A simple test I recently finished. As quoted from my site:
"This was a test produced in order to achieve a similar effect to a “Pin Art” toy which creates images by extending an array of pins.
This effect is quite simple actually, and the basic concept is to read an image, look at the luminance values of the pixels, and displace geometry accordingly. The brighter the pixel, the greater the displacement and effectively, the higher the pin elevates. The main problem in achieving this is that building any type of geometry and displacing it with the pixel values will distort the mesh. This is because the left vertices of a mesh may be displaced 10% while the right vertices may be displaced 80% due to neighbouring brighter pixels. The solution to this is to not displace geometry, but rather displace a point, or even better, a spline. Since a point is one dimensional, it can be directly mapped to a single pixel. Once the pixel value is derived, the point shifted, and the spline displaced, any object can then be attached to the spline. In the example below, 3dsmax has a feature which will allow one to convert a spline to an object with a configurable thickness and number of sides at render-time.
The example below has an array of 50x30 splines, which are converted to 4-sided rectangles at rendertime, and are displaced using an animated map, in this case the “Monster’s Inc” movie trailer. Of course, greyscale images/maps would work better since pixel values are based on luminance and the pin array can be of any desired resolution."
Could’ve it been done by reducing the size of projected image to an appropriate one, in this caser to 50x30 pixels? This way all, lets say 12 vertizes of a cilinders base vould be on one pixel, therefore one color, one height information?
There is another approach to creating a pinscreen. One method I’ve used in the past is to create a plane object with a reasonable density, then apply a displace modifier with the image/animation you wish to embed in the pins. Then create a single pin - a capsule or chamfered cylinder object is good for this.
The bit that makes it all come together is to use a scatter compound object to place a pin at every vertex point on the displaced plane. Make sure you leave the perpendicular option unchecked.
You can easily change the number of pins by adjusting the length and width segments of the Plane object. And control the height of the pins by the Strength setting of the Displace modifier (now buried in your modifier stack)
And don’t forget to hide the plane object.
And if you combine it with Peter Watje’s Object Texture plugin you can effectively displace the pinscreen using other objects in your scene.
And like Richard’s technique, you don’t have to worry about your pin’s being distorted as its only their position thats being displaced.
Any chance of releaseing the plugin? or is it just for testing. THe reason i ask is that all the other pin plugins i find are for max5…and since im using 6..im a bit of a pickle
Would it be possible for you to post a small demo file of your pin displacement. I have setup a spline array but I am not sure on how I get a displacement? Do I attach them all together and use a VRay Displace Mod. I have tried several things with no luck.
