Maya zPipeMaker Script

chriszuko

To download or buy click here!

Finally Got it all setup. Ended up just doing a buy it now button that links with mailchimp to auto-respond to buyers emails. The price is $10.00 for the advanced version and the simple version is free! Main reason for not going with creative crash is because creative-crash takes 45%and has a minimum selling price of $20.00. At that point it wouldn't even be worth the price increase for anybody. It would just be making you guys spend more money for no reason. Anyhow Enjoy all the videos and happy pipegasm! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9kyQCIyOV8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4Gjpz40W34

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HOW TO INSTALL ----
Move the script to the documents/maya/scripts folder
Copy and Paste this section of code to run. Make sure you set it to python.

import zPipeMaker
reload(zPipeMaker)
zPipeMaker.gui()

If you are using the simple version of the script use.

import zPipeMakerSimple
reload(zPipeMakerSimple)
zPipeMakerSimple.gui()

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Things in the works eventually.
1. Split pipe option.
2. Independent radius controls.
3. T-Intersections
4. Entire "rig-based" system with control curves instead of sliders.
5. Convert to Curve then back to bend deformers. (This one would just be terrifyingly powerful)

Thanks to everyone who downloads the basic version and purchases the advanced version. 

BARDLER

OMG! If I could kiss you I would. This could be the most painful and clunky part of Maya.

MM

nice!

thanks a lot for making this, but should it be free ?

btw, cool music too

Bartalon

You know what I'd like to see? A 0 to 360 degree slider for bend (and/or possibly a floatFieldGrp). I wrote my own primitive degree bend script so I could get nice 90 degree bends without having to figure out what 1/4 pi is.

bend1.curvature would be $sliderValue / 3.14159

Joopson

Any idea what I'm doing wrong? The first pipe works, but it won't add anymore. This seems like a blessing of a tool. Thanks for making it!

# Error: TypeError: file C:/blabla/blabla/Documents/maya/2014-x64/prefs/scripts\zPipeMaker.py line 217: range() integer end argument expected, got float. #

Did I put the script in the right place? That's all I can imagine.....
Or an issue with 2014.

Because the "Curve Amount" is working in degrees, too... Which would be awesome, if the rest of it was working, haha.

chriszuko

Thanks Everyone!

@Bardler Thanks!

@MM If it wasn't free would you buy it? I am under the impression that I can always give something away and put a donation thing next to the download or something idk. Also thanks for listening to some of my tunes! (:

@Bartalon yea I was wanting this as well. My issue is that I am not entirely sure how to feed the attribute sliderValue/3.14 using cmds.connectControl() That is partly why I put the quick settings though to help with that a bit. I'll toy with it a bit. If you have any idea how to do this I would appreciate any help (:

@Joopson. I have a feeling it may be a maya 2014 thing since they went and added a bunch of new modeling stuff this year. I'll have to grab a copy and see if I can get it work. If you could do me a favor.. open up the script itself and on line 216, change it from

#print(list_vRaw)

to

print("

---

")
print(list_vRaw)
print("

---

")

Run the script again, Copy what shows up inbetween those lines in the script editor right before it displays the error. Then Paste the what you got in a PM to me. Thanks!

Joopson

Bartalon wrote: »

You know what I'd like to see? A 0 to 360 degree slider for bend (and/or possibly a floatFieldGrp). I wrote my own primitive degree bend script so I could get nice 90 degree bends without having to figure out what 1/4 pi is.

bend1.curvature would be $sliderValue / 3.14159

Bartalon; 2014 has this as an option. In fact, it's default. Degrees instead of radians. I'm not sure what other tools it effects, but it effects the bend tool for sure. I'm not sure how to switch it back to Radians, actually. Or even if there is a way. Google is being silent on the matter.

wirrexx

chriszuko: im going to be honest with you. I would pay fot it! I cant even imagine how many hours of hard work youve put on to this!

Bartalon

@Joopson - Oh, that's fantastic. It's about time, too.

