Gothic Vaults

[neil]

This is a script I have written to create gothic vaults (specifically domical vaults - one of the early forms). It creates quarter of a vaults which if you make four linked mirrored copys gives you a whole vault. It is my first useful script, with major credit to the potatoid tutorial and S68s knife script which I based the GUI on.

#############################################################
#                                                           #
# Blender Domical Vault Script                              #
#                                                           #
# (C) December 2003 Neil McAllister                         #
#                                                           #
#############################################################
# History                                                   #
# V: 0.0.1 - 27-12-02 - First Working Version               #
#############################################################
 
import Blender
from Blender import *
from Blender.Draw import *
from math import *
 
BL_VERSION = Blender.Get('version')
if (BL_VERSION<=223):
    import Blender210
 
pointy=Create(0.5)
length=Create(4.0)
breadth=Create(6.0)
 
#############################################################
# MAIN                                                      #
#############################################################
def ConstructVault():
    global pointy, length, breadth
    me=NMesh.GetRaw()
 
    i=0.0
    j=0.0
 
    n=32.0
    l=length.val
    b=breadth.val
    p=pointy.val
    d=sqrt(l*l+b*b)
    alpha=acos(1-1/(2*p))
    theta=alpha/n
    rl=l*p*2
    rb=b*p*2
    rd=d*p*2
 
    for i in range(0,n+1):
        for j in range(0,n+1):
            x=(cos(alpha)-cos(theta*i))*rb
            y=(cos(alpha)-cos(theta*j))*rl
            if i<j:
                z=sin(theta*i)*(rd-rl)+sin(theta*j)*rl
            else:
                z=sin(theta*j)*(rd-rb)+sin(theta*i)*rb
            v=NMesh.Vert(x,y,z)
            me.verts.append(v)
 
    n0=len(range(0,n+1))
 
    for i in range(0,n):  
        for j in range(0,n):  
            if i==j:
                f=NMesh.Face()  
                f.v.append(me.verts[i*n0+j])  
                f.v.append(me.verts[i*n0+j+1])
                f.v.append(me.verts[(i+1)*n0+j+1])  
                me.faces.append(f)
 
                f=NMesh.Face()  
                f.v.append(me.verts[i*n0+j])  
                f.v.append(me.verts[(i+1)*n0+j+1])  
                f.v.append(me.verts[(i+1)*n0+j]) 
                me.faces.append(f) 
 
            else:
                f=NMesh.Face()  
                f.v.append(me.verts[i*n0+j])  
                f.v.append(me.verts[i*n0+j+1])  
                f.v.append(me.verts[(i+1)*n0+j+1])  
                f.v.append(me.verts[(i+1)*n0+j]) 
                me.faces.append(f) 
 
    NMesh.PutRaw(me,"plane",1)  
    Blender.Redraw()
 
#############################################################
# Graphics                                                  #
#############################################################
def Warn():
    BGL.glRasterPos2d(115, 23)
    Blender.Window.Redraw(Blender.Window.Const.TEXT)
 
def draw():
    global pointy, length, breadth
    BGL.glClearColor(0.5, 0.7, 0.5, 1)
    BGL.glColor3f(1,1,1)
    BGL.glClear(BGL.GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT)
    BGL.glColor3f(1, 1, 0)
    BGL.glRasterPos2d(8, 153)
    Text("Blender Domical Vault Script")
    BGL.glRasterPos2d(8, 133)
    Text("(C) Dec. 2003 Neil McAllister")
 
    length=Slider("Length ",2,10, 100, 200, 20, length.val, 0, 100)
    breadth=Slider("Breadth ",2,10, 75, 200, 20, breadth.val, 0, 100)
    pointy=Slider("Pointiness ",2,10, 50, 200, 20, pointy.val, 0.5, 4)
    Button("Exit", 1, 100, 10, 40, 20)
 
 
def event(evt, val): 
    if (evt== QKEY and not val):
        Exit()
 
def bevent(evt):
    if   (evt== 1):
        Exit()
    elif (evt== 2):
        ConstructVault()
        Draw()
    elif (evt== 3):
        ConstructVault()
        Redraw()
 
ConstructVault()
Register(draw, event, bevent)

Comments please...

