Mograph(cloner)

Helper

On 19/04/2014 at 08:56, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Just to dig this thread back up..

I`m looking at getting the bounding radius of the individual clones:

I can do this by accessing the Scale() parameter of the modata matrix ( similar to getting the .off position as in Scott`s code above ) and then multiply it by the GetRad() of the original base object being cloned and adding that result to the GetRad() value. So basically - original object radius + ( clone scale * original object radius ) = actual clone size.

HOWEVER - what happens if there are more than one child objects of the cloner? The modata matrix for each clone provides the scale but doesnt differentiate between which child object its cloned from..

In GetMoDataReference theres an index parameter, which is apparently for objects with multiple modatas ( text being an example apparently ) but i cant see any way of using that.. I thought maybe thered be a separate modata for each source clone if that makes sense.

So - is there any way to do this or is it just not possible? Any way to tell which clone came from which source object or anything like that..?

Any ideas or suggestions appreciated..

Helper

On 19/04/2014 at 09:20, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Just thinking out loud here.. I guess if the Cloner is set to Iterate, i could then step through the matrix array and reference the Scale value to each source objects GetRad value in order - but if the Cloner is set to Random or something else that isn`t going to be possible..

Helper

On 19/04/2014 at 09:33, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Ahh wait - i`ve just found the MoData.GetVectorArray() which has MODATA_SIZE and MODATA_CLONE etc.. Dunno why i never saw those *doh*

MODATA_SIZE seems to always return 1 so i think i was right the first time.

MODATA_CLONE is SUPPOSED to return the clone offset ( which child of the cloner is getting cloned ) but i`m getting 0 all the time from it..

Will keep plugging away at this

Helper

On 19/04/2014 at 11:39, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Here`s the test code so far:

LONG m;
Vector thisPos;
Vector objSize;
Vector thisScale;
BaseObject* childObj;
c4d_misc::BaseArray<Vector> childObjSizeArray;
  
BaseList2D *bl = objList->ObjectFromIndex(doc, 0);  // Im getting my Cloner from an INEXCLUDE_LIST
BaseObject *curObj = (BaseObject* )bl;
  
if (bl->GetTypeName() == "Cloner")
{
	BaseTag *tag = curObj->GetTag(ID_MOTAGDATA);
	GetMoDataMessage msg_data;
	tag->Message(MSG_GET_MODATA, &msg_data);
  
	childObj = curObj->GetDown();                       // First Child of Cloner Object //
		
	childObjSizeArray.Append(childObj->GetRad());       // Add Bounding Radius to Array //
  
	while (childObj->GetNext() != NULL)                 // Add Bounding Radius of all other Child Objects to Array if more exist //
	{
		childObj = childObj->GetNext();
		childObjSizeArray.Append(childObj->GetRad());
	}
  
	if (msg_data.modata)
	{
		LONG numClones = msg_data.modata->GetCount();
		MoData *md = msg_data.modata;
  
		MDArray<Matrix>mtx = md->GetMatrixArray(MODATA_MATRIX);
		MDArray<LONG>farr = md->GetLongArray(MODATA_FLAGS);
		MDArray<Vector>cloneSizeArray = md->GetVectorArray(MODATA_SIZE);
		MDArray<Real>cloneOffsetArray = md->GetRealArray(MODATA_CLONE);
  
		for (m=0; m<numClones; m++)
		{
			//Only grab the visible clones
			if (!(farr[m]&MOGENFLAG_CLONE_ON) || (!(farr[m]&MOGENFLAG_DISABLE)))
			{
				thisPos = mtx[m].off * curObj->GetMg();      // The Global Position of the clone //
				thisScale = mtx[m].Scale();                  // The Scale component of the clones Matrix //
				objSize = childObjSizeArray[0]*2;            // Multiply object radius ( only using the first child in the array for this example ) by two to get full size //
  
				GePrint("-----------");
				GePrint("Supposed Offset..");
				GePrint(LongToString(cloneOffsetArray[m]));     // Always returns zero //
				GePrint("Supposed Size..");
				GePrint(LongToString(cloneSizeArray[m].x));     // Always returns 1 //
				GePrint(LongToString(cloneSizeArray[m].y));     // Always returns 1 //
				GePrint(LongToString(cloneSizeArray[m].z));     // Always returns 1 //
				GePrint("Scale..");
				GePrint(LongToString(thisScale.x));        // Returns an integer dependant on the scaling caused by Random Effector //
				GePrint(LongToString(thisScale.y));        // Returns an integer dependant on the scaling caused by Random Effector //
				GePrint(LongToString(thisScale.z));        // Returns an integer dependant on the scaling caused by Random Effector //
				GePrint("ObjectSize..");
				GePrint(LongToString(objSize.x));        // Returns the Cloners child objects actual size //
				GePrint(LongToString(objSize.y));        // Returns the Cloners child objects actual size //
				GePrint(LongToString(objSize.z));        // Returns the Cloners child objects actual size //
			}
		}
  
	}
}

So thats the test and the results im getting are in the comments..