Kessler

I do not use maya at the moment but this is a really amazing script. You are a pipe beast.

divi

that looks super nice now somebody make it for max! :P

Bal

Awesome! Making this kind of stuff in Maya can be really time consuming, thanks so much!
I'm actually working on some pipe-ish stuff these days, so will give it a try.

onionhead_o

Very Awesome script, seems very useful. Cant wait to try it out. For future if theres a way to sample custom pipes scections that would be great.

Mark Dygert

This script is awesome!

It almost makes up for Maya's lack of spline support. It's a hell of a lot better than any of the other pipe and tube script that are out there and I spent the better part of last night checking them all out.

Well done on making such a robust script that tackles so many annoying and troubling issues!

onionhead_o wrote: »

Very Awesome script, seems very useful. Cant wait to try it out. For future if theres a way to sample custom pipes scections that would be great.

I can't find it, but a while back (probably 3-4 years ago) there was a pack of scripts (I think it was included as a bonus tool download later but never incorporated into Maya) that took sections of pipe from a library of pieces and allowed you to fit them together. But I can't find the download... It's probably not compatible with newer versions even if I could find it. So getting an updated version would be great.

For those that don't have a clue what I'm talking about it was pretty much just like "PipeGen" for 3dsmax.
[vv]54060892[/vv]

myles

Hey chriszuko, this looks great - what's the license for this?

chriszuko

Thanks for the help tracking that down Joopson!
So to clarify. Officially the script is broken in maya 2014 because they have the default set to degrees (Go figure they actually did something right :P). I'll have to make a separate version to fix the issues that come along with that. Its on its way.

I added what I want to do to the first post in case anyone is interested as to what the future holds.

@wirrexx Interesting, maybe in the future idk.

@onionhead_o That is definitely something that I have been thinking about very extensively as to how I could do it. Its on the list! Woots

@bal let me know how it goes!

@divi you guys have pipe splines so .... shhhhh (:

@Mark Dygert Thanks! Yea I spent probably a good day or so just searching the inter-webs for pipe methods.. scripts.. etc before I started just to make sure that I wasn't crazy. That pipe generator looks pretty cool and reminds me of Microsoft's pipe screensaver except on steroids. It has another thing that I like though and that is the T-intersections.

Thanks again everyone and keep me updated as far as letting me know if the script is working or not on whatever version of maya your using.

chriszuko

@myles use it because its free to use for commercial and home.

sculptn

Thanks for sharing gona be very useful.

chrisavigni

Thanks a lot. Great script!

xerious3d

Making some pipes, making some pipes, oh yeah making some pipes lol Sick script loving it! You sir are awesome

Gannon

♥ Can't wait to check this out; but I can already see that a reverse curve direction button would be nice in case you need to build from the original pipe going in another direction.

bounchfx

Chris this is fantastic. Thanks a ton for putting this together.

but why didn't you make this 8 months ago? That's it. We're done... and I'm taking the script with me!

carlobarley

hey chris thanks for this..i offer you my future firstborn

gray

very nice script. kudos for the optimize function.

it seems you have unleashed a pipegasm...

looprix

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

passerby

carlobarley wrote: »

hey chris thanks for this..i offer you my future firstborn

why are you too broke to raise him

Harbinger

Awesome, and well done! I'm talking about the pipe beatboxing at the end of the video. The script is cool too

Avanthera

That is kick ass! I'll def. be putting this to use in the near future.

DietCoke

This is amazing, and looks like it could be really useful for character art as well. Quickly adding straps and string and laces and what have you. You could maybe include an option to have the pipe be a flat square instead of a cylinder, and then you have made a BELT/STRAP MAKER OMG.

ENODMI

Awesome! Thank you:)

chriszuko

Very glad to see how much benefit this script is to everyone! Loving all of the nice feedback and comments. Warms my heart inside I am currently working on a fix for maya 2014 and 2010. It should work just fine in maya 2011 and 2012.

hey chris thanks for this..i offer you my future firstborn

@carlobarley I will be sure to tell him that I am his owner now for a good cause. Pipes will always get in the way of family. XD

I am reading the feedback and will definitely see what I can add.to the script as I go.

