EleFront

85 members

Description

EleFront is an add-on that allows the user to bake geometry, annotations and blocks with user defined attributes and or Rhino attributes. Rhino objects can be referenced and filtered dynamically, to be used in Grasshopper.

Full description and download from:

http://www.food4rhino.com/app/elefront

The discussion group below is the best place for asking questions and discussing the usage of the add-on.

Comments Discussions Members

Export to file component - parameters

by Ramon van der Heijden

Mar 20, 2017

Comment by retroagent

Hi Ramon, Thanks again for the add-on. I've been using the export objects component especially, which I've had the best success exporting multiple geometries to a single file and including textures. One issue I've come across is that with the extension set to .obj, the rhino command line still spits out "Choose meshing option ( DetailedOptions PolygonDensity=50 ):" which requires a manual selection. Issuing a -_Export manually first and re-running the script has no change. I'm curious what syntax is required to force the export scheme of the component? Have not tested with other filetypes.
  • up

    Ramon van der Heijden

    Hi Retro,

    Thank you for your question. The export component basically will do the following for each branch in the data tree:

    • Select the provided Rhino objects (ID)
    • Copy the objects from the provided axis system (Plane) to the world axis system
    • Run the command line command: "-_Export"
    • Fill out the appropriate options
    • In case of a DWG export it will apply the Export Scheme (if provided)
    • Send "Enter" to the command line
    • Delete the copied objects

    So if you run "-_Export" once manually and follow it all the way through (including actually exporting the objects to a file) Rhino will remember these settings and will apply them in your current session, even when you use the Export Component. The problem with .obj files is that if you choose to output as Mesh instead of NURBS, it will present you with a second line of options (meshing option) which the component does not account for. Basically the export to .obj will only work if you export as NURBS (export manually once).

    The Export scheme is only intended for DWG export (basically our only use for this component).

    I hope this helps.

    Mar 20, 2017

    • up

      Armin Seltz

      The key to not have this happen and to have control over the meshing options in the first place, is to use MeshBrep and MeshSettings before you go into the component that exports. That way you wont get an interuption when exporting to .obj. I am using this to export geometry simulations per frame using an anemone loop and it can export several thousand .obj files in a row with no user interaction required. I use Elefront for baking, but somehow ended up using the Lunchbox Export component for exporting to .obj - it appears they both do pretty much the same steps as mentioned by Ramon below though, except for not using a Rhino ID.

      Mar 27, 2017