The MODATA_SIZE and MODATA_CLONE arrays are always returning i think a default value.

The Scale() value im getting from the clones matrixes is more useful, as it is reflecting the scaling cause by the Random Effector. The only problem with that is that its returning a whole number ( ie 0, 1, 2, 3 etc ) rather than an intermediate scale value ( like 0.4, 0.8, 2.3 etc ).. Maybe thats just the nature of Vectors and im missing something here..

In the code above, i`ve included a loop to iterate through children of the Cloner object and append their GetRad() sizes to an array, but inside the main loop i only refer to the first entry ( just for example/testing sake )..

Any ideas / observations / wisdom appreciated..

Helper

On 19/04/2014 at 15:46, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Seems the way i had my pointers/references set up for the matrix Scale() variable above was wrong. Prints out the correct values when changed to the following:

Vector *thisScale;
thisScale = &mtx[m].Scale();           //  The Scale component of the clones Matrix //
GePrint("Scale..");
GePrint(RealToString(thisScale->x));   //  Returns correct scale - 0.98 for example //
GePrint(RealToString(thisScale->y));   //  Returns correct scale - 1.32 for example //
GePrint(RealToString(thisScale->z));   //  Returns correct scale - 1.14 for example //

Which will give 100% accurate clone sizes when multiplied by the child of the clone objects GetRad() size.

But doesn`t solve the issue of more than one child object, so still have to figure out how to access MODATA_SIZE and MODATA_CLONE. I have a feeling those only work with Effector plugins but will keep trying..

/End Monologue.

Helper

On 19/04/2014 at 17:27, xxxxxxxx wrote:

And here`s the working code for finding the clones accurate boundingbox size and also the index number of which child of the cloner the particular clone represents:

//Only grab the visible clones
if (!(farr[m]&MOGENFLAG_CLONE_ON) || (!(farr[m]&MOGENFLAG_DISABLE)))
{
	thisPos = mtx[m].off * curObj->GetMg();  // The Global Position of the clone //
	thisScale = &mtx[m].Scale();  // The Scale component of the clones Matrix //
	thisClone = &cloneOffsetArray[m];              // The number of the Cloner objects Child being used - represented as a blend value ( ie between 0 and 1 ) // 
							
	int clonedObjIndex = int(floor(*thisClone/(float(1)/childObjSizeArray.GetCount())));  // Blend value converted to a useable Index integer //
  
	thisSize = childObjSizeArray[clonedObjIndex];
  
	thisSize.x *= thisScale->x;
	thisSize.y *= thisScale->y;
	thisSize.z *= thisScale->z;
  
	GePrint("this Clone Size..");
	GePrint(RealToString(thisSize.x));
	GePrint(RealToString(thisSize.y));
	GePrint(RealToString(thisSize.z));
	
}

Hope that`s useful to somebody!

Helper

On 05/05/2014 at 13:29, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Well, i'm a totally newbie in plugin programming, i'have been reading for a while now i've decided to register, this forum is impressive. First thank you all for the tons of infos that a curious like me can read freely, an invaluable source, really.
I've a question that i think could be related to this post, or that can be somewhat close to.
Inside a ModifyPoints() function of my Test Effector plugin i can, as example, get all clones matrix retrieving a pointer with:

MDArray<Matrix> \*mat_array = md->GetMatrixArray(MODATA_MATRIX);

now i can change, as example, the position of all the clones in a 'for' cycle (previously i multiply for the GenMg matrix, obtaining the global position).

mat_array _.off = Vector (Noise()\*100,Noise()\*200,Noise()\*300);

the dropeffector plugins is clear about this, but i've a question: in the successive call of ModifyPoints() i expect, when i read again the MODATA_MATRIX, to find all the new positions that i've set in the previous frame....but this doesn't happen.
The object's position is update frame after frame in the screen, but the

MDArray<Matrix> *mat_array = md->GetMatrixArray(MODATA_MATRIX);

retrieve a matrix array that is always the same, every position is the start position of the clones inside the cloner...and...i don't figure out why Tongue
Someone can give me an hint? Thank you so much for dedicating me some of your time and sorry but...my english is more rusty than my coding skills Tongue