Thanks again! If you make something cool using the script I would love to see it!

Oniram

wow! THIS IS AWESOME!!!!!!!

Renaud Galand

THANK YOU!!! You can't imagine how happy I am right now I'll make sure to share this @ work

killnpc

Hahaha! Awesome video and awesome tool! Thanks!

Laughing_Bun

this is AWESOME. It would be cool if in the future you could generate pipes from custom shapes, rather than just cylindrical ones. Basically the way sweeping works in max. Thanks so much!

chriszuko

Just updated the script. It now works with maya2014 and also opens up in maya2010. There may still be some interface issues with maya 2010 but at least you can fiddle around with the script now.

Thanks again for the support!
Download V1.1

Joopson

Woo! Works a charm. Back to 2014! Thanks again!

chriszuko

No Problemo Enjoy!

Bal

Hmm, doesn't seem to work right at all on my work machine (using Maya 2011 Hotfix 3 x64). Script starts fine, first tube segment appears when I click "Start/AddPipe", adds another segment fine if I click it again, but if I change any of the sliders, they work on the current segment (curve it for example) but then the segment becomes unselected, and if I add another piece it appears all skewed and scaled strangely, and doesn't appear aligned to the previous piece.

Will try again at home tonight, have 2012 and 2014 installed there.

Joopson

Hey Bal, I had similar issues, in 2013, when I put the script in:
Users\Joopson\Documents\maya\2013-x64\scripts

And I fixed it, for me, by instead putting it in:

Users\Joopson\Documents\maya\2013-x64\prefs\scripts

Worth a shot.

Bal

Joopson, nope, same behavior in both directories here.

CheeseOnToast

Very nice script. Is there any way to change the orientation of the first pipe so it's lying on the ground plane instead of being oriented vertically?

Also, I discovered that it freaks out if you've set Maya units to metres instead of centimetres. Any way around this?

james62755

My head just exploded. thank you so feakin much!

mole420

This is amazing! Thank you! hated having to make pipes and cables in Maya before.

dannedadon

dude, its amazing. Good job man! Love it. thanks!

chriszuko

@Bal Please go ahead and try on 2012 and 2014 at home and tell me if it works or not. If you could please PM me your maya prefs for maya 2011 so that I can confirm its not some setting that is specific to your maya. I have had this happen to me before.. But it went away and I had no way of repro-ing it.

@CheeseOnToast You can move the first pipe by clicking on it and hitting up on the keyboard to select the group node and move it to wherever you want it to start then continue creating from there.
I'll also see if I can do anything about the metres and centimetres thing.

Thanks peeps!

Endfinity Jon

I feel like you really missed an opportunity to use a bad "laying the pipe" joke in there. C'mon Chris...

chriszuko

Awww... Damn!

chriszuko

New update.

V1.2
1. Works now with maya 2010.
2. Quick Settings work in the middle of the pipe, whereas before the reconstruct curve function wasn't snapping properly.
3. Works in all scale settings now(mm, cm, m, in, ft, yd). Script needs to be restarted if the scene scale is changed.
4. Auto Update doesn't screw up when scrubbing really fast anymore.

Download V1.2 Here

Enjoy!

rick

Omg thank you! your a life saver!
little thing I noticed: when changing the sub axis from 12 to 13 the normals seem to smooth. No problem ofcourse, it just seems a little od :P

Bal

So works fine for me at home for some reason, will try some more on my work machine later.

Two things I noticed :
1. When you "Finish Pipe", the result you get has hard edges between the pipe segments, not sure if this is voluntary or not? Easy to fix anyways, just seems like it should do it by default.
2. The UVs you're generating are probably good enough with a regularly subdivided pipe, but when you use the Optimize option, the resulting UVs are still regularly laid out, despite the quads not being all the same size in 3D, maybe you could do a quick horizontally constrained Unfold on the result at the end (again this is easy for the user to do himself, but seems like it would be nifty if it did it automatically).

Great tool, thanks for sharing!