Extensions:2.6/Py/Scripts/Object/Grow Modeller

From BlenderWiki

**Object: Grow Modeller**
*Grow models from base objects*
UI location	3D View, Grow Modeller Panels
Version	0.2.7	Author(s)	John Michael Palmer (jump)
Blender	2.6.3	License	GPL

**Executable information**
File name
Current version download	http://projects.blender.org/tracker/download.php/153/467/30288/21355/grow_modeller_0p2p7.zip
Python modules	mathutils, math

in progress

27%

On the way

Introduction

A different way to model objects by growing them. Models are pieced together from modified copies of 'base objects'. Objects can be given 'budnodes' and 'footnodes'. When a copy of a object is made it will be placed so it's footnode is aligned with the budnode of the Object it has 'grown' from. Here are some Models that have been grown:

If you want to leave a comment or example of work using this script please add it here on the Discussion page.

Installation

Uncompress the zip file.
Move the grow_modeller folder into /2.62/scripts/addons folder in the blender install.
Run blender
In the User Preferences select Addons and then Object: Grow Modeller

Usage

example blend files

Here are some example blend files that use the grow modeller in each case you just need to load the file (you must have the grow modeller addon running) and click on 'grow model'. If you wish to grow another model, grab the first base object that was selected when the file was opend, move it to a new place in the 3d view, click on 'reset object' then click on 'grow model' again.

A Shell. File:Growmodeller-eg-shell.blend

A Ball Tree. File:Growmodeller-eg-balltree.blend

A Quick Example

The following introduction grows a a very simple spiral staircase.

First select the default cube and using the transform panel change its dimensions to x:1.0 y:2.0 and z:0.3

Apply the scale.: It is important that the Scale is applied, because Scale changes propagate when a model is grown.

Add The Grownodes.: On the Grow Modeller panel click on Foot, to add a Footnode. The Footnode will now be selected, so to add a Budnode the cube object needs to be re-selected. You can either select the cube the normal way by clicking on it, or you can use the Grow Modeller Select panel and click Objects under To:.

Now add a Budnode buy clicking on Bud in the Grow Modeller panel.

Edit the Budnode Properties.: With the Budnode selected in the Budnode Properties panel, change the Budnode extention z:0.5 and the Rotation z:36.

You may also want to change the transform orientation to Local in the 3D View menu bar. This will allow you to see the local axis of the Objects in the 3D View.

Connect Budnodes to Footnodes.: The cube object will be the first step of the staircase. The next step will grow from this step. To do this, select the budnode where the next step will grow from (it should already be selected) and add the steps Footnode to the Growto list. This is done in the Budnode Grows into panel by first selecting the object that has the footnode from a drop-down list. Then select the footnode, again from a drop-down list and finally click on the Add to Growto list button

Grow the Model: Select the object that you want to grow from, in this case the step.

In the Grow Modeller panel change the number of generations to 20. Click on the button Grow Model to grow the model.

Clean up: You will be left with a simple staircase of 21 steps and with 42 Grownodes.

You probably won't want all those Grownodes when you continue modelling so you can easily delete them all by first selecting everything A then in the Grow Modeller Select panel clicking on Nodes under To:. Once the selection has been changed to just the grow nodes you can delete them.
Note. All the steps share the same mesh data. Try editing one step in edit mode.

Grow Modeller Panels

Grow Modeller

Grow Modeller Select

Budnode Properties

Budnode Grows Into

Glossary of Terms used

Active Age - This is the age range of an object when its budnodes are allowed to grow.
Age/Object Age - Every time an object is tested for budnodes to grow from, its age is increased by one. Effectively an objects age increases every generation.
Base Object - These are the objects with the original Mesh data and Grownodes before copies are made.
Budnode - This is an Empty, parented to an object and has grownode properties. Copies of objects with footnodes are made which attach to budnodes by aligning the budnode and the footnode for the two objects.
Footnode - when a new object grows from a budnode, the new object attaches at by a footnode.
Generations - When a model is grown all selected objects are checked for budnodes, then new objects grow from those budnodes accordingly; this is one generation. All new objects plus all the original objects are tested in the following generation.
Grownode - A Budnode or a Footnode.
Growto list - each budnode has a growto list. This is a list of all footnodes that can grow from that budnode. Those footnodes produce copies of their parent objects when they grow.
Successful Generations - objects have the probability that they will grow from a budnode in a given generation. If this happens the budnode records a successful generation

To Do and Development

The Development Roadmap, Issues, Features to be added and Ideas can be found on this page