Graphic input

[kerfboy]

I am wondering if there is a way to generate marionette drawings using graphic items as the input. For example, I would draw a rectangle and then have a marionette program create a drawing using the width and height of the rectangle as the input values. Does this functionality exist? 

[Marissa Farrell]

Yes!

There are a few ways to do this.

 

You can use an existing rectangle in the document by naming it in the OIP and then referencing it with the 'Name' node in the 'Inputs' category, you then would use the 'Get Rectangle' node to return the width, height, location, etc.

You can also use control geometry which would be useful for Marionette Objects. The control geometry would live in a special container within the Marionette object and you could use the reshape tool on this object to modify the base shape.

 

If you'd like I can post a couple of examples.

[Pat Stanford]

Yes, kind of. I was already working on this trying to refresh my memory before Marissa posted so I will go ahead and finish.

 

Marionette can use objects that are placed in a "profile group." The objects that are in the Profile Group are accessed with a combination of the Profile Group and Contents tiles. The profile group can only be used once you have wrapped the network and converted to an Object Node. The Profile group can then be accessed via the object contextual menu (right click). You are likely to get an error when you first create the network as the profile group will be empty.

 

The following network is a very simple example of the use of the profile group to use editable geometry as an input to a marionette object. What it does will make a lot more sense if you select the Create Duplicate option in the OIP for the Mirror tile. For this example, the object(s) in the "Control Geometry" "group" should be an actual VW Group consisting of 1 or more 2D objects.

 

 

[Marissa Farrell]

2 minutes ago, Pat Stanford said:

You are likely to get an error when you first create the network as the profile group will be empty.

 

This can be avoided if you wrap your network and then select both the object you want for your control geometry AND the wrapper, then right click on the wrapper (with both still selected) and Convert to Marionette Object.

[Pat Stanford]

Thanks for that info. I meant to try that but never got there.

[bcd]

52 minutes ago, MarissaF said:

If you'd like I can post a couple of examples.

I'm interested in exploring some examples Marissa. Thanks

[kerfboy]

Thanks! 

 

But I think I'm missing something...could either of you look at the attached test file?

get rectangle test.vwx

[Pat Stanford]

You are almost all the way there. I can make both networks work without modification.

 

For the bottom instance where you are using the named object, the name you have defined in the Name node is "New Drawer Front", but there is no object by that name in the drawing. Create an object with that name and run the network and see what happens.

 

For the top instance where you are using Control Geometry, select the network and right click and select Wrap Network.  Select the wrapped network and the objects you want in the control geometry and right click and choose Convert to Object Node.  You will probably get an error if you use the original rectangle you have drawn because its center will be placed at 0,0 in the Control Geometry. Right click and Edit Control Geometry and move the rectangle back to where it should be and you should get what you are looking for.

 

 

[Marissa Farrell]

19 hours ago, bcd said:

I'm interested in exploring some examples Marissa. Thanks

 

Here's a very simple example using an existing rectangle and drawing an oval on top of it with the same dimensions using both the name node and the control geometry method.

 

I'm also attaching one of my favorite examples which allows you to reshape a curve and split it into pieces while placing objects along the path using the path as control geometry. You can apply a similar method to create adjustable 'extrude along path' objects (such as for crown molding or baseboards). I'll try to find my existing example of this sometime today.

name vs control geometry.vwx

MarionetteDivideCurve_MFarrell.vwx

[arquitextonica]

I got the examples from Mrs. Farrell, decomposed them to investigate and tried to "compose" them again and everything disappeared!

Am I doing something wrong with the selection order? 1. Wrapper, 2. Curve, 3. R-Click on wrapper convert to Object Node...