[Closed] Mass attach objects to closest vertices

worth a try.

Hi I did something quite similar some days ago but used faces instead of vertices. I just copied this using an example that comes with maxscript references so basically is the same but it is deleting objects that ended up at the same positions. Try and see if it helps, I am a newba in maxscript

eye = $nameOfEye -- [b][i]replace with the name of your mesh[/i][/b]
nFe = eye.mesh.numfaces
arrayOfPositions = #()
illBeDeleted = #()
 
for i = 1 to nFe do
(
 
actrl = Attachment() --create an Attachment controller
 
eyeSlash = copy $nameOfEyeSlash -- the source to be placed along the eye
-- [b][i]replace with the name of your mesh to be copied[/i][/b]
eyeSlash.position.controller = actrl --assign to the position of the eyeslash
 
actrl.node = eye --set the eye as the node to attach to
 
addNewKey actrl 0f --add a key at frame 0
 
theAKey = AttachCtrl.getKey actrl 1 --get the first key
 
--Set the face index (0-based) by reading the number of faces in the mesh
 
theAKey.face = i
 
for po in arrayOfPositions do
 
(
 
test = findItem arrayOfPositions eyeSlash.pos 
 
if test != 0 do append illBeDeleted eyeSlash
 
)
 
append arrayOfPositions eyeSlash.pos
 
)
 
delete illBeDeleted
 

I hope it helps and remember, it is working with faces not vertices.

regards
Guimas

Thanks, I will see if your script contains something to help me out. I’ve written something on my own, but there is one thing missing to make this work: To place something using the attachment constraint, you need a two point value of sorts. It kind of looks like a UV value when looking at it. I am looking for a way to convert the barycentric coordinates that intersectRayEx returns into these UV values, if anybody knows how I could sure use some help

Here’s my script so far:

function superPlacer sourceObj targetObj = (
 
 	-- Clear some variables
 	dirRay = dirVec = intersectArr = undefined
 
 	-- Our target object must have a temporary normal modifier to turn it into a mesh
 	meshMod = ( addmodifier targetObj (normalModifier()) )
 	
 	-- We need a direction vector, it will start a couple of units away from the object being placed pointing towards it
 	in coordsys sourceObj (
 		dirStart 	= point pos:[ 0, 0, 2 ] size:1 cross:true box:false
 		dirEnd 	= point pos:[ 0, 0, 1 ] size:1 cross:true box:false
 		)
 		
 	-- Now we can figure out the direction vector thanks to some simple arithmetic
 	dirVec = ( dirEnd.pos - dirStart.pos )
 	print ("-- Direction vector for " +  sourceObj.name +  " is " + dirVec as string + "
")
 	
 	-- Now it's time to calculate our intersection
 	dirRay = (ray dirStart.pos dirVec)
 	intersectArr = (intersectRayEx targetObj dirRay)
 	
 	if intersectArr == undefined then (
 		dirRay = (ray sourceObj.pos -dirVec)
 		intersectArr = (intersectRayEx targetObj dirRay)
 		)
 	
 	if intersectArr == undefined then (
 		print ("-- Could not find intersection point for object " + sourceObj.name + "
")
 		) else (
 		-- We have found a hit point! Let's place our object there
 		hitPoint = point pos:(intersectArr[1].pos) size:1 cross:true box:false
 		-- Temp! Using a copy at the moment...
 		newNode = copy sourceObj
 		newNode.name = "placeMento"
 		
 		newNode.pos.controller = Attachment node:targetObj
 		attachKey = attachCtrl.addNewKey newNode.pos.controller 0
 		attachKey.face = intersectArr[2]
 		attachKey.coord = intersectArr[3] -- I need a 2 point something, not a barycentric 3 point!
 		
 		-- We must re-orient the attached object to match its previous orientation
 		
 		delete hitPoint
 		)
 	
 	
 	-- Cleanup, removing helpers and normal modifier
 	delete dirStart 
 	delete dirEnd
 	deleteModifier targetObj 1
 	
 ) -- End superPlacer() function definition

Ah, seems like I did something wrong with the face index. This takes care of the object position:

From this…
attachKey.face = intersectArr[2]
attachKey.coord = intersectArr[3] – I need a 2 point something, not a barycentric 3 point!

To this…
attachKey.face = intersectArr[2]-1
attachKey.coord = intersectArr[3]

That takes care of things

Now I just need to orient the damn thing. Looking at the world rotation values in the maxscript listener and in the GUI gives me two completely different orientations (one matches up, one doesnt), but I hope I can find what I am looking for with a quick search around here… I wish the max align had a maxscript equivalent…

Rune

attach all peaces of eyelashes togather and use modifier: PathDeform
to put them on a spline.

picture here

Thanks MerlinEl, but I think I am going for attachment controllers. The underlying surface is deforming quite a lot, so I think direct face attachments are the most direct way of aligning the objects to that deformation…

Rune

Yess!

I finally got my method working OK. I need to be very strict on the target surface being a mesh, and nothing else. And by attaching helpers and then parenting the attachment objects to the helpers, everything works out beautifully. Check out this little test animation:

http://www.superrune.com/offsite/2007/eyelash_test.mov

I love the way you can see the eyelashes crossing eachother, something you couldn’t get by combining all of them to a single mesh. Also, since their kept with their stack intact, I could go back and change the radii and curvature of them after the attachment (they’re bent cones).

If someone is interested, I could make an UI and put the script up on my website/scriptspot for downloading.

Rune