice Shapes, 129 RealObj)
		InstanceType = pointShape.DataArray[0].Type
		log(pointShape.DataArray[0].Type)
		
		#Progessbar
		oProgressBar = XSIUIToolkit.ProgressBar 
		oProgressBar.Maximum = pointShape.ElementCount 
		oProgressBar.Step = 1
		oProgressBar.Caption = "Creating Instances/Clones"
		oProgressBar.CancelEnabled = True 
		oProgressBar.Visible = True

		#Loop through all elements
		for oElements in range(0,pointShape.ElementCount):
			#Check if the shape is one of the defaults:  Point, Box, Sphere...
			if InstanceType > 9:
				if oProgressBar.CancelPressed != True:
					objectID=pointShape.DataArray[oElements].ReferenceID
					instance=xsi.GetObjectFromID(objectID)
					ppos = pointPosition.DataArray[oElements]
					prot = pointOrientation.DataArray[oElements]
					psize = pointSize.DataArray[oElements]
					pscl = pointScale.DataArray[oElements]					
					if str(instance.Type) == "polymsh":
						currInst = xsi.Clone(str(instance), "", 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "")
					if "model" in str(instance.Type):
						currInst = xsi.Instantiate(str(instance), "", 1, 1, 0, 1, "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "")
					xsi.Translate(str(currInst), ppos.X, ppos.Y, ppos.Z, "siAbsolute", "siPivot", "siObj", "siXYZ", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", 0, "")
					xsi.Rotate(str(currInst), prot.RotX, prot.RotY, prot.RotZ, "siAbsolute", "siPivot", "siObj", "siXYZ", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", 0, "")
					xsi.Scale(str(currInst), (pscl.X * psize), (pscl.Y * psize), (pscl.Z * psize), "siAbsolute", "siPivot", "siObj", "siXYZ", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", 0, "")
					log(oProgressBar.Value)
					oProgressBar.Increment()
				else:
					#Turn On Logging
					xsi.SetValue("preferences.scripting.cmdlog", True, "")
					break
			else:
				if oProgressBar.CancelPressed != True:
					#Check if the Instances are Points, Segments or Blobs
					if int(InstanceType) == 0:
						pass
					elif int(InstanceType) == 1:
						pass
					elif int(InstanceType) == 9:
						pass
					else:
						#Create a Master Disc
						if int(InstanceType) == 2:
							if oElements == 0:
								instance = xsi.CreatePrim("Disc", "MeshSurface", str(collSel[0].Name) + "_Master", "")
								xsi.SetValue(instance.Name + ".disc.innerradius", 0.01, "")
								xsi.SetValue(instance.Name + ".disc.outerradius", 1, "")
								xsi.SetValue(instance.Name + ".polymsh.geom.subdivv", 3, "")
						#Create a Master Disc
						if int(InstanceType) == 3:
							if oElements == 0:
								instance = xsi.CreatePrim("Grid", "MeshSurface", str(collSel[0].Name) + "_Master", "")
								xsi.SetValue(instance.Name + ".grid.ulength", 2, "")
								xsi.SetValue(instance.Name + ".grid.vlength", 2, "")
								xsi.SetValue(instance.Name + ".polymsh.geom.subdivu", 1, "")	
								xsi.SetValue(instance.Name + ".polymsh.geom.subdivv", 1, "")						
						#Create a Master Sphere
						if int(InstanceType) == 4:
							if oElements == 0:
								instance = xsi.CreatePrim("Sphere", "MeshSurface", str(collSel[0].Name) + "_Master", "")
								xsi.SetValue(instance.Name + ".sphere.radius", 1, "")
						#Create a Master Cube
						if int(InstanceType) == 5:
							if oElements == 0:
								instance = xsi.CreatePrim("Cube", "MeshSurface", str(collSel[0].Name) + "_Master", "")
								xsi.SetValue(instance.Name + ".cube.length", 2, "")
						#Create a Master Cylinder
						if int(InstanceType) == 6:
							if oElements == 0:
								instance = xsi.CreatePrim("Cylinder", "MeshSurface", str(collSel[0].Name) + "_Master", "")
								xsi.SetValue(instance.Name + ".cylinder.height", 2, "")
								xsi.SetValue(instance.Name + ".cylinder.radius", 1, "")
						#Create a Master Sphere
						if int(InstanceType) == 7:
							if oElements == 0:
								instance = xsi.CreatePrim("Sphere", "MeshSurface", str(collSel[0].Name) + "_Master", "")
								xsi.SetValue(instance.Name + ".sphere.radius", 1, "")
						#Create a Master Cone
						if int(InstanceType) == 8:
							if oElements == 0:
								instance = xsi.CreatePrim("Cone", "MeshSurface", str(collSel[0].Name) + "_Master", "")
								xsi.SetValue(instance.Name + ".cone.height", 2, "")
								xsi.SetValue(instance.Name + ".cone.radius", 1, "")
								xsi.SelectObj(instance, "", "")
								xsi.ActivateVertexSelTool("")
								xsi.SelectAllUsingFilter("Vertex", "siCheckComponentVisibility", "", "")
								xsi.Translate("", 0, -0.2917, 0, "siRelative", "siView", "siObj", "siY", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", 0, "")
								xsi.ActivateObjectSelTool("")
								xsi.ActivateObjectSelTool("")
								xsi.DeselectAll()
						ppos = pointPosition.DataArray[oElements]
						prot = pointOrientation.DataArray[oElements]
						psize = pointSize.DataArray[oElements]
						pscl = pointScale.DataArray[oElements]						
						currInst = xsi.Clone(str(instance), "", 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "")
						xsi.Translate(str(currInst), ppos.X, ppos.Y, ppos.Z, "siAbsolute", "siPivot", "siObj", "siXYZ", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", 0, "")
						xsi.Rotate(str(currInst), prot.RotX, prot.RotY, prot.RotZ, "siAbsolute", "siPivot", "siObj", "siXYZ", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", 0, "")
						xsi.Scale(str(currInst), (pscl.X * psize), (pscl.Y * psize), (pscl.Z * psize), "siAbsolute", "siPivot", "siObj", "siXYZ", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", 0, "")
						tempName = str(currInst)
						tempName = tempName.replace("Master", "Instance")				
						xsi.SetValue(str(currInst) + ".Name", str(tempName), "")
						log(oProgressBar.Value)
						oProgressBar.Increment()
				else:
					#Turn On Logging
					xsi.SetValue("preferences.scripting.cmdlog", True, "")
					break

		#Turn On Logging
		xsi.SetValue("preferences.scripting.cmdlog", True, "")

deinstancePointCloud()