Spline-based mesh generation

Community Community & Industry Discussion
1

Hello everyone!

4.8 have been released for couple of days now, and there is this new feature that allows you to draw polygons in the world.

I wanted to play a bit with it, but accidently made spline-based generation, that generates objects in real-time. :smiley:

Here is the video demo of what iā€™ve done.

0:00 - Simple cylinder generation
0:50 - Generation by spline-based shape
4:18 - Generation along spline
Iā€™m very sorry for a long videoā€¦ Wanted to show all the possibilities.

Features:

  • Cylinder generation (Radius and height)
  • Cylinder taper
  • Show/Hide Caps
  • Side count
  • Custom shape mesh generation (Makes rounded meshes based on spline shape. Like Lathe modifier in 3dsMax.).
  • Generation along spline (Takes shape and extrude it along another spline)
  • Iteration support
  • Closed splines support (I donā€™t know why, but it works only in real-time. In vewport mesh will still has a hole)
  • Invert normal support
  • Material support of course
  • Everything is commented, as well as every variable.

Next version overview: Spline-based mesh generation - Community & Industry Discussion - Epic Developer Community Forums

Download: https://yadi.sk/d/fztgo-GGgWhhM
Made with 4.8 P1 and wont work on any versions below 4.8

2

So cool !!! Thanks in advance for this gift (after pipes and inventory !!! )^^

3

Thank you, Fen :slight_smile:

To Moderators: Could you please fix topic name to ā€œSpline-based mesh generationā€.

4

Done. :slight_smile:

10 char limit

5

Added download link to the first post as promised :slight_smile:

6

Cool, I was just thinking of making something like this myself. Now I donā€™t have to :slight_smile:

The download site doesnā€™t work for me though. Would it be possible to put the project on Github?

7

Hmm. It should workā€¦

Try this one: Dropbox - Error - Simplify your life

8

That one worked! Thanks :slight_smile:

9

Just found out, that there was Custom Mesh function before 4.8. And the new one is Pocedural Mesh Component that allows to do much more awesome stuff, including UVā€™s, normals and tangents.

Iā€™ll play with it and make something similar to my current generator, but with such functions as UVā€™s and smoothing. Wellā€¦ Iā€™ll try to make :smiley:

10

This is cooooooolā€¦need to play with it. Thanks for sharing!

11

Playing with new Procedural meshā€¦

I did the same system, but now it supports smoothing and UVs (Cylindrical). And also some information stuff, like Normal and Tanget visualization or Tris and Vert Count.

Here is the first screenshot :slight_smile:

http://s1.uploadpics.ru/images/-JeI7YRK1l.png

12

Do you like GIFs? ^^

Here is some :slight_smile:

All of these features will be in the next version, so wait a bit. I will release beta soon. (I feel like making 3D application :D)

Spline-based rounded generation

http://s1.uploadpics.ru/images/-1I9QQl9kl.gif

Generate rounded objects by defining splineā€™s shape. This shape will generate vertexes and polygons around actorā€™s center.
[HR][/HR]
Extruding shape along spline

http://s1.uploadpics.ru/images/-JtBePlq1e.gif

You can define path, by wich your shape will be pulled. Great for making tunnels, pipes or roads.
[HR][/HR]
Iteration support

http://s1.uploadpics.ru/images/-J2VDwgc1l.gif

Change iteration count to make your object be more smoothed.
[HR][/HR]
You can close splines to make loops

http://s1.uploadpics.ru/images/ZJe2PYgcJl.gif

You can close splines to make seamless geometry. UVā€™s will also fits new properties.
[HR][/HR]
You can scale UVs.

http://s1.uploadpics.ru/images/-1uT7_l5Jx.gif

You do not need to scale your textures inside materials, just do it right on objectā€™s instance.
By the wayā€¦ Texture applies around geometry or along spline
[HR][/HR]
Uniform topology.

http://s1.uploadpics.ru/images/bJT6T7xc1g.gif

Uniform your topology to make your polygons generate with almost same size. Also effects UVā€™s.
[HR][/HR]

13

Great stuff, looking great! :slight_smile:

14

Very cool man

15

Is it possible to create spline-based roads?

16

Yeah, sure.

17

Awesome.
*When go Epic to add the advanced splinesā€¦ ??

18

The default object is the cylinder. Can I use cube?

19

I will add more primitives, yeahā€¦

20

This looks super useful! Howeverā€¦ Iā€™m not getting any UVs and 4.8 Prev3 crashes when I try to build a starter scene (chairs, table and sculpture) with an instance of the generator placed in the scene.

Any chance of adding intermediate splines to modify a lofted surface along the way? (Adding splines in the middle and at the end to sculpt the shape :slight_smile: