#Catch-22
7 messages in this thread
A problem I had run into recently made me wonder how others have resolved
similar circumstances.
The problem is resolving the particular strengths and weaknesses of Autocad and
3D Studio. For example, when you have an object in 3DS that is going to be
repeated in a way which can't be easily repeated in 3DS, but can in Autocad,
and has complex mapping requirements, what can you do? Here is the particular
circumstance I was dealing with…
I was placing Auditorium seats in a large auditorium. The seats were drawn in
Acad, and could easily enough be transferred to 3DS. However, 3DS' lack of CAD
accuracy made accurate placement of the seats almost impossible by conventional
methods, consisdering the sheer numbers of seats. Using polar arrays, guide
arcs, object snaps and blocks, the placement of the seats wasn't THAT difficult
in Acad. This is the kicker: Each seat requires several different mapping
planes to look halfway acceptable. Mapping ALL those seats individually could
take many, many hours. If I mapped one seat properly, copying the other seats
would work, but, as I mentioned, such placement would be very difficult in 3DS,
and hence could take many hours.
There is the quandry. A catch-22, if you will. Place the seats in Acad, and
you're faced with difficulty in mapping. Map the seat and copy it in 3DS, and
you've got difficulty in placement.
How would others handle this? Naturally, there's always one answer which might
be easier for each individual, but I'm wonderingif there's a way to get around
this. If 3DS had the capability to use one particular object as a protoype,
like a BLOCK in Acad, in which changes made to mapping could then be applied
automatically to the other unmapped seats placed in Acad, it would be easier.
If there were a way to automatically map objects in 3DS, it would be easier.
If you could use polar arrays and snaps in 3DS, it would be easier. Even beind
able to see the object as it is moved would help, instead of only being able to
see a bounding box as you move it. If you could apply mapping in Acad, this
would help, as well.
I just wondered if there were any time saving short cuts anyone had invented
out there for such situations.
Thanx! -jk
Jerome,
>> I just wondered if there were any time saving short cuts anyone had invented
out there for such situations.
If you've got AutoVision along with AutoCAD, mapping coordinates will go both
ways… ACAD <-> 3DS, using the 3DSOUT and 3DSIN commands in AutoCAD. And you
can copy the objects in AutoCAD after you've got the mapping coordinates
assigned, which would solve your problem. I just tried it to be sure, and it
works GREAT, no matter whether you assign the materials and mapping coordinates
in AutoCAD or 3DS, (be sure you have the map paths set up in *both* programs!).
This is with R13 and AutoVision; the 3DSIN command in R13 without AutoVision
will *not* retain the materials. But if you've got a lot of this stuff to do,
the $500-$600 cost of AutoVision might be worth it. It's available for R12
also, which I believe would give you the same capabilities.
John
Hmm… didn't know that MAPPING coordinates were part of Autovision in a
compatable format with 3DS, and they would be transferrable. This, indeed,
would be a very valuable feature for the combination of 3DS and Autocad, and
would indeed resolve a lot of problems…
At least until r5 comes out. Perhpas we'll see some of those features in it
we've been needing Acad for so far…
Jerome,
>> didn't know that MAPPING coordinates were part of Autovision in a compatable
format with 3DS, and they would be transferrable.
Yep; 'works perfectly, going both ways.
John
Jerome:
If you have the mathematical/logical bent, I'd propose you make use of
Keyscript and/or The Script Extension for 3D Studio and write a procedure to
place the seats. You have two options there:
1) import one seat, texture map it, then write a script which mathematically
places copies where they need to go (you'd have the challenge of re-creating
the polar arrays etc. you used in ACAD)
2) import the entire seating arrangement from ACAD, texture map one seat, then
write a script which copies that seat to the exact location of each other seat
in the auditorium; you should be able to do this easily by successively
translating the transformation table of each ACAD seat to a copy of the
texture-mapped 3DS seat. This is the approach I'd choose.
Martin Doudoroff
Hmmm… I'm more the whimsical artist than the mathematician, but it doesn't
sound outside of my capabilities. I just haven't gotten into scripting, yet.
Looks like I should, if these things of which you speak are within its
capabilities. I'll have to get around to actually reading that section 🙂
>>2) import the entire seating arrangement from ACAD, texture map one seat,
then write a script which copies that seat to the exact location of each other
seat in the auditorium; you should be able to do this easily by successively
translating the transformation table of each ACAD seat to a copy of the
texture-mapped 3DS seat. This is the approach I'd choose.
Hmm… not sure just what you mean, there. Not familiar with transformation
tables in Acad, and how you'd manipulate maps in that manner.
Perhaps skillful scripting is the answer to mapping elements more
automatically, which is something I've been frustrated by the lack of. I
appreciate the lead to this mode of thinking…
One solution is to use stand-in objects. To wit:
In AutoCAD, create a 3d-box, and name the la