Neil

Updated for 2.44 on page 3

http://bartius.crouch.googlepages.com/vault_download

[emtilt]

Well, I don't know anything about python itself. But I played with it in blender a bit, seems to work fine. Interesting, even though I am not sure how useful it will be...

[Enzoblue]

To make vaulted ceilings with a perfect, no hassle, takes 2 seconds to make vault ?

Works really nice Neil

Our train station in Philadelphia has a multi vaulted ceiling I can duplicate with this using a very low pointedness setting. The ceiling itself uses hundreds of these vaults like a texture.

[IamInnocent]

It's just beautiful, I love it.

Thanks a bunch for sharing.

[asdf_46]

Hey where can I see some stuff that you have done with it? asdf_46

[S68]

Hoho,

very nice, and usefull could be expanded to many other different kind of vaults!

Thanx for crediting me too...

Stefano

[Schlops]

HeyHo!

Nice script, thank you!

[seval]

Very nice. Good to see someone working on scripts like this one. Thanks.

[Tol]

Thanx it´s really nice! You have no idea how much will this script make my life easier

[dante]

I tried it out using the defualt settings on the defualt plane. I'm not sure what this script does, as Im not really sure what a gothic vault is :-| .

[trevs]

I can't get this to work. Tried it in 2.23 and 2.25.
Alt-p brings up the settings screen, I can change the settings but nothing appears on the drawing screen. Am I missing something?

Cheers

[neil]

Trevs: I'm sorry, I don't know what the problem might be. Does it give any errors on the console thingy? Do any of the gurus out there know what the problem might be?

Dante: What happens when you run it - are you having the same problem as Trevs? A gothic vault is like the ceiling of medieval cathedrals - pointed arch sort of thing.

Neil.

[trevs]

Got it to work!!!!!
In fact it was working all the time except it was drawing the vault on the 3D screen at such a large default size it was off-screen.
Silly me, and I thought I knew quite alot about Blender.

Cheers

[jazzroy]

hi neil I really like your script, but it doesn't work entirely for me.
changing the first param. (length) the script halts and comes back to the text editor.

maybe you know way..

jzr

[Modron]

I also have this problem with the vault script but constrained scaling seems to straighten it out, so i just stay away from that parameter. I'll check the py console next time I have it out.

[reed]

I also was having problems, which I fixed by adding an "Update" button instead of rebuilding the vault section whenever the slider moved. I guess blender doesn't like it when you change stuff during the scale event.

I also made some other random changes that may or may not make any difference like calling "me.update()" in the ContructVault function. Also renamed the labels because I keep forgetting which slider does what :)

I can either post the URL to my hacked version or PM or email it to you if you want Neil.

Also if you post a new version, can you put a link to a file? Cutting and pasting adds all kinds of strange characters in the text that I have to filter out.

Fun and useful script though!

[denshidan]

Thats brilliant and very useful for me as Im modelling our church at the moment.. so

DSD

[Crouch]

I've made some additions to the script, but let me start with thanking Reed for his version of the code. He changed the code so the mesh wasn't constantly being updated.

You can download the new file here.
The general page can be found over here.

Here is a list of the changes I made:

* Added the possibility to set the resolution of the vault
* Square-button: easier to create square vaults
* Lowered the minimum pointiness to the absolute minimum
* Real-time button: choose between real-time or update on demand
* Reset button

If you find any mistakes in the code, or have any suggestions, please let me know. I'm completely new to python (this is the first thing I ever did with it), so any comments are welcome.

EDIT: If you wish to create a new vault, change the Datablock name of the old vault in the 'links and materials' section (F9). I'm also still busy with this in python.
EDIT2: This problem is solved in version 0.0.2

[reed]

Great changes Crouch, I think I'll use them to make some vauts in my Round Table (king arthur style) hall.

[Crouch]

I'm glad you like the changes. There was still one thing bothering me though: the fact that the script replaced the existing vault. I've fixed that now.
I guess the next step will be to make it possible to edit previous made vaults and to save settings, but that might take some time.

You can find the new script over here.
The general page can be found over here.

Before I forget it: post some pictures of the things you make with it!