topic Re: Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features in Fusion Design, Validate & Document Forum

Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features

sprior913 — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 01:09:45 GMT

I'm trying to figure out how to use the Image2Surface script to start with a generated cloud grayscale to create a surface that I can use as the background of a sign. The script seems to create a surface just fine, but that new object shows up as a body and I'm not totally sure what it is, but I can't seem to do anything with it. I've got the new Mesh functions enabled in preferences in case that matters.

The surface seems to have no thickness. What I'd like to do from here is to trim it in X and Y, then create a new body above and below this surface and split the body with the surface. Then I'd create bodies for the sign elements and combine the bodies to make a sign.

I can't seem to use this surface as a splitting tool or anything else. I don't see any convert options anywhere.

Can anyone give me a clue where to go from here? I've attached the original cloud image, the clouds.obj (in a zip file) that Image2Surface generated, and a screen shot of where I'm stuck.

Re: Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features

TrippyLighting — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 02:02:57 GMT

You can theoretically convert that imported mesh into a T-Spline. However, the mesh density in this mesh is way to high for that to make sense. You can probably reduce your density by factor 100 as the control mesh for a T-Spline does not need that many polygons. If you do want to convert it into a T-SPline anyway you might have to wait a few minutes for the conversion to finish. It worked fine on my mid 2010 i7 iMac.

I believe that this script creates quad polygons. You may need to turn auto-triangulation of meshes off in the preferences.

That might be the reason why you don't see a conversion entry in your menu.

That T-Spline can then be converted as to an open surface body and that can be used as a splitting surface for a solid body.

Re: Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features

sprior913 — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 03:38:16 GMT

I tried reducing the size of the clouds image to 25% of original, tried the image2surface and didn't see any additional menus. I tried turning off the convert triangles option in my preferences and didn't see anything different. I tried turning off the Mesh workspace preview and didn't see any additional conversion options. I don't see where the option is to convert to a t-spline - did you actually do that with your computer?

Can you give me the steps to importing this, converting to a t-spline, then to the open surface? Did you have the new Mesh preview feature enabled? I'm really kinda stumped.

Re: Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features

PhilProcarioJr — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 13:17:57 GMT

@sprior913

Here is the model you want, I will do a video later showing how I got it to convert. It's pretty simple but you need a power house computer if this is going to be your work flow.

Re: Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features

PhilProcarioJr — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 13:45:34 GMT

@TrippyLighting

Interesting fact, this model is 121,801 quad faces and I converted it to T-Splines all in Fusion with no outside apps......So they raised the limit....just thought I would throw that out there.

I also would like to state to anyone new coming into this thread that this doesn't mean I recommend doing this......

Re: Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features

TrippyLighting — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 16:54:04 GMT

I had not come across a hard limit when converting quad meshes into T-Splines and actaually am surprised that it converted as fast as it did.

It converted faster than The One Mesh I have dealt with that has "only" 19k faces but is much more complex in nature.

Mesh complexity plays a very big role here, but that's not a surprise 😉

Re: Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features

PhilProcarioJr — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 17:04:29 GMT

@TrippyLighting

Actually what I should have said is it converted to a T-Spline with 121,801 quad faces then into a patch without errors.

So we are no longer dealing with the 10,000 face limit any longer.

Re: Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features

sprior913 — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 04:50:18 GMT

When I ran into the image2surface script I got all sorts of ideas about using grayscale images to come up with arbitrary height maps, maybe as the background for a sign or even a platter. One idea was to take a picture of an eye, converting to b&w and then using the pupil and iris to create the surface texture for a plate (or an i-bowl).

The reactions on this thread are making me wonder if I'm misusing the features of Fusion. Is there a better way of doing this sort of thing, or is it a stupid idea to begin with?

Re: Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features

sprior913 — Sat, 20 Aug 2016 21:22:17 GMT

I'm looking forward to seeing the video as I just can't find where to do the conversion. I've now reduced the original image down to 50x50 and then ran image2surface to create the .obj, but I can't find any convert options anywhere after that. I then backed out and did Create Mesh and then Insert Mesh in the new Mesh environment and can't find any convert options there either. I know I've seen convert options in the past, that's why I've been wondering if those things changed after the last update or if I'm now looking in all the wrong places.

Re: Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features

TrippyLighting — Sat, 20 Aug 2016 21:24:10 GMT

Could you attach that smaller .obj to a post so we can play with it and create a video ?

Re: Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features

sprior913 — Sat, 20 Aug 2016 21:28:36 GMT

Sure, thanks!

Re: Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features

TrippyLighting — Sat, 20 Aug 2016 21:56:28 GMT

Re: Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features

sprior913 — Sat, 20 Aug 2016 22:08:59 GMT

Thanks Trippy, and you got it in just before the maintenance window took the servers offline.

What I was apparently missing is the step to stop capturing design history, but in my defense I did try the do it in a base feature which did not work. I would have thought that this would have been done in a way that incorporated turning off the history capture when necessary.

Now I know what to play with.

Re: Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features

TrippyLighting — Sat, 20 Aug 2016 22:13:53 GMT

The process for inserting a mesh into the base feature might have changed with the update to the mesh workspace.

Of course you don't have to re-enable the timeline if you want to stay in direct modeling.

Re: Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features

sprior913 — Sat, 20 Aug 2016 22:33:11 GMT

OK, there does seem to be one more step. You mentioned a while back about turning off triangulate mesh polygons in the user preferences and at the time I tried it and it didn't make any difference, but now that I'm turning off capture design history it does. If that option is left on the convert will fail, but with it off the conversion succeeds. So now I've been able to reproduce your screencast and thank you very much.

I notice that the "Create Form" and "Create Mesh" features disappear when you turn off capture design history. This makes me think that something isn't working right yet in the new Mesh Workspace, because even with the triangulate turned off once I'm in the Mesh workspace I still can't convert the mesh to a t-spline, there's no option for it that I can find.

Re: Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features

sprior913 — Sat, 20 Aug 2016 22:36:39 GMT

I just discovered that you don't need to turn off design history for the Insert Mesh part, you only need to have it turned off for the Convert menu item to appear.

I think something here isn't fully fleshed out yet.

Re: Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features

sprior913 — Sun, 21 Aug 2016 22:33:36 GMT

Thanks for the help everyone, here's the result. I saw this kind of background effect done by someone else, liked it, and wanted to figure out an easy way to do something similar. I might play around with the "resolution" of the bumpiness, in this case I scaled down the cloud image so it wouldn't be too big to manage, but maybe I should have cropped the original image instead which would have resulted in more and tighter bumps. The funny thing is that the lighting in my workshop is so even that you don't see the bumpiness as much, it needs some cross lighting to make it pop.

Re: Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features

TrippyLighting — Sun, 21 Aug 2016 23:56:39 GMT

Awesome!

This is one of those rewading threads where someone just takes what he learned an runs with it. Well done!

Re: Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features

brianrepp — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 15:14:20 GMT

Couldn't agree more, love this thread - looks good @sprior913!

Re: Trying to use image2surface with the new Mesh features

sprior913 — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 15:18:01 GMT

Thanks both.

I just added an IdeaStation request to make the Convert command available from within the new Mesh environment. It makes no sense to me that Design History must be turned on to get into the Create Mesh command which creates a base feature, but then once you've done that you have to turn Design History off to run the convert command, then turn it back on to get back to what you were doing. Having the Convert command available within the base feature would seem to make a lot more sense (at least to me).