Marionette Resources for Beginners

[Robert Anderson]

Hi all, I thought that I'd try and put in one place some diverse Marionette resources for you who are new to Vectorworks' algorithmic / parametric modeling tool:

 

Basic Tutorial in Vectorworks documentation

More Advanced Tutorial in Vectorworks documentation

Marionette on YouTube (thank you Jim)

Marionette Developer Wiki (for Pythonistas)

[Chuck Davidson]

Hi Robert,

 

I have a question regarding results I'm getting when recreating tutorial scripts with VW Architect 2019.

I'm attempting to meticulously recreate these scripts that originated in 2015, but my results (basic rectangle range/series/rotation) differ from the earlier versions.

I've compared input variables between my version's nodes and the originals, and they're the same. The earlier nodes however, differ in their port labels. Also their codes differ from the 2017 updated code. 

 

I've attached code samples and images showing the difference in output that I've gotten.

 

My question: Does the code from 2015 differ enough to get the kind of differences I'm getting, or am I simply not being thorough enough debugging my own work?

 

Thanks very much.

Chuck

 

Rotate Node Code ORIGINAL.rtf

Rotate Node Code MINE.rtf

CD Marionette Experiments copy.vwx

[Marissa Farrell]

@Chuck Davidson

Most of the nodes will have no difference for code behavior between 2016 and 2019; the port naming is just a cosmetic change. My best guess prior to debugging this is the Rotate node, that node had a bug at one point that we fixed between these versions.

I'll take a deeper look and get back to you.

[Chuck Davidson]

Thank you Marissa!

I really appreciate your reply.

I'm the only one here interested in Marionette, so there's really no one to discuss it with.

 

CD

 

 

[Marissa Farrell]

Well I took a look at this - and here is my finding 🙂

It is indeed related to our fix for the Rotate node.

The description has always read that the objects will be rotated around their center point if there was no point attached to "cent" (or what is now called "pCent")

As you can tell, the old node from your top network is not following that requirement, it is still rotating about the point (0,0).

Our fixed node correctly rotates the objects around their individual center points, as you can see in your lower network.

The fix is to add a Point3 node with the coordinates (0,0,0). (Unfortunately, it looks like a bug remains when using a Point2 node, so I'll file a bug and try to get that fixed.)

[Chuck Davidson]

Awesome! Thanks. It's nice to know it's not pilot error.

[Alexander Dron]

Hello, I am new to marionette scripting. I am slowly getting the logic of how different nodes act and are used. I got a question regarding getting intersection points from objects. You have infinite intersection node that only does line to line intersection and extracts coordinates . Is there a node to get intersection coordinates between a line (2point) and a polyline (3point or more)? In the image, just a quick example I am trying to achieve: 2 objects were created from list of points (in this case just from existing  objects by name). The node seems not to understand the intersection point correctly, because I am using a poly line object and the result is a funny coordinates for a red locus. Could somebody help to rewrite the intersection node, to be able to pick up a poly line objects from input? If somebody already written one I could use? The marionette library contains infinite segment intersection but it doesn't make any difference, although you would think that in this example, the intersection is on a segment of a poly line...😕 Thank you

[Marissa Farrell]

Unfortunately at this time, the Intersecting Line nodes only work with Line objects, not Polys.

I've attached a network that will do what you want, and I'll make a note to look into creating a node (or possible updating the existing node) to work with polys as well.

 

The attached network breaks a polyline into individual segments and checks each segment to see if they intersect with the line.

I haven't tested it extensively, but it seems to work okay. Please let me know if you find any issues.

 

 

FindIntersectLinePoly_MFarrell.vwx

[Alexander Dron]

On 5/2/2019 at 12:14 AM, Marissa Farrell said:

Unfortunately at this time, the Intersecting Line nodes only work with Line objects, not Polys.

I've attached a network that will do what you want, and I'll make a note to look into creating a node (or possible updating the existing node) to work with polys as well.

 

The attached network breaks a polyline into individual segments and checks each segment to see if they intersect with the line.

I haven't tested it extensively, but it seems to work okay. Please let me know if you find any issues.

 

 

FindIntersectLinePoly_MFarrell.vwx

 Thank you Marissa, that what I was after. I will try to implement that node sequence into my test network and see if I encounter any issues or find more questions.

[Nomi]

Hi all,

 

What is the easiest way to install numpy for python in Vectoworks 2019? I found this thread that discusses it but I get an error message when I try to do as instructed with the file provided.

 

 

 

Thank you!

[Diamond]

I was looking at this book. Has any of the Marionette guru's read it, and is it worth investing the time in?

 

https://www.amazon.com/Algorithms-Aided-Design-Parametric-strategies-Grasshopper/dp/8895315308/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=grasshopper+software&qid=1560959974&s=books&sr=1-1&linkCode=sl1&tag=arch0c7-20&linkId=76f078acacb337c13732e3130fc5f8cf&language=en_US

[VictorWax]

On 3/6/2019 at 9:08 PM, Marissa Farrell said:

Well I took a look at this - and here is my finding 🙂

It is indeed related to our fix for the Rotate node.

