ARCHIMATIX PRO Node-based Parametric Modeling for Unity [Unity Awards Finalist]

What I was thinking was procedural generation (built by me) which provides parameters to Archimatix 'templates' to create unique variations on a theme. The dungeon generation says I need 'Building A' at co-ordinate X,Y. What I want is for Building A to be a somewhat unique each time the generation runs. A variation on a theme.

I saw mention of runtime on the front page and a suggestion that there was some support coming but maybe I misinterpreted.

 

I think I see - procedural placement where each building at each location has unique variations. If this is what you mean, then, yes, this is the next step for AX. At the moment, if you have a parametric skyscraper, you can duplicate the model and alter its height by hand, adding more floors automatically, etc. and place this elsewhere by hand. The Repeaters do not currently place AND vary the parameters for the skyscraper. Although this is not difficult to implement, it will mean tuning the AX workflow to allow for the resulting greater computational load. In other words, currently, you can expand a grid of parametric objects in realtime and "design-build" with lots of rapid feedback. Once the distribution procedures (whether grids or more elaborate generative procedures) are also tasked with varying their input models, then there will need to be an interface element that lets the user know that there is a pause (however brief) while the generation is taking place. AX already has the ability to instantiate with variation of the input model, but this will not be exposed until a later release. I hope I am understanding your question and that I making some semblance of sense this late in the day!

 

"AX already has the ability to instantiate with variation of the input model, but this will not be exposed until a later release."

Thanks for the details, I think this is the key to what I am after.

 

Thanks for the great question, @JohnnyA. I was just thinking that another runtime scenario is where a parametric model is varied by the player. For example, a GUI element could be created to allow the player to turn the crank shaft on this parametric engine model (created with a very early version of Archimatix). The complexity of the trig-based relationships defined in the node graph that determine the vertical position of the piston and the angular motion of the piston rod can be hidden to the player, so that a single value (the angle of the crank shaft) motivates the entire system.

 

hello!
how i can create shapes for archimatix?
is there a create shape tool?

if you still like to enroll more people into beta testing, i'll be happy to try it out
thanks!

 

Hi @mangax, the three most common ways of authoring your own parametric shapes in Archimatix is 1. draw a freehand curve, 2. combine library shapes together using ShapeMerger to make a unique composite parametric shape, or 3. code your own parametric shape using "turtle logic," in a simple script that you can edit right in the node palette.

The most common means for objects would be the second way. For example, let's say I want to make a parametric cathedral nave. The first step may be to create the piers for the main arcade. Using the cathedral at Amiens as a prototype, we see that we need a shape that could be described as a large circle surrounded by four smaller circles.

Instead of trying to freehand draw this geometry, we put a small circle on a grid (with the trusty new ShapeRepeater!) and merge the output with a larger circle in the center. We can now vary the radius of the small and large circles to get different effects as depicted at the top right of the above image using the SceneView handles seen in the image below.


Once this composite parametric shape has been created, it can be added to your library. Clicking on the item in the library instantiates the shape as a node in the node graph. by default, its subnodes (the large and small circle and the ShapeRepeater) are folded away, so you can focus on the shape as an object that can itself be fed into other shapes or meshers.

For the third method, coding your own shape logic, please see the in-progress manual page.

 

What ? I was born in Amiens

 

@Razmot, I bet you never thought the cathedral of Amiens would make it into the annals of Unity game development! I am actually going to be in Amiens on a research trip at the end of this month!

 

While preparing for Beta II, I thought I might throw a little Babylonian bacon out there. As always, the buildings were modeled in the Unity editor using Archimatix in just a few minutes

 

Wow!!! This is so close to what I want to accomplish! I love it! I had to call family members to to my compute screen to see it.

 

Well, Archimatix can't take all the credit here: the landscape bits and sky are from the Autumnal Nature Pack and a little Bloom filter (or, in this case, a whole lotta'bloom) will take you a long way!

 

It is the buildings I am admiring. Environmental stuff is sort of my thing so I have my own plans for that.

 

Hey Rory:

Wow that Babylonian bacon looks very tasty. Can’t wait to take a bite at the beta.

Creating these buildings would make for a great Vimeo/Youtube tutorial I really enjoyed watching the Vimeo videos. The Plankway and Dom-ino tutorials were very helpful in seeing the power of this asset.

 

Robot Kyle is preparing for Archimatix Beta II in his own way... he insists, by the way, that there are no electromagnets being used here.

 

Just finished the StepRepeater. I was glad to serendipitously find that by adjusting the Progressive Rotation, there is no need for a separate SpiralRepeater node

 

cool - look forward to a full explanation when I go through the tutorial

BTW one thing that has come up when I've been using Curvy (which auto generates/refreshes) is that when doing a precomputed GI lighting bake it seems to mess up the UV map which I think enlighten uses, meaning that it's difficult to see the mesh in its final state unless one does a manual copy.I should be able to check this during the beta, but it is something to watch out for

 

Recently I have been testing with Precomputed General GI. To test with Baked GI, I will have to expose the LightmapUVs option. Will try to have that in place by Tuesday.

 

Working on the Skyplatform tutorial. Its hard to believe that in less than a week, about 20 BETA II testers will be creating Skyplatforms of their own design in about 15 minutes right in the Unity editor using Archimatix!

 

Can't wait!!

 

Thanks

Actually that's what I meant - Precomputed Global GI which still has a "bake" time, as opposed to the Precomputed Baked GI which has really long bake time and it seems hard to get good results..

