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Connecting many objects with varying splines
Posted: 28 July 2022 04:32 AM   [ Ignore ]  
Total Posts:  2
Joined  2021-07-26

Mornin’

I have something like a 3D Plexus, where some objects get “pulled out” into focus.
Those objects vary in size and connection strenght (line thickness) and there are many!

The whole plexus will bei in a 3D rotable null.

Since there are 50+ objects (with each to each connections) in each scene with varying connections strengths (splines with sweep), this would be extremly cumbersome to connect via constraint tags.

Maybe someone has an idea how to dynamicaly (like atom array) connect those.
Would it be feasible to outsource it to someone creating an xpresso script, which holds a table with object names (A; B; Strength) to generate this splines?

thanks!

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Posted: 28 July 2022 05:28 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 1 ]  
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Hi andi,

That will create nearly 2500 object to neighbor connections if each sends out one “wire” to anyone else, or roughly half of it if one direction is already enough.

Here is simple one:
The key is a little Xpresso and a segment spline with the number of segments needed. I create those segments typically manually by just drawing a two-point linear spline. Then created nine copies, so I have ten. Connecting and deleting is the next step. Then again, nine copies, Connect and delete = 100.
Again and you have 1000. Or learn Python or Neutron.

Anyway, the Xpresso is not Complex and with the Detail. Scale in the Sweep, some random diameters are set up in no time.
The double connections can be avoided with some more care, and it would require some more rules.

Example with ten objects
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/aTfSYoMNA2KhvBheUxZjBA6uyDSFKFcvhUVAqZzEK52
or
https://www.dropbox.com/s/axpksde94s1cpbc/CV3_S26_drs_22_NOtp_01.c4d.zip?dl=0

Enjoy.

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Dr. Sassi V. Sassmannshausen Ph.D.
Cinema 4D Mentor since 2004
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Posted: 28 July 2022 05:50 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 2 ]  
Total Posts:  2
Joined  2021-07-26

Thank you very much for the blazingly fast answer and your example!
I need to dig into this xpresso code some more.

Thanks!!

Dr. Sassi - 28 July 2022 05:28 AM

Hi andi,

That will create nearly 2500 object to neighbor connections if each sends out one “wire” to anyone else, or roughly half of it if one direction is already enough.
...

Enjoy.

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Posted: 28 July 2022 06:00 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 3 ]  
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Thank you, andi.

I will look into a cleaner solution. The idea is that if you have five objects, then we already have five connections to themself (five by five matrix). Which we can skip five ((5X)-5)=20

Then we are left with all connections (20), but they are all double. So for a 5x5, we need practically ten splines to connect all. But that means we have to find some simple rules. I think I did it a decade ago that way, but setting it up (newly) is undoubtedly faster than searching. wink

Cheers

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Dr. Sassi V. Sassmannshausen Ph.D.
Cinema 4D Mentor since 2004
Maxon Master Trainer, VES, DCS

Photography For C4D Artists: 200 Free Tutorials.
https://www.youtube.com/user/DrSassiLA/playlists

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