The description has always read that the objects will be rotated around their center point if there was no point attached to "cent" (or what is now called "pCent")

As you can tell, the old node from your top network is not following that requirement, it is still rotating about the point (0,0).

Our fixed node correctly rotates the objects around their individual center points, as you can see in your lower network.

The fix is to add a Point3 node with the coordinates (0,0,0). (Unfortunately, it looks like a bug remains when using a Point2 node, so I'll file a bug and try to get that fixed.)

 

in which service pack was that fix please?

[VictorWax]

Sarah Barret's 2016 webinar series was excellent

 

https://forum.vectorworks.net/index.php?/topic/43231-marionette-monday-webinar-questions/#comment-218297

[Amorphous - Julian]

Hi @Robert Anderson I'm stuck on one of the steps of the tutorials 

 

With the Selection tool, connect the output from the Integer node to the radius input of the Circle node, and then connect the output from the Circle node to the profile input of the Extrude node.

 

With the selection tool, when I 'click' on the node, it just activates it. If I 'click-drag' the dot in the end, it moves it around. 
 

I managed to connect one node to another, but can't repeat this again. 

 

[Robert Anderson]

Hi Julian, not sure why this is happaning. Make sure you are in Top/Plan and not Top view.

[KingChaos]

Is this parametrically modelling possible too with interiorcad parts 3d or Drill 3d ? 

[Robert Anderson]

On 11/24/2019 at 8:37 AM, KingChaos said:

Is this parametrically modelling possible too with interiorcad parts 3d or Drill 3d ? 

If the Interiorcad objects are standard Vectorworks PIOs, then the answer is yes. 

[Robert Anderson]

By "Standard" I mean, do the interiorcad plug-ins use a standard plug-in parameter record. (I know that they are not "standard" in the sense that they are developed by Vectorworks Inc.) 

[Stephan Moenninghoff]

interiorcad parts and millings use standard plug-in parameter records. The cabinet tool is too complex for that approach. It needs additional opaque data objects.

[KingChaos]

I need Input to Draw Something Like the assembly in the Pictures in the Attachment with just drawin a polyLine.

 

Drawing polyline and waiting the Counter get Drawn by itself. This was Made by me with topsolid Wood. 

 

IT iS ready for Rendering AND machining after i Made the polyline and fully parametrical dir adjusting all you have to adjust. I used App. 100 Parameters and the deepest structure gots 8 sublevels of assemblies.

 

IT took me a few month but IT contains dozents of subvariants and different Fronts and Glasssystems.

 

So the Sales people can offer the stuff right at their First Meeting with the customer. Even the cleaning Personal could Draw a Counter with that Tool.

 

I Hope i dont cry, If i cant code it with VW. 😉

[Stephan Moenninghoff]

I explained to you on the German forum that VWX doesn't have the same 3D constraints manager as TopSolid. The answer is still the same. You can do this construction with ease using interiorcad - plus, you will get the complete CNC code from the fittings and millings you assign to the parts or their connections. You need to stop expecting things we do not do and start to embrace the possibilities interiorcad is offering. For example, I know from talking to quite a few customers who have converted from TopSolid that although they cannot achieve a fully parametric construction, the modelling process is much faster in VWX. So, some you lose, some you gain. 

[KingChaos]

12 hours ago, Stephan Moenninghoff said:

interiorcad parts and millings use standard plug-in parameter records. The cabinet tool is too complex for that approach. It needs additional opaque data objects.

 

What does that means? Is it possible to use the 3D-part Interiorcad in a Marionette or not?

 

Is there any tutorial for implementing it into Marionette?

 

 

br KC

[Kevin K]

 I have put off delving into and leaning Marionette for years.

During this time of self isolation thanks to the coronavirus, I thought it would be a good time to immerse.

I noticed a few, albeit older posts regarding learning Marionette, but just wanted to get a heads-up on the best place to start learning.

any advice would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

-Kev

 

[Acip79]

On 3/7/2019 at 2:08 AM, Marissa Farrell said:

Well I took a look at this - and here is my finding 🙂

It is indeed related to our fix for the Rotate node.

The description has always read that the objects will be rotated around their center point if there was no point attached to "cent" (or what is now called "pCent")

As you can tell, the old node from your top network is not following that requirement, it is still rotating about the point (0,0).

Our fixed node correctly rotates the objects around their individual center points, as you can see in your lower network.

The fix is to add a Point3 node with the coordinates (0,0,0). (Unfortunately, it looks like a bug remains when using a Point2 node, so I'll file a bug and try to get that fixed.)

 

Hi @Marissa Farrell , it is 2020 and i just started to explore marionette.😅 I am having the same problem with the tutorial no5 result and adding the 'Point3' node to the script does not work for me.

Fyi, i am on VWX2020 SP5.

Refer to the image & file attached.

Marionette.vwx

Edited October 2, 2020 by Acip79

[Stephan Moenninghoff]

5 hours ago, Acip79 said:

 

Hi @Marissa Farrell , it is 2020 and i just started to explore marionette.😅 I am having the same problem with the tutorial no5 result and adding the 'Point3' node to the script does not work for me.

Fyi, i am on VWX2020 SP5.

Refer to the image & file attached.

Marionette.vwx

What is the result you were expecting? Like this?