How can I tilt an object to lay it down on it's side?

[Anonymous]

I have created a library part to represent a back woods outdoor toilet typically found in America. I am using the object in a presentation on "adaptive re-use" where I take this primitive outdoor toilet and transform it into a modern living room furniture piece. In the attachment, I need to tilt the outhouse about the "x" axis, so that the top lays down toward the observer. Is there a script that will do that?

[Barry Kelly]

Just add an angle parameter to your object - call it say .... ang_x

Then at the beginning of the 3D script just type .... ROTx ang_x

Now you will have an object with a rotation parameter that you can adjust to what ever you need.

Barry.

[Ralph Wessel]

Patrick wrote:
In the attachment, I need to tilt the outhouse about the "x" axis, so that the top lays down toward the observer. Is there a script that will do that?

If you want a quick and easy way to do this, take a look at OBJECTiVE. It can automatically add everything required for an object to be rotated (or cut) in 3D, and provides visual tools to apply the operations. Referring to the attached image, you would only need to:

• 1) Select the object in plan (or elevation)
  2) Select OBJECTiVE's 'Rotate' tool
  3) Specify an axis and angle of rotation.
  4) Results in 2D and 3D.

In other words, it's just like using the ArchiCAD's 2D rotate tool.

For more information, take a look at http://www.encina.co.uk/objective.html

[Anonymous]

Ooo... Thanks for the scripting tip. It worked for me fine, sort of. I have attached the result, but was surprised. My expectation was that it would have simply rolled down on it's side about it's x axis, but instead, as you see, it kicked up and away, as if the axis was 20' or so higher. Would this have anything to do with having 'built' the original model some place other than at 0/0?

[Erich]

I assume that you saved the part from the floor plan based on the question asked and the behavior exhibited. If so, then yes, it has everything to do with how/where you built the part. I appears that you built it about 10' away from the origin.

You can do various things to the script to correct for this but it will be much faster to move the part to the origin and save it as a new part. It may take some experimentation to find the correct location, but I would start by locating the portion of the part that you want to rotate around right at the origin.

[Anonymous]

Rather than faffing about moving the object to 0,0 or fiddling with the script adding rotx's etc, why not just select the original upright object (where ever it is), press F4/F5 to open it on its own in the 3d window, activate the axonometry / parallel projection mode and select side view, rotate the camera to the correct viewing side (the required view from above). OK that and save the contents of the 3d window as a new library part.

This will produce a library part that is rotated the right way, which actually 'calls' the original object in its script. This has the advantage of automatically updating if you update the geometry of the original object at a later date.

[Karl Ottenstein]

I certainly second both the addition of the ROT command(s) or OBJECTiVE.

The behavior of the rotation based on where the object was built is another plus for OBJECTiVE for users who prefer to be visual about the whole process and not deal with scripts.

A plus of the script approach - once built at the origin - vs even saving it with a 3D side view - is that you can animate the rotation of the object. The angle can be incremented over X frames of animation, changing with each N_ (glob_frame_number or something like that).

Of course, if one wanted an animation, it is infinitely easier in Artlantis Studio and with much more control... Either Studio or Render will let you rotate any object - you simply convert your object (outhouse) into an Artlantis object (AOF) within Artlantis so that you can rotate it.

Lots of options... 😉

Karl

[Barry Kelly]

Patrick wrote:
Ooo... Thanks for the scripting tip. It worked for me fine, sort of. I have attached the result, but was surprised. My expectation was that it would have simply rolled down on it's side about it's x axis, but instead, as you see, it kicked up and away, as if the axis was 20' or so higher. Would this have anything to do with having 'built' the original model some place other than at 0/0?

Sorry I didn't really think about the position you may have saved the object from.
I'm in the habit of creating objects from the origin (0,0).

You will probably find some move commands at the beginning of you 3D script.
i.e. ADDx, ADDy, ADDz, maybe even som MUL commands.

You will want to move the "ROT ang_x" command so that it comes after these movements.
This will put it at the same position that you modelled the object and therefore rotate from its base.

Ralph's OBJECTIVE tool (although I don't have it) is certainly a brilliant tool and will do much more than simply rotate an object.

There used to be a free ROTATE tool from Cigraph if I am correct - but I believe they now charge for it?
And it might even need it's own WIBU key as well?
And all it does is rotate existing objects.

Barry.

[Anonymous]

Barry wrote:
There used to be a free ROTATE tool from Cigraph if I am correct - but I believe they now charge for it?

There's another one here made by Peter Devlin... Didn't try it but it should do the job.

[Anonymous]

Braza wrote:

Barry wrote:
There used to be a free ROTATE tool from Cigraph if I am correct - but I believe they now charge for it?

There's another one here made by Peter Devlin... Didn't try it but it should do the job.

I have tried it and it works very well.