Scripting: Pipe Component

Hey: know what I really want for FF? A 'make a bunch of pipes' node, based on tiles.

Was thinking that it could just have 4 types of tiles:
1 straight piece 'I'
2 elbow 'L'
3 3-way joint 'T'
4 4-way joint '+'

The trick would be how to make them stick together linearly, and not just random scattering.

Has anyone tried to make such a thing using scripting?

-CCX

Quote
CorvusCroax wrote: 'make a bunch of pipes'

On the off-chance that you use maya, I have some python scripts that make tubes. You can find it here: http://ronviers.blogspot.com/

If you do use maya:
Paste these scripts into your script editor or use them as functions. You know the routine, grad the control and scrub the atters. Also, there is a friendly gui under the 'extra attributes' section of the control handle attributes.
Note: start with the coil script because it loads the python modules.

rounded corners

The script is quite fast, but there are some issues like seamless tiling and size slider adaption I need to solve before I publish it.. also I'd like to give the overall design some thought.. there is too many lines for such a simple rendering

Yes, I agree. I thought about making some sort of chance control (like in the bomber) for each piece type.. but I need to redesign things to make that work (i.e. store all compatible parts for a cell and select the actual one based on chance).
Btw - the three images above are all the same pipeline scheme, the circular + piece is just not connected in the center..

One main problem about the current design is that it relies on a pre-calculated cell grid, with info about the current piece type. This creates a repeated pipeline design (not seamless atm, but that is easy to fix). I'd like to find a generic solution so you can render unique pipeline design "endlessly".. not sure if it is possible, since pieces are picked in a relative manner:

Consider a 4x4 grid
First I pick a random piece and put that at 1,1

Code
[+][ ][ ][ ] [ ][ ][ ][ ] [ ][ ][ ][ ] [ ][ ][ ][ ]

then I populate the rest of the first row with compatible Right = Left facings:

Code
[+][-][┐][┌] [ ][ ][ ][ ] [ ][ ][ ][ ] [ ][ ][ ][ ]

after that I populate the first column (Bottom = Top):

Code
[+][-][┐][┌] [┤][ ][ ][ ] [┘][ ][ ][ ] [┌][ ][ ][ ]

and finally I fill out the rest with a double compatibility check (R = L and B = T)

Code
[+][-][┐][┌] [┤][ ][|][└] [┘][┌][┘][ ] [┌][┤][ ][┌]

note: i have a fifth piece type: "no piece"

It is this part of the script I don't fancy too much.. I'd like to be able to look up a piece anywhere in a "endless" grid..

EDIT: uh.. view these with monospaced font.. FF when do you add code formatting blocks in the forum? Just plain monospaced font formatting would do it...

EDIT2: Thanks GMM!!

Looks like circuit board on that last one. I'd like to see more of this pipe-work.

ooo... nice Sphinx!

It's mostly tiles with some binary logic as to whether there should be a connection between the tiles or not.

PipeNoScript.ffxml

Cool Stuff ThreeDee!

Here is Ubersev´s old pipe filter - I really like the logical part of that one, very nice thinking!

It supports some of the connector types mentioned earlier

Pipes (2).ffxml

Quote
Sphinx. wrote: Here is Ubersev´s old pipe filter - I really like the logical part of that one, very nice thinking!

Wow, that's inventive.

If one were to pile a couple of these on top of each other it would be just about perfect. Maybe there is a simple way to avoid those circular loops.

And with bombers one could easily do custom shapes for the pipe elements.

Please, Sphinx would be possible to know how you have done this mix of different sized rectangles and squares pattern?

It would be cool if this could be used:

* to fill some of the rectangles or squares with different solid colors,
* or with photo textures,
* or like image overlay like in this Wire imprint filter by vwg
* or make this as a model huge multiframes and make it in high resolution and put inside many mini photos

Quote

Also from this thread I like and are well done these other examples

Quote
Sphinx showed this

Cool and beautiful circuit board style graphic

Also like too this kind of maze graphic

Quote
Threeded showed

Also interesting other interesting pipes and maze like experiments

Quote
this makes for a great FilterForge homework exercise. Although some of them might be quite a brain teaser

well, I could try to make it and figure out only if this can be done without using any kind of scripts, as I can´t script, so I was asking and confirm this and this is done without script or does not any complex math with FF components (as you say that it could be quite a brain teaser )

After having seen this thread, I wonder if this suggestion shown on this thread bellos could be possible to make

Theo Van Doesburg grid or maze like compositions made inside FF?


Would it be needed a script to be able to make this?