Deform by UV

[Cryrid]

Ah, I didn't realize you had to go all the way down to the .UVs, I was just trying the projections. Also I guess you have to drag the cacher onto the ICE tree and connect it to the compound in order to get the cloned shape to deform back?

Seems to work now though, thanks.

[Mathaeus]

nice you got it to work !
btw it's not new for XSI, it's similar to an old plugin by Kim Aldis. Even only with standard XSI operators, it's possible to do something close to this - cage deform on clone, shrink-wrap on clone, so on. But ICE+UV approach seems to be much faster and precise.
Clone is for comfortable 'in-plane' modeling, 'deform null' is also for placing the 'catcher' into some convenient SRT.

That's how looks setup for this one.



cheers

[iamVFX]

Very cool compounds, Anto! Here I simplified the setup process to one-click solution.

Just put the plugin file attached below to "\Autodesk\Softimage_20##\Application\Plugins" user folder and under Model -> Create -> Poly. Mesh menu you'll find a "Create Deformed by UV mesh" button

There's "Cutline" or "Unfold_CutLine" edge clusters must exist on object to cut the UV mesh (unfortunately "Contour Selection" TE command is not exposed for SDK yet)

Should work on all versions that supports Python

[Mathaeus]

Spasibo, Constantine

[iamVFX]

Just found a few tutorials, thanks to spookymunky!

[Falam]

Hi all,

Here are few simple compounds that can deform mesh by another mesh, using UV projection as a reference. It's very old idea, similar result can be achieved by using XSI Cage deform Op, or Deform by Surface, together with Shrink Wrap. But this one is using UV projection, so distortion is minimized. It doesn't require any special tweaking in order to be fast.
Originally it's created for sliding the mesh on another mesh, but I've used it also for some kind of 'projected modeling'. Mainly for cloth and high poly space-ship hulls.
It definitively isn't one-step method, but I've found it very usable for 'long range' modeling, because seems to be much easier to model 'in plane'. Also, it's easy to reuse the already modelled patterns, again and again. Let's say for modeling a set of space ships of different kind, but still sharing the same style. Deformer can carry deformation too.
It doesn't work very well on meshes with sharp edges.

Sample model is created, following these steps:
1: Polymesh > Subdivision from original (because ICE doesn't take subdivision Geo Approx into account) - this mesh is 'cacher' for deformation
2: Nice, well unfolded UV projection on 'cacher'
3: Disconnecting edges at UV seams on 'cacher'
4: Un simulated ICE tree with compound called 'UV Deform On Cacher'
5: New, 'modeling mesh' - this one is for modeling
6: Clone of 'modeling mesh' - as a final result - this one has another un simulated ICE tree, with compound called 'UV Deform On Mesh'

The last step with cloned mesh is for convenience reason, to allow the all stages of deformation to be visible.
Personally I've found this method a very usable, hope it can help the others a bit.

Take it here

Cheers

It doesn't work with displacement maps though, correct ?