Auto Drawing Tool

Coding Released Scripts and Themes
21

So this is your first addon? Very very good first addon!
Thanks again!

22

I didn’t know about motion graphics in C4D so I saw a video reel of it. And I found it closely collaborates together with building motion and particle in dynamically.
So I tested build add-on with particle, and it works!
Particle with build modifier may be a good way for another motion effect.
Thank you for the information.

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24

Hi Nobuyuki, I just found your addon yesterday and it is absolutely amazing!! This is so useful and allows for all kinds of incredible effects. I’m trying it out on a LEGO model and am blown away how the “SIMPLE” setting for “Draw Objects In Turn” is somehow able to choose the parts in almost perfect build order! I have no idea how you do this, but it works great.

There are a few minor issues I found while testing this addon:

  1. For “Draw Objects in Turn” “SIMPLE”: this mode does not use the Start Frame / End Frame settings in the Auto Drawing Tool tab. The first object will always start from frame 0 or 1 even if start is frame 10 (more info in #3 below).

  2. For “Draw Objects in Turn” “ALONG_CURVE”: if you just used this mode, and then you want to try again with a different mode (such as “SIMPLE”) you will not be able to access the options menu to select a different mode UNLESS you have selected your curve again. Even deleting the curve will not clear the addon’s previous selection. It will still give an error message if you click “Set Auto Drawing” when the curve is not found.

  3. For “Draw Objects in Turn” “ALONG_CURVE”: This mode also will always have the first object start from frame 0. Interestingly, though, once you have selected the curve, and clicked “Set Auto Drawing” to re-access the options menu, then selected “SIMPLE”, the first object will now start building from frame 1 instead of 0. However, it will not start from the frame you have actually selected in the Auto Drawing Tab (for example, frame 10).

So that’s it for issues. :slight_smile: Now I would like to mention a few features I think would make this addon even more awesome!

Feature Request 1: For “Draw Objects in Turn”: If your frame duration is less than the number of selected objects and you click “Set Auto Drawing” there should be an error message that says, “ERROR: End Frame cannot be less than total number of selected objects.” :slight_smile:


Feature Request 2: Is it possible to move all options to the Auto Drawing Tool tab so they can always be accessible even if you deselect and re-select your objects? If so, this might help with the next Feature below:


Feature Request 3: For “Draw Objects in Turn” “SIMPLE”: Currently, when the total frames divided by the total objects is less than 2, the addon automatically sets BuildModifier.frame_duration to 1. This is a great feature and makes building up things like LEGO models piece by piece really easy, as each object just “pops” in at each frame. However, I think it would be really nice to also have the ability to change both the “Delay” and the “Build Length” right in the addon.

Example: You have a model with 20 pieces, and you want each piece to appear in 1 frame (instantly), however, you want a delay of 5 frames between each one appearing. The whole effect would take place over 100 frames.

OR, You have a model with 20 pieces, and you want each piece to appear in 5 frames, with a delay of 3 frames between each one appearing. The whole effect would take place over 140 frames.

Solution: So, below the “Draw Objects in Turn” menu, there could be a checkbox called “Use Custom Delay”. By default it is unchecked, and this is the current behavior of the addon, where it automatically calculates the Start frame of the effect for each object.

However, checking this box would enable a slider below it called “Delay”. Increasing this slider greater than 0 would ADD its value to “BuildModifier.frame_start” amount (the “Start” slider in the Build Modifier) for EACH object, giving the desired delay in frames between each object appearing. Ideally, the addon could do the math to automatically increase the “End Frame” value in the Auto Draw Tool tab as the “Delay” slider is increased.

Below this, there could be a checkbox called “Use Custom Build Length”. By default it is unchecked, and this is the current behavior of the addon, where it automatically calculates the length of the effect for each object.

However, checking this box would enable a slider below it called “Build Length”. This slider globally sets the “BuildModifier.frame_duration” (the “Length” slider in the Build Modifier) for EACH object.

Using these 2 custom sliders together (“Delay” and “Build Length”), you would be able to create any combination of time offsets and build durations that you could imagine. :slight_smile:

Thank you, Nobuyuki, so much for your time and hard work in developing this addon. It is an excellent creation!

Sincerely,
Adam Janz

25

So I should mention that the previous feature requests I shared today, while very useful, might not be truly necessary for this addon, whose primary feature is “drawing”. Drawing is what the “Auto Drawing Tool” does extremely well; my apologies for making some feature requests that are perhaps “off-topic”. I believe the addon known as Animation Nodes would be sufficient to accomplish the other “building”-related delays and timing that I mentioned.

Thanks again for your incredible work in creating this addon! It has opened my eyes to see the amazing work that can be done in Blender.

Have a Merry Christmas!

-Adam

26

Hi Adam.
Thank for testing the addon and suggesting issues and feature requests.

I am going to try to implement your suggestions in Auto drawing tool.
I can start coding after the new year come though.
If it would be succeeded, I will post the result here.

And feel free to post other bug issues or feature requests on the addon.
Or when you make a animated video using Auto drawing tool, feel free to put the video on the thread to share your creation.

27

Hi Nobuyuki, that sounds awesome! Thank you for your excellent work. Have a great Christmas and happy new year!

-Adam

28

I was very excited to discover this add-on, but on my blender 2.79b (Mac) install today, I found that it fails unless I rename my linestyle to “LineStyle”. After I renamed my line style, it worked… I think.

But I don’t see a difference between using this add-on and using the standard Build modifier. I’m seeing the same result (apart from the automatic change to white material and white world background). Maybe that’s only because of the mesh I’m using, or line styles and other Freestyle settings.

29

Great and usefull addon. Thanks

30

I think it is the same visual results as the build modifier except for the handy automation process (with the added ability to apply the settings to multiple objects at once, plus change the build order, etc) and with shortcuts built in (such as the equivalent of “Mesh > Sort Elements” to change face indices). It’s definitely a great add-on!

31

Hi.
Just commenting here to see if someone with developer capabilities can port this great addon to 2.8 :grinning:

32

Hello, YAFU.
I could update this addon to 2.8.

I’m now trying to update fracture cell and fracture crack addon to 2.8.
If it goes well smoothly, After a week, I think I can start updating auto drawing tool to 2.8.

Please wait a little more time.

4 Likes
33

great job and perfect outline.
i can`t find another addon to instead this render outline effect.
hope update to 2.8 or 2.81 version.
thanks 

1 Like
34

any update, it is a great add-on !!

1 Like