DeleD Community Edition

[paul_nicholls]

Hi all,
I have added linear (straight line) paths (just an unclosed polygon for now) to my local DeleD codebase (also works with load/save).

Currently, there are no create properties associated with the new TPath primitive, but there might be in the future...

I have also tweaked the lath command so it works with TPath too.

Both sorts of smoothing crashes ATM with paths as it isn't closed.

If I fix up the smoothing so it totally ignores the TPath primitive type and doesn't crash any more, should I then check in my new primitive code into subversion so others can use it?

Or should I wait till possibly more things can be done with it?

Already, people could use paths for, let say, gun ports or something on a model and read them in from the scene file.

NOTES:

The path(s) renders just fine for the 3 x 2d view modes, but in 3d mode they still render as closed polygons.

I can't figure out how I would draw this primitive type as just lines in 3d mode because of the RenderQueue class dishing out polygons that get drawn (NOT TPrimitive descendents)..

cheers,
Paul
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[paul_nicholls]

Hi Jeroen and PJ,
I have now fixed up the code so both types of smoothing (Catmull-Clark and Doo-Sabin) completely ignore any selected TPath primitives, and only work on other polygon-based primitives as usual.

Should I now check-in my changes, or perhaps submit a patch?

I have done quite a few changes to the code...but I haven't noticed any crashes, or other issues yet.

Here is a summary of the changes:

1. there is now a TPath primitive type (just an open polygon primitive) (includes a graphic in the create/edit GUI options).
2. scenes with TPath primitives can be loaded/saved.
3. The lath command works on TPath.
4. The 2 smoothing commands (Catmull-Clark and Doo-Sabin) ignore this type of primiive ATM instead of just crashing...ie. no change happens to the scene for TPath primitives using these.

cheers,
paul
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Long live DeleD!

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[Paul-Jan]

Paul... awesome! I say just commit it!

The worst that can happen is that unexpected things turn up (bugs/instability), which we can then fix or temporary revert. If that's the case and it bothers us, we can always decide then and there to fall back onto patch-review-commit cycles in the future... for now, I much prefer moving forward as fast as possible!

[paul_nicholls]

Alrighty then!

I will commit it very soon

cheers,
Paul
_________________
Long live DeleD!

Hi ho...hi ho...it's off 3d modeling I go...

[paul_nicholls]

Now committed

cheers,
Paul
_________________
Long live DeleD!

Hi ho...hi ho...it's off 3d modeling I go...

[Paul-Jan]

Yay! I have added it to the changelog... we just need some documentation and a cool screenshot, but we could focus on that during testing week (February 8-15). Perhaps we can get some creative user do do it.

Oh, I also have a bug report: I don't think it works in the front view. Perhaps I'm clicking wrong, but if you could check that out that would be sweet.

[chronozphere]

I can confirm that bug. You can't make paths in the front view. Also, after an attempt, you can't make other primitives there too:

> Select path and click a few times in front view (nothing happens)
> Select cube and try to make a cube in the front view.

I also think we need another way of rendering path's. DeleD is now attempting to make weird looking polygons out of them.

Great work paul, keep it up!

[paul_nicholls]

[paul_nicholls]

Hi again,
I have now committed a patch to make paths draw as lines in 3d mode now, and not those horrible filled polygons

cheers,
Paul
_________________
Long live DeleD!

Hi ho...hi ho...it's off 3d modeling I go...

[paul_nicholls]

I have another linear path question for you...

I have noticed that in my current path implementation, you can only do paths of 3 or more vertices, ie. no single edge/line paths.

This is so you can select the path by clicking on it (not selection rects), and it uses the triangle formed by the vertices as a collision test.

Should I alter the paths so you can use 2 or more vertices instead of 3 or more?

If so, then I would have to put in another test for this type of path with only 2 vertices, like checking for clicks within some distance to the line between the 2 vertices when doing selection via click only...

I already have code that can do point vs line tests which I can use, but I thought I'd ask first on your opinions

Paths with only 1 edge would be useful too I guess

cheers,
Paul
_________________
Long live DeleD!

Hi ho...hi ho...it's off 3d modeling I go...

[chronozphere]

I think one edge paths should be supported.

I saw that you implemented the path by using the TPolygon class. No offense, but "A polygon is NOT a path" . My advice would be to create a new TPath class for this. You can make this new class work as you want and you could copy code from the polygon class as you see fit.

Making the TPolygon class work as a single-edge path violates the purpose of that class. Each genuine "polygon" should always have 3 vertices. If you are going to add exceptions to that rule, you may end up with confusing and buggy code.

It may be a lot harder to make a new class, but I'm sure it pays off in the end.

Just my $0.02

Good luck!

[paul_nicholls]

[chronozphere]

Great!

This is the reason why I think DeleD must be refactored. Adding a Path type is quite difficult because there are no abstract classes we can use to derive from. Moreover, functionality like "Polygons" are scattered over a lot of files (look at all the selection-lists etc).

I would like to help to refactor this.