Hello,
I recently came across some mathematical artwork that just made me want to duplicate and explore it, so I just started with python scripting in blender.
Here is the article: http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20080216/mathtrek.asp
I was trying to simulate the Sierpinski Triangle/Fathauer crystal model. Basically take a cube, create a 1/2-size cube on each of its faces and repeat.
I have never done any python before, so please if you have any comments on my usage of python as well let me know, this is only my second day using it.
Basically, I need to generate the vertex, faces and materials for 11 recursions of the algorithm, which is basically 5^^11+5^^10+5^^9, etc squares big. That is 61,035,156 squares, 488,281,248 vertex’s, 366,210,936 faces.
Even if I cut down the recursions, its still a lot.
At lower recursions its about 60 squares a second, at higher recursions that falls dramatically to like 6 squares a second once its been running awhile. At 6 squares a second it would basically take a month or more to generate a higher-Recursion model.
I have a quad-core CPU and other backup computers availible, and since the algorithm is recursive, i can build “levels” of the final model separately and merge together later. I have thought about just firing up 4 copies of blender(for cpu) and generating different levels but that seems like a kludge. Is there any information on threads in Blender Python scripts?
My other thought was maybe it would be faster to learn the format for a .blend or .dxf file and generate the verts, faces, materials in text?
Is there an api command to just take the created Mesh object and write it to a file rather than loading it into a scene for display/saving as I am currently doing?
Anyway, If you run the script should see what it does(Might i suggest keeping recursion <5 to start for sub-minute generation), any comments on how to improve speed or quality of code would be appreciated !!!
Change the “TOTAL_RUN” variable to modify level of recursion.
Basically each call to the recursive algorthm Rectangle takes a starting vertex(x,y,z), a length and a direction and generates a rectangle based off that information.
Z+ is direction 0. X- is 1, Y+ is 2, X+ is 3, Y- is 4, Z- is 5.
import Blender
import time
from Blender import *
TOTAL_RUN = 3
def Rectangle(x,y,z, length, counter , last_direction,me):
#print "Entered Rectangle with ",x,y,z,length,counter
#me = Mesh.New('myMesh2')
coords=[ [x,y,z],
[x,y,z+length],
[x,y+length,z],
[x,y+length,z+length],
[x+length,y,z],
[x+length,y,z+length],
[x+length,y+length,z],
[x+length,y+length,z+length] ]
me.verts.extend(coords) # add vertices to mesh
total_verts = len(me.verts) - 8
total_faces = len(me.faces)
faces = [ [1+total_verts,3+total_verts,7+total_verts,5+total_verts], [2+total_verts,3+total_verts,7+total_verts,6+total_verts], [4+total_verts,5+total_verts,7+total_verts,6+total_verts], [0+total_verts,2+total_verts,6+total_verts,4+total_verts], [0+total_verts,1+total_verts,5+total_verts,4+total_verts], [0+total_verts,1+total_verts,3+total_verts,2+total_verts] ]
me.faces.extend(faces) # add faces to the mesh (also adds edges)
for here in range(total_faces,total_faces+6):
me.faces[here].mat = counter
if (counter < TOTAL_RUN):
for direction in range(0,6):
if direction == 0:
xloc = x+length/4
yloc = y+length/4
zloc = z+length
if last_direction == 5: continue
elif direction == 1:
xloc = x-length/2
yloc = y+length/4
zloc = z+length/4
if last_direction == 3: continue
elif direction == 2:
xloc = x+length/4
yloc = y+length
zloc = z+length/4
if last_direction == 4: continue
elif direction == 3:
xloc = x+length
yloc = y+length/4
zloc = z+length/4
if last_direction == 1: continue
elif direction == 4:
xloc = x+length/4
yloc = y-length/2
zloc = z+length/4
if last_direction == 2: continue
elif direction == 5:
xloc = x+length/4
yloc = y+length/4
zloc = z-length/2
if last_direction == 0: continue
Rectangle(xloc,yloc,zloc,length/2,counter+1,direction,me)
Blender.Redraw()
def totalSquares(count):
if count == 0:
return 1
elif (count > 0 and count < 20):
return pow(5,count) + totalSquares(count-1)
return 0
print "
New Run!"
print "--------"
print "For",TOTAL_RUN,"Recursions:"
total = totalSquares(TOTAL_RUN)
print "Squares:",total
est_time = total/60
print "Estimated Time:",round(est_time,2),"sec,",round(est_time/60,2),"min,",round(est_time/3600,2),"hours,",round(est_time/(3600*24),2),"days."
start_time = time.time()
editmode = Window.EditMode()
if editmode: Window.EditMode(0)
me = Mesh.New('myMesh2')
scn = Scene.GetCurrent()
ob = scn.objects.new(me, 'myObj2')
newmat = Material.New()
me.materials += [newmat]
mat = me.materials[0]
mat.setName('Red')
mat.R = 1.0
mat.G = 0.0
mat.B = 0.0
newmat = Material.New()
me.materials += [newmat]
mat = me.materials[1]
mat.setName('Orange')
mat.R = 1.0
mat.G = 0.5
mat.B = 0.0
newmat = Material.New()
me.materials += [newmat]
mat = me.materials[2]
mat.setName('Yellow')
mat.R = 1.0
mat.G = 1.0
mat.B = 0.0
newmat = Material.New()
me.materials += [newmat]
mat = me.materials[3]
mat.setName('Turq')
mat.R = 0.0
mat.G = 1.0
mat.B = 0.5
newmat = Material.New()
me.materials += [newmat]
mat = me.materials[4]
mat.setName('LBlue')
mat.R = 0.0
mat.G = 0.75
mat.B = 1.0
newmat = Material.New()
me.materials += [newmat]
mat = me.materials[5]
mat.setName('Blue')
mat.R = 0.75
mat.G = 0.75
mat.B = 1.0
# DO recursion
Rectangle(0,0,0,1.,0,0,me)
if editmode: Window.EditMode(1) # optional, just being nice
finish_time = time.time()
print "Run Time: ", round(finish_time - start_time,2),"seconds"
print "Rate:", round(total / (finish_time - start_time),2),"squares per second"
print "--------"
