interface version 1
Converts vector attributes to points (and vice versa), allowing any deforming SOP to work on vector attributes.
This SOP converts specified per-point vector attributes to actual geometry points, where each point will be created
where the original vector 'pointed at'. For each per-point vector turned into such a point cloud, a special point
group is created to allow converting back to attributes.
Two modes are supported – Save and Restore –, where Save converts vector attributes to 'point clouds' with point groups,
and Restore is for the opposite (based on the point groups, it converts the point positions to vector attributes, then
deletes the extra points).
Note
This OP can be considered as an alternative to the AttribReorient node.
If a simple post-deformation vector attribute update is needed, AttribReorient might be a better choice.
Usage
This SOP is a 'workaround' for the problem when a deforming operator only deforms the points of the geometry and not
the vector attributes defined on them.
With this SOP, vector attributes can be converted to points before applying such deformations, and 'restored' the
deformed vectors afterwards. Use this node in Save mode before the deformations, and a copy of the node in Restore
settings after the deform SOPs.
Parameters
| Common
| | Mode
| Operation mode – Save converts vector attributes to points, Restore does the opposite.
| | Vector Attributes
| Space separated list of the vector attributes to work with.
| | Group Prefix
| This OP creates point groups for each point-cloud created from an attribute. The group names are
the attribute names prefixed with this parameter.
| | Length Multiplier
| This number is used to specify the length of an unit vector when stored (ie. if the value is 0.1, the vector’s
point will be at a distance of 0.1 from the original point for an unit-length vector). The same value should
be specified for both the Save and Restore OPs.
If you use high-frequency deformations and not getting the vector results as you expect, try to modify this value
(usually decrease).
Tip
To visualize this, enable 'points' display in the viewport, and adjust this parameter while watching the output
of a Vector Store SOP in Save mode.
| | Guide, Point Skip
| If enabled, this parameter will display points (both original and generated) and vectors (saved or restored).
Vectors are shown for every n-th point, specified by Point Skip.
| | Set Node Name
| This convenience button will give the node a name that contains the operation type
(save/restore) and the list of the vector attributes.
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| Save
| | Pre-Normalize
| Normalize vector lengths before conversion.
| | Delete Source Attributes
| Once the vector attributes are represented as points, the attributes themselved will be deleted.
(This is for memory efficiency – also, the generated points would have the same attributes as well,
which is kind of meaningless.)
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| Restore
| | Normalize Vectors
| Normalize lengths of the restored vectors (ie. all vector lengths will be unit size).
| | Output Length Mult
| An additional (and optional) multiplier which can be used to scale vector lengths after restore.
(This is applied after normalization.)
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Note
You needn’t restore all attributes you saved – but a Restore operation will remove all the extra points
and groups, not just the ones you restored (this is the intended behaviour).
Release Notes
interface version 1 —
| 2014-11-04
| Unlock/relock to update inner Attr Visualizer OP.
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| 2014-02-14
| Asset re-saved.
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| 2013-12-13
| Friday the 13th: Added note on AttribReorient SOP.
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| 2013-02-17
| Added
vector visualization to guide display
“Set Node Name” button for auto-naming the node, containing the attribute list
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| 2012-11-18
| Fixes and improvements:
Various, specific per-point attribute names could confuse internal VOP SOP nodes; this is now fixed.
Attributes are now deleted using Clean SOPs, point deletions use Blast SOPs (these should be cleaner and faster).
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older versions —
| Version 0.0.3
| UI change: mode is now selected using radio buttons.
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| Version 0.0.2
| Minor UI enhancements.
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| Version 0.0.1
| Initial release.
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