Populate:Terrain released! Create and retopologize terrain surfaces.

[plastic_]

Here is my latest script.
I'm working on something bigger and this is like a side product of some algorithms I'm researching.
I find it pretty useful personally (as opposed to some of my scripts that I never use myself )







This is not a general use retopologizing (is that a word?) tool. The limitation is that it operates in world space only, with the Z axis up. That's why I'm targeting it at terrain modelling. Basically it wraps a grid onto any surface, or spline cage (contour lines), and trims the result, always looking from the top.
Since the grid is always aligned to X/Y, it's very easy to select rows of vertices for further modeling.

Anyway, here is the download:

Populate:Terrain

I'm looking forward to feedback and suggestions!

[dlparisi]

Thank you. Looks like a very useful utility.

[lukx]

cool stuff...did you studied some programming that you're so good with scripting?

[plastic_]

cool stuff...did you studied some programming that you're so good with scripting?

I didn't study programming, but I started messing around with Visual Basic at the age of 10 and in school I wasn't bad at maths.
It's more like a hobby, but I'm doing Maxscript for about 10 years now, so I got some experience.
Programming is great, I find it deeply satisfying to create a piece of software that does something interesting, and it's even relaxing to write code. Maybe I'm weird, hehe.

[tricky]

If you could make this work with Max 2009 it would be great.

[plastic_]

If you could make this work with Max 2009 it would be great.

yeah, sorry, it would crash.

[peterguthrie]

looks very handy, thanks Marc!

[plastic_]

glad you like it

I updated it to v1.2, mainly bug fixes, but also meshing quality:

http://populate3d.com/news/populatet...dated-to-v1-2/

I got about 4000 downloads now, which is an interesting experience. For example, I learned that there are crazy Maxscript bugs in the Japanese version of 3ds max, but it's a pretty large user base. It's just some kind of parallel internet universe, with own forums and everything.

[peterguthrie]

Parallel Japanese internet universe.... I like. So there's no Japanese Marc Lorenz? Is there a japanese vray? Is there a japanese me?

[1022design]

Japanese version of 3ds max lead you in dark side.
I think people translated English in Maxscript into Japanese are bad.

[plastic_]

Parallel Japanese internet universe.... I like. So there's no Japanese Marc Lorenz? Is there a japanese vray? Is there a japanese me?

It is well likely that there are translated mirrors of your blog out there. You wont find them with google because they also translate your name, or remove it. I saw it in the Russian part of the web, but also China and Brazil.
It's pretty funny to see that, especially the Chinese versions, because their webdesign is crazy. It's extremely fuzzy. They "decorate" your renders with blinking neon colors, tiny scrolling text blocks, bikini girls, etc

[lukx]

It is well likely that there are translated mirrors of your blog out there. You wont find them with google because they also translate your name, or remove it. I saw it in the Russian part of the web, but also China and Brazil.
It's pretty funny to see that, especially the Chinese versions, because their webdesign is crazy. It's extremely fuzzy. They "decorate" your renders with blinking neon colors, tiny scrolling text blocks, bikini girls, etc

Sounds like they have more appreciation for cg. time to move to Japan?

[plastic_]

Sounds like they have more appreciation for cg. time to move to Japan?

I surely wouldn't mind. I haven't been to Tokio yet, but I loved Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and especially Singapore. Those are really good places for a nerd to be. (If you got enough money for a nice flat).
NYC isn't shabby either, but Asian mega cities are top of the line.

[glorybound]

Here is my latest script.
I'm working on something bigger and this is like a side product of some algorithms I'm researching.
I find it pretty useful personally (as opposed to some of my scripts that I never use myself )







This is not a general use retopologizing (is that a word?) tool. The limitation is that it operates in world space only, with the Z axis up. That's why I'm targeting it at terrain modelling. Basically it wraps a grid onto any surface, or spline cage (contour lines), and trims the result, always looking from the top.
Since the grid is always aligned to X/Y, it's very easy to select rows of vertices for further modeling.

Anyway, here is the download:

Populate:Terrain

I'm looking forward to feedback and suggestions!

I tried it, and I love it, thanks!

[jonahhawk]

....I learned that there are crazy Maxscript bugs in the Japanese version of 3ds max, but it's a pretty large user base. It's just some kind of parallel internet universe, with own forums and everything.

I lived in Japan in '95-96 and once saw the Japanese translated version of 3ds DOS. It's no wonder there is a large user base.