metaball for maya 1.0.1 for Maya (maya plugin)

metaball for maya
by Ozgur Yilmaz (gromit)

Description :
Metaball for maya is a metaball surface generator. Current version uses locators as source positions, next versions will use both locators, polygon vertices or particles as source. I developed it for fun and to enhance my maya API knowledge, you can use it freely, I will be updating the code. Current version supports maya 7.0, 8.0 and 8.5.

Release Notes :
v1.0.1 - 07.07.2007

• added metaball plugin for Maya 7.0 and Maya 8.0
• added install command to createMetaball mel script
• added icons for commands createMetaball, addMetaballHandle, removeMetaballHandle
• added the source code, I didn't clean the code, so there is alot commented out lines, alot dirty codes

v1.0.0.alpha.build 1152 - 05.07.2007

• it is the first public release, so it will crash alot ( though I did alot debuging )...

Installation :

• if maya is on, close it...
• put metaball.mll to maya's plug-ins directory ( ex: C:Program FilesAutodeskMaya8.5binplug-ins )
• put createMetaball.mel to one of maya's script directory ( ex: My Documentsmayascripts )
• put icons in to the icons folder ( ex: C:Program FilesAutodeskMaya 8.5icons )
• open maya
• use installMetaball to create the shelf buttons

Usage :

after installing the script by using installMetaball command:

- to create the metaball surface

• select createMetaball from shelf
• it will create one locator and the metaball surface, which is a mesh
• if you move the locator the metaball surface will move with it

- to add another locator/metaballHandle:

• select the metaball surface
• select addMetaballHandle from shelf
• add as many locator as you want or maya crashes ( I didn't made a stress test yet )

- to remove locator/metaballHandle:

• select the metaball handles that you want to delete
• select removeMetaballHandle from the shelf

- to see how the metaball surface created from scratch:

• select the metaball surface
• from the channelBox find the metaball1 node in history, open it
• set "Max Iterations" attribute to 0
• select the "Max Iterations" labal
• while holding the middle mouse button drag to right on the viewport
• the metaball surface will be created as you drag

Attributes :

• radius : specifies the metaball radius for one locator
• threshold : specifies the value where the implicit function will be drawn
• tesselation method :
  0 - uses Adaptive Triangulation Algorithm
  1 - uses Adaptive Edge Spining Algorithm
  ( this setting is obsolete, it will always use adaptive triangulation algorithm )
• max triangle size :
  defines the ratio which will be used as the max triangle size
  maxTriangleSize * Radius * 0.15 is the maxTriangle size
  maxTriangleSize also effects the min triangle size inside the code
• use view position :
  it will be added in future releases, simply it will use the cameras view point for LOD purposes
• max iteration :
  this limits the iteration to a maximum value, I mainly use it for debuging, use a value which will be enough to close the metaball surface ( in future releases I will remove this attribute )
• accuracy :
  this is the value which is used in finding the metaball surface for every vertex genereted
  1 means 1e-(2+1) = 0.001
  2 means 1e-(2+2) = 0.0001
  3 means 1e-(2+3) = 0.00001
  ... and so on
  I suggest to use 5 for accuracy, lower values will generate good surfaces in genereal but sometimes metaball surface will not be closed
• neighbour weight :
  this value is used in edgeLength calculation
  0 will use the edge length from curvature calculation
  1 will use the edge length by taking the mean value of the neighbours to the vertex
  between 0 and 1 it will mixes the values
  I suggest using 0 for this value but values between 0-0.5 will generate better result sometimes

Known Issues :

• maya will crash if threshold is set to 0 or 1 or near to them , between 0.25 and 0.75 is good...
• maya will crash if radius is set to much low ( around 0.01 )
• with low accuracy values below 5 the metaball surface will not close
• tesselation method is obsolete
• use view position attribute is obsolete
• there will always be an untriagulated hole on the metaball surface ignore it, I will close this final triangle in the code later