Looking forward to the Beta!

 

Stepping up the StairRepeater...

 

Again, I would love to toss my hat into the rink as a potential beta tester. Your product looks fantastic, and I've been actively following it for many months!

Thank you so much, regardless.

Be well!
- S.

 

Thanks, @S_Darkwell - I just sent you a note via conversation.

 

I just added a Shape Profile toe the StepRepeater outputs. In this image, the Box is repeated by the StepRepeater and the Profile output is fed into a Merger to subtract the Circle and the result extruded.

 

Received and responded.

Thank you, sir!
- S.

 

May i ask a stupid question: Where are the small steps in the middle of the stair created?

As i understand the creation you start with a box, repeate it to get the basic stair shape, sub the circle from the shape of the stair (btw. bonus question: why is the area under the steps solid, the input is only the flying steps shape?) and extrude the final shape from the result... i can't find the small steps in this image?

 

I have 2 artists and myself who would like to get in on the beta. You had my environmental modeler flipping his mind when I showed him some of the videos. If this goes well I'd be more than happy to recommend the product when it goes live.

 

The StepRepeater node is doing two things. It's 'standard function' is to repeat meshes and output a mesh representing the combined results. It is not necessary to hook the mesh output of this node to anything else in order for this mesh to be generated. You would hook that output to something else only if you wanted to further process that mesh output, e.g. feed it into another type of mesh repeater in order to generate multiple sets of stairs.

So in that example the small step meshes are being generated by the StairRepeater.

But it appears that the StepRepeater also has the ability to generate a 2D shape output, as used in that example. I haven't used this output myself but I'm going to assume that it automatically 'fills in' the area under the stairs when it comes to the 2d shape it outputs.

As an early beta tester of this product I am looking forward to the upcoming beta round where many other people get to join the fun

 

Thanks for your question @Bitstream! To add to @elbows great explanation, the small steps are created in the second node palette from the left. The three nodes to the right create the extruded big steps.

 

Thanks, @recursive! I just sent you a note via conversation.

 

When it will be released? or can I get the beta? I want to create an app that will let people create PVC windows and doors by inserting the dimensions and selecting the profile (in the end they will get the look and feel of the window and also the price.) I think your project is what I need to add this functionality to Unity (to modify or create objects on the fly in the "game" itself)

 

Hi @8bitproduction - Your project sounds really interesting and could be a fabulous application of Archimatix parametrics. While Archimatix is currently able to do runtime or "in Game" parametric variation of modelers, this functionality will not be exposed in the initial release. However, it will follow not long afterwards. The initial release is slated to be in June. In the meantime, if you would like to help out with the beta, or if you want to discuss your application in more detail, please let me know via private Conversation here .

 

Well folks, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that I have taken a few days to do an important optimization on Archimatix with crazy excellent results.

The bad news is that the time I spent on it will set our Beta II schedule back by a week. For those of you in the Beta II, we'll get started May 10th. Sorry for the delay, but the improvements made this week are really amazing and have me dancing a happy gig this morning!

A sky platform like this is even snappier and more fun to create!

 

Sounds good! And it gives me more time to finish my current project.

 

Here's a Funky Formation of Fierce Flying F..., er, well, whatever they are, you can make the whole ensemble from scratch right in the Unity editor in the time it takes to choose and connect five Archimatix nodes!


Robot Kyle advises keeping your distance from them when they are swarming like this...


Or like this...


And especially like this!

 

Shamelessly torturing Archimatix today. The recent optimizations are awesome!

 

This looks grid-tastic

 

Starting the GridRepeater tutorial video. How's this for a poster for it?

 

I will make popcorn!

 

Here we have a grid of Circles that are added to the ShapeMerger twice: Once as a solid and a second time as a void, but with a slight negative offset. The main solid shop in the merger is an Arch. The ShapeMerged composite shape is then fed into a Lathe.

 

Fine tuning ShapeMerging with ShapeRepeaters. If I weren't trying to get the Beta II version of Archimatix ready for this coming Tuesday, I would just play with this stuff all day... simply mesmerizing!

 

Still working on tutorials... and polish, polish, polish!

 

Modeled entirely in the Unity Editor with Archimatix. Still on track for Beta II release this Tuesday!

 

Watch out for hurricanes!

 

When will the asset be available for sale?

 

I just hope that, following the release of Archimatix, it won't be that a hard rain's gonna fall!

 

Hi @BigLouis1971 - If all goes well with the second beta phase starting this week, then hopefully we are looking at a late June release.

 

Poor Kyle, his reclusive Archimatix-generated worlds are about to get inundated by 30 some-odd Beta II testers... he's excited about the new arrivals to the system, but he also realizes that, once they are "in", things will be a lot different around here. One positive to all this: his extensive communication protocols will be put to good use answering queries and working on tutorials! On the other hand, data structures can't just be revamped and improved on a whim... hey, Kyle, maybe that's a good thing too! After all, what good is Archimatix if it not in the hands of all those people out there making amazing things?!

These images are from about a year and a half ago. Heavens, but hasn't Archimatix been in development for forever and a day - time to get it out there! No?

 

Archimatix from start invloved many tests and samples using mostly architectural designs! which is awsome.

roryo have you considered trying (for fun) making props and such using archimatix? it has all the power to do so i think!
boxes, pots, doors, trucks, etc.. it would be so interesting and thrilling to see how tool can assist in these things as well from micro to macro!!

having a sample of these stuff shown when you release the asset while double mindblow designers

keep it up!