topic Re: Groups and transformations in Libraries & objects

Groups and transformations

Anonymous — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:06:02 GMT

I have an object that consist of a few groups. one group (groupA) consists of three parts that are called from subroutines. In the subroutines they are rotated to the proper orientation and in the main script they are placed in the "stack". Each transformation in the subgroup and the main script is followed by a cancellation (DEL X).

GroupB is the same way. It is contained within a subroutine and and is to subtract from groupA however no matter where I put it in the main script I can not get it to go to the right place to make the cuts. I can send it away from group a but whenever I get it close to the proper place it all disappears or produces an error message.

GROUP "A"

ADDz var1

GOSUB 1 !!! (part one is a revolution and has a 270° rotation with a DEL 1)

DEL 1

ADDz (var1+var2)

GOSUB 2 !!! (is a cone with no rotation or transformation in the subroutine)

DEL 1

ADDz (var1 + var2 + var3)

GOSUB 3 !!! (part one is a revolution and has a 270° rotation with a DEL 1)

DEL 1

ENDGROUP

ADDz (var1+var2) !!this is where I want the subassembly that makes up group B to be able to move vertically on group A

GROUP "B"

GOSUB 4 (sub 4 is a fairly complex routine but every transformation is DEL. There is a FOR X = 1 TO a varR and each transformation has a DEL the last one I have tried DEL 1 and DEL varR to no avail.)

ENDGROUP

DEL 1

I have tried every conceivable combination but cannot get group B to get to the center part of group A. I've tried to have no transformations and it will either make both groups disappear or produce an error message. Which brings up another question; Where do they hide the GDL error definitions?

These parts were originally created as .esm and .gdl from AC 5 to 6.5 and being rewritten in a .gsm in AC9 on Mac OS X.5 and .6.

Another question I have is about basic shapes like cones and cylinders. In the old parts when the pieces touched AC automatically hid the line between the two and now I can't get a few of them to go away. Is there a way to use a mask or a status value to get rid of these?

Thanks for any help

Re: Groups and transformations

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:56:34 GMT

Hi Jeffrey,

Maybe this will help:

"Transformations, cutplanes outside the group definition have no effect on the group
parts; transformations, cutplanes used inside have no effect on the bodies outside the definition. Group definitions are transparent to attribute
DEFINEs and SETs (pens, materials, fills); attributes defined/set before the definition and those defined/set inside the definition are all
effective." GDL Reference Manual page 111

I can see that you have one "addz" transformation outside the group definition... Try to put it inside.

HTH.

Re: Groups and transformations

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:27:32 GMT

Thanks Braza,

Still no charm. I even tried creating the assembly as a part all by itself. If I PLACEGROUP the groups individually they are where they belong and if I ADD, SUB or ISECT they scatter. I ended up using a different approach and it didn't solve one of the problems I was trying to eliminate either.

I was trying to eliminate a solid line where the jagged one is now.

Thanks again

Re: Groups and transformations

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:58:43 GMT

Hi Jeffrey,

Nice pieces!

Specially the helicoidal one.

If you could post the gsm file with some 3d shots with your remarks maybe someone could give it a look.

Re: Groups and transformations

Erika Epstein — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:37:47 GMT

I agree, I would like the second one from the left. I'd suffer and take them as a boxed set.

What is that jagged line?

Re: Groups and transformations

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:48:55 GMT

Braza wrote:
Hi Jeffrey,

Nice pieces!

Specially the helicoidal one.

If you could post the gsm file with some 3d shots with your remarks maybe someone could give it a look.

Thanks,

Stairs were why I bought AC in the first place. Stairmaker was a $300.00 add on at the time. Money well spent.

I don't really use AC anymore and had been trying to sell my license to no avail. I finally have someone interested but they really just want my stair stuff but I have to show them how to convert them so they don't produce error messages. "This object was created with an earlier version..."

The heli is a "new twist" on some old parts and the one with the problem. The base of the heli wasn't shown in the elevation because it looks like trash. Worse than the jaggy because two pieces are sharing the same space.

This is only one of many based on the 4th from the left. Highly parametric. You can choose the rosette style, number and placement shoulder type on base and top, base shape, height, number of twists and flutes etc..

Who knows you may finally to be able to get some stairs that represent real world wood construction.

Here's a condensed version of the script

GROUP "therapy101"

PUT yourrighthandin

PUT yourleftfootout

DO thehokeypokey

WHILE you

REVOLVE yourselfabout

IF thatswhatitsallabout THEN

GOTO

GROUP "rehab"

EXIT

insanity = ADDGROUP ("therapy101", "rehab")

PLACEGROUP insanity

KILLGROUP "therapy101"
KILLGROUP "rehab"

END

Re: Groups and transformations

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:59:15 GMT

Erika wrote:
I agree, I would like the second one from the left. I'd suffer and take them as a boxed set.

What is that jagged line?

These are variation of the 4th from the left. It is all one newel.

The jagged line is the result of the inconsistent status values is my best guess. Even with the settings to hide the horizontal lines it still shows.

Re: Groups and transformations

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:48:02 GMT

Here's a condensed version of the script...