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()
