Basic question,

How do you get the object your copying to flow all the same way ?

How do you get your objects to face away from the center of the guide geometry ?

Thanks

The Copy SOP by default aligns the Z axis of the thing being copied to the normals of the template.

So, get your normals to face outward and Bob's your Uncle!

Cheers,

Peter B

pbowmar
The Copy SOP by default aligns the Z axis of the thing being copied to the normals of the template.

So, get your normals to face outward and Bob's your Uncle!

Cheers,

Peter B

Thanks for the reply,

I am using a basic curve that is closed and it only has 1 normal in the center, so ive added a point sop before the copy sop. I am still unable to get the point normals to go around with the flow of the geometry and have looked through the help file.

I am wondering what the expression would be as i have tried:
$TX2-$TX $TY2-$TY $TZ2-$TZ in the normal parameter and the only scale variable is PSCALE for particles.

The main idea is to create a chain with every other point been a box sphere and tube, this would create a necklace.

Lyonz

look at the polyframe SOP
it can create tangent attribute and you can call it N if you will

then with the second offset curve and point SOP you can create “up” attribute (with $TX2-$TX, .. ) which you also need to correctly orient copies

This is the file im trying to sort out, i am looking at the polyframe sop at the moment but seems as it needs uvs ? I want the most basic way to do this. If you were able to correct this file i would be grateful as i work better visually and there is not an examle in the help file.

Lyonz

simple modification
i am not sure which way of the box you consider as front, but that is just a matter of rotating left input as you need

for closed curves change style in polyframe SOP to First Edge

or just unroll SOP to unroll the the curve in u
then polyframe SOP set to Two Edges (which is smoother than First Edge)
then fuse SOP to fuse back unrolled points

tamte
for closed curves change style in polyframe SOP to First Edge

or just unroll SOP to unroll the the curve in u
then polyframe SOP set to Two Edges (which is smoother than First Edge)
then fuse SOP to fuse back unrolled points

Thank you tamte you have solved all the problems i had.

I'm obviously too late with my example then

One advantage is it lets you interactively adjust the normals in a fairly intuitive way…

I didn't know about the Polyframe, which is a cool SOP!

Cheers,

Peter B

pbowmar
I'm obviously too late with my example then

One advantage is it lets you interactively adjust the normals in a fairly intuitive way…

I didn't know about the Polyframe, which is a cool SOP!

Cheers,

Peter B

Hi pbowmar,

Had a quick look through your method and im wondering how typing in $TX2-$TX $TY2-$TY $TZ2-$TZ worked for you ? As i found this in the help file but when i typed it in …nothing. Im wondering does it have something to do with the xform ?

Lyonz

Yes, you have to have the 2nd input be larger (or smaller, if you want the normals pointing inwards) to get the normals to do anything. If the two rings are identical you get 0 length normals, which aren't usually that useful

If you move the Xform up and down you can control the direction of the normals quite easily and interactively.

Cheers,

peter B

yea so basically the xform is inversing the normals when its lower than 1uniform scale. The expression for this $TX should be for points how is this working for the normals ? $NX is for normals.

Lyonz

Ah sorry. It's generating new normals that point from $TX (position of point input1) to $TX2 (position of point input2) etc. Essentially creating a new vector for the Normals from the point positions.

Cheers,

Peter B

pbowmar
Ah sorry. It's generating new normals that point from $TX (position of point input1) to $TX2 (position of point input2) etc. Essentially creating a new vector for the Normals from the point positions.

Cheers,

Peter B

Thanks i appreciate your explaination i think i full understand both yours and tamte's methods now.