Blender 2.5 script - Add PolySphere

metalliandy

Hey guys,

I made a script/addon for Blender 2.5 yesterday that creates a PolySphere (all quads ) and i though it might be of some use to the PC Blender users.

Current version 0.1.6 *Updated on 4th March 2012*



http://projects.blender.org/tracker/download.php/153/467/26250/19583/add_mesh_polysphere.py

Enjoy

metalliandy

They are mainly intended for things like sculpting.
Apart from being all quads, the advantages are that the topology is distributed evenly across the surface and that they also use only around 80% of the geometry of a comparable resolution UV sphere.

Below is a screenie of the triangulated counts for a Sphere and a PolySphere (both with a res. of 32x32)

Super Happy Cow wrote: »

The tops are tris, but ctrl-a + ctrl-j solves that unless you're a poop head and made a 7 "sided" sphere.

How does this help get rid of the tris?

Do you mean select and convert to quads? (A and Alt+J)

metalliandy

Alt+J converts to Quads

metalliandy

Super Happy Cow wrote: »

They both do, which is nice, cause Breaking your thumb for the sake of the alt button is kinda silly.

oh right!
I never used Shift+J before...and its my sad duty to inform you that Shift+J doesnt work in 2.5

Super Happy Cow wrote: »

A: Do you have a portfiolio?
B: Do you make other scripts?
C: Are you a 3d artist as well?

A:Yes http://www.metalliandy.com/
B:Not yet but i intend too (this is my first script)
C:Yes

almighty_gir

blender sucks!!!

see you at the next mammal eating contest andy

metalliandy

:P

What a charmer you are...i bet you get all the ladies.

metalliandy

Hey guys,

I have just uploaded an amended version of the PolySphere script for compatibility reasons, due to a resent API change with the script meta information that stopped the addons showing in the prefs. window

It will now work with recent builds and has been tested with r34674!

http://www.metalliandy.com/downloads/scripts/add_mesh_polysphere_012.py

r_fletch_r

Hey Andy, How is blender to script in? I've been tempted to try and modify it to my liking before but it seemed a bit thin on docs.

metalliandy

Hi r_fletch_r,

I have only been scripting for 5 or 6 weeks, so once you get used to it, its not that bad really (at least for the stuff i want to do :P)

I use the info panel a load when scripting and basically use the code that blender throws up together as a macro, which i then clean up a little to make the code faster.

There are extensive docs on the API but its currently in a constant state of change due to the refining of 2.5, but they are still an amazing ref. and are updated with changes very regularly.

http://www.blender.org/documentation/250PythonDoc/

I also learned a lot from dissecting other peoples scripts and then modifying and reimplementing the code into my own (GPL ftw) and there are also examples in 2.56\scripts\templates that you can check out for ref.

Hope that helps

Dim

Thanks metalliandy! This is really cool. Typically I just subdivide smooth a sphere until it looks about right, but this is obviously better.

metalliandy

No problem Dim, Im glad you are finding it useful

greevar

Well that certainly saves a step from sub dividing a cube and using the to-sphere scaling. If you don't know that I'm referring to, it's alt-shift-s.

edit: It was alt, not ctrl.

metalliandy

Enjoy

Richard Kain

It's been a while since I last dived in. I ought to give it another try. Python scripting isn't my first choice, but it has potential. I've heard some really nice things about how easy and modular the new scripting for 2.5 is. I've been thinking about cooking up my own lip-syncing solution.

r_fletch_r

metalliandy wrote: »

Hi r_fletch_r,

I have only been scripting for 5 or 6 weeks, so once you get used to it, its not that bad really (at least for the stuff i want to do :P)

I use the info panel a load when scripting and basically use the code that blender throws up together as a macro, which i then clean up a little to make the code faster.

There are extensive docs on the API but its currently in a constant state of change due to the refining of 2.5, but they are still an amazing ref. and are updated with changes very regularly.

http://www.blender.org/documentation/250PythonDoc/

I also learned a lot from dissecting other peoples scripts and then modifying and reimplementing the code into my own (GPL ftw) and there are also examples in 2.56\scripts\templates that you can check out for ref.

Hope that helps

It does, thanks .
On a totally different note I saw your meshlab/polycruncher video. I now love meshlab . Did anyone point out to you guys that poly cruncher was licensed by autodesk in max 2009. Its in all current releases since 2010 as a modifier. According to Ken Pimmental its been heavily optimised (takes about 1/2 the ram it used to). Check out pro optimiser.

metalliandy

Richard Kain wrote: »

It's been a while since I last dived in. I ought to give it another try. Python scripting isn't my first choice, but it has potential. I've heard some really nice things about how easy and modular the new scripting for 2.5 is. I've been thinking about cooking up my own lip-syncing solution.

Yea Python is awesome.
I was able to get a reasonable enough grip on it to make my first script in 2 days, without any previous coding exp. ...which is amazing really.

By the time 2.6 is out, you will be able to control everything in Blender via scripting, which has some great potential. Even the GUI is all python coded iirc and they are adding new stuff all the time...The only downside currently is that the API is a moving goal while they refine everything, so scripts can break 2 or 3 times even between official beta releases.
I really cant wait until everything is set in stone :P

r_fletch_r wrote: »

It does, thanks .
On a totally different note I saw your meshlab/polycruncher video. I now love meshlab . Did anyone point out to you guys that poly cruncher was licensed by autodesk in max 2009. It was heavily optimised and turned into a modifier. If you havent seen it give 'pro optimiser'

Oh great!
Yea meshlab is badass...the really should take the code and stick into Blender.
I tend to use decimation master now really but sometimes its faster to use Meshlab still.
As for Max, yea, Riki uses Pro optimiser in the fountain HP vids in conjunction with MeshLab.

Dim

Yeah, I would love for this to be officially supported.

metalliandy

I never thought of getting into an official release.
I will look into it

Thanks for the kind words guys

metalliandy

Updated!
Fixed the registering so it will now work with recent builds and has been tested with r34958!

http://www.metalliandy.com/downloads/scripts/add_mesh_polysphere_013.py

metalliandy

Hey guys,

I have just updated this script to version 0.14 for compatibility with recent API changes

http://projects.blender.org/tracker/download.php/153/467/26250/16398/add_mesh_polysphere_014.py

Enjoy!

metalliandy

Hey guys,
I have just updated the script to v0.1.5 and amended it for compatibility with recent API changes. It now works with 2.58 r37702
http://projects.blender.org/tracker/download.php/153/467/26250/16820/add_mesh_polysphere_015.py

Enjoy!

metalliandy

Just found out that the Add PolySphere script has been merged into trunk for the next Blender release w00t!

thinkinmonkey

Congratulations, my friend.

metalliandy

Thanks

CasperNilsson

Awsome, great to see it in the trunk! Thx for the great feature, its a timesaver for sure.

renderhjs

good news, I hope that sometime I have the time to get started with some blender scripts, has been on my list of want to do's.

Ben Apuna

Congrats!

A great addition to Blender too, thanks!

metalliandy

Thanks for the kinds words everyone
I must admit that I'm pretty chuffed by them including it!

AFAIK, it will be kept in the Mesh> Extra Objects> PolySphere

metalliandy

I have updated a new version of the script that fixes a bug where "To Sphere" was not being applied correctly. Works with 2.62 Rev:#44603
http://projects.blender.org/tracker/download.php/153/467/26250/19583/add_mesh_polysphere.py