#Details Metaball Modeler
3 messages in this thread
I'll try to address each of your questions;
1) The metaball modeler should be available very shortly.
2) It has several additional features not available in the MetaReyes Metaball
package. Most of which I described in my initial message.
3) A working demo should be feasible, but it will have to wait until later in
the beta stage.
4) The only primitive currently supported is the sphere, but there are plans
to include several other primitives.
5) The parameters that can be modified over time are "strength" and "detail".
Strength can be assigned on a per-source-object basis and detail applies to the
overall metaball surface.
6) The new and improved Patch Modeler will be released very shortly as well.
Sorry I can't give you more concrete dates for release but, as you can imagine,
trying to release two sets of programs at once is no small feat. I don't
intend to allow their release until the programs are "perfect". <g>
Danny…
<<3) A working demo should be feasible, but it will have to wait until later
in the beta stage.>>
I would love to be a beta tester for you if you are open to it. I am working on
a project where the cell division is being animated so metaballs could be very
helpful. I'm sure that I could really test the program and find any bugs!
<<4) The only primitive currently supported is the sphere, but there are plans
to include several other primitives.>>
Which ones?
<<The parameters that can be modified over time are "strength" and "detail".>>
Perfect! Especially the "detail" parameter. So I assume you could have a
metaball change from a positive strength to a negative strength during an
animation.
<<Sorry I can't give you more concrete dates for release but, as you can
imagine, trying to release two sets of programs at once is no small feat.>>
I'm a programmer myself so I can relate. The hardest part of programming is
trying to give accurate completion dates.
<<I don't intend to allow their release until the programs are "perfect".>>
That's good to hear, though I wouldn't mind testing it now for you. Good luck
and keep me posted!
David "metaphysical metaballs" Gould
Danny,
I've been experimenting with MetaReyes Metablls, lately and a couple of the
features you mention intrigue me. Control of detail levels seems crucial. I
tried creating an animation where positive and negative spheres interact with a
surface. The surface is an enormous sphere that is mostly off screen, since I
really wanted a nearly flat, gently curved surface. I am really fighting the
64K face limit with most of the faces off screen! The first frame doesn't need
much detail, because the interaction hasn't started yet. Once things get
going, I want to zoom in, but I don't have enough detail for more than the
crudest forms. If you could do some sort of FOV clipping and vary the detail
level that would be great. Also an automatic method that keeps you from
exceeding 3DS vertex/face limits is essential.<G>
Hopefully, Paul