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

Maybe it could use some special rules for bottom floor, roof, etc.? It seems the gap between procedural and hand modeling is always the brick-a-brack of lighting, signs, doors, sidewalks, etc. Procedural is always great at walls and windows.

 

Workflows that incorporate both procedural and hand modeling can benefit from the best of both. Of course it necessarily has to go unidirectionally from procedural to hand modeling. In Architmatix, the model can be frozen using the Stamp or Prefab buttons and then turned into a ProBuilder or uModeler model - or imported into Maya.

For example, this spaceship made in AX (using textures included with AX) could then be banged up in a polygonal modeler and also get some kit bash added.


The benefit of modeling the spaceship procedural is that you can make different versions quickly and then custom tweak them in hand modeling.



If wanted this array of ship variations, it would take a long time to do hand modeling each from scratch since they are not modular so much as unique, but sharing a stylistic DNA.

 

This week's freebie is JUMBLER



toggle randomization. Values are saved in parameters when switched off.
Edit your own Jumbler to spice your procgen

example code for:

random bool
random int
random float
quarter snapping
-1 to 1
random range
​

download from the AX discord or community.archimatix (link in sig)

 

PlayMaker Actions for Archimatix Pro
includes:

Automatic Model Regeneration
Build Model
Build Status *new*
Clear Generated Game Objects
Get Exposed Bool
Get Exposed Channeler Index *new*
Get Exposed Float
Get Exposed Int
Get Exposed String *new*
Get Material Tool
Get Shape Code
Model Triangle Count *new*
Model Vert Count
Node Vert Count
Segment Reduction Factor
Set Exposed Bool
Set Exposed Channeler Index *new*
Set Exposed Float
Set Exposed Int
Set Exposed String *new*
Set Material Tool
Set Shape Code
Stamp Model *update*

(version: 0.4b – May 7, 2022)

(download from community.archimatix.com)


Tightened up all scripts,
tweaked the UI on most actions
Get / Set Exposed Channeler Nodes
improved Stamp returns the built gameobject
new Build Status detects whether the model is actively generating or built

Playmaker is runtime, these actions are for AX runtime models.

What can they be used for?

• 
  
  • reduce assetbundle and scene size, generate un-built AX models on the client
  • get/set exposed parameters (no AX runtimecontroller script necessary) – parametric models can be saved and regenerated with minimal data (code-free with EasySave or PlayerPrefs)
  • juice! add a sound effect to Runtime Handles, or a particle effect when a model is built
  • variation with Channelers and materials: change regional styles, player-customization, unlock progressive options
  • monitor vertex count prevent 16bit memory-limit issues
  • enable/disable mesh nodes switch to a low-poly 'proxy-volume' while dragging handles, disable interior geometry, swap a static box-collider mesh to split-concave rigidbody with individual colliders
  • segment reduction bevels, curves, and subdivision are dramatically reduced. A high-poly AX model can be generated/stamped at any LOD. (well, ok, not billboards, lol)
  • skip the parameters and re-write a shape's turtle script create a runtime 'FreeCurve' from screen-clicks. Fetch new shapes from an online library. Generate a daily game level or model. Set all parameters through a control node in 1 string. Access PlayMaker's www, json, text lists, and string parsing.
  • stamp procgen geometry too large/complex/detailed for the AX graph. Add scripts to stamped gameobjects, generate way-point transforms, scatter prefabs, vegetation, props, lights, and other asset's gameobjects
  • Visual scripting and state machines for AX. Mesh generation for PlayMaker
  • All Unity platforms, webGL to whatever
  • Stamped models can be sent to runtime exporters. Make apps that make models!

 

How do I modify the color of the Free Curve spline from pink/purplish to another color? Where is the shader located?

 

When you say 'Playmaker is runtime' do you mean the Playmaker UI will show in a standalone built project? or is this inside of the Unity editor only?

 

Some use Archimatix only as a modeler (to build static scene levels/models), these PlayMaker actions won't do anything (much?) for that workflow. (you could stamp a procgen model and copy paste back into the scene… for additional editing with other modelers?)

PlayMaker state machines only work while Unity is running, so these are for live "runtime models" that AX is generating/destroying at runtime. They run in the Editor too, but only when you hit Play.

There is no interface for Playmaker outside of the Editor, once you build the project Playmaker converts to C# scripts. (You'd need to buy both Archimatix and Playmaker to use them).

 

Where is this vertex color option?

 

Is it possible to instantiate and add a new FreeCurve to ShapeMerger at runtime in a build?

EDIT: Oops - I missed that this question was answered two years ago. Never mind

 

So FreeCurve3D is still incomplete? no per joint rotation?

 

So I've figured out how to create nodes in runtime. How do I attach input/outputs to it?

AXParametricObject shapeMerger_po = model.createNode("ShapeMerger", false);

ShapeMerger shapeMerger_gener = (ShapeMerger)shapeMerger_po.generator;

Is this the correct way? how do I attach a FreeCurve to it?

 

Hello
I bought the asset and when imported in unity 2021 LTS I get errors on the console that I'm missing "Spline"

Where do I get this missing stuff?

 

Hi, imho the benefit to FreeCurve is the Editor interface. I haven't found a convenient way to 'freecurve' at runtime since it doesn't have nice parameters.

I've made 'dynamic' turtle scripts with a text parser and then load the script onto a 2D Shape node (where a freecurve would be used) using my playmaker actions – turning screen clicks into turtle XY positions.

Maybe that idea will help you get an idea how to do what you're trying to do

 

Sounds like maybe an asset conflict. It's not an error I encounter when adding AX in 2021.

 

Im trying to instantiate + link Parametric Objects at runtime

 

And I'm suggesting an alternative to the freecurve node that you could use at runtime.

 

How can I instantiate a model from an .axobj file at runtime?

 

Hi. I'm following the tutorials and in those videos the instructor always has more geometry controls visible in the scene than I do when I have the same node selected, e.g:



I'm using the latest version of Archimatix Pro (1.3.3) on Unity 2021.3.7f; has something changed since those video's were made, or am I missing a setting somewhere?

Also in the video a shape merge is automatically created and connected when connecting a second shape to a lathe, that doesn't happen in my version.

Thanks.

 

Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong with this simple setup trying to cut lines in half with a group of circles to extrude them? My screen goes grey or freezes up. In this case each time I extrude the object extrudes then disappears. Is this a reinstall issue?

 

You're screenshots seem to a bit too small to actually see which handles you're talking about. It can depend on what you have actually selected.

 

Where can the vertex color option be found @roryo ? Thanks

 

As many of you know, Archimatix does not have 3D booleans. All boolean operations need to be done in 2D before using the resulting Shapes in the Mesher nodes. How then to create buildings with wall openings for windows and doors? There are two methods. One is to have each wall face be an extrude that is turned 90 up. An excellent example of this is @wetcircuit's tutorial here.

This method was also used here. It is easy when there are no wall corners.




Another method is to build up layers of extrudes from plan shapes that have holes cut in them. One layer is the plan with the door cutout. A middle layer has the door and windows cut out and a third, top layer, is an extrude of the plan without any holes cut.



Here is the graph for this model:



You can add as many wall openings as you like, including ShapeRepeaters for evenly space windows.

This model was done using the layers method and the PlanRepeater2D:

 

Thanks for this, it's very helpful! I recreated a simple example to make sure I'm getting it, and found a bit of an issue with my UVs- when I cut holes in my wall layers for doors and windows, the change in surface area shifts the UVs around:



Is it possible to shift my UVs in Archimatix? Or set the caps to be non-continuous? Or is there some other workaround you'd suggest?

Many thanks

 

yes, every mesh node has a Material Tool. If you leave the material slot empty it will inherit the material from it's grouper or from the default material on the AXModel...

On the Material Tool are Shift and Scale parameters for U and V.

 

In general, the layered approach works best with textures like brick (as in the above example), shingles or clapboard, where one wouldn't notice the seams as easily (or with no texture at all on more cartoony shaders). A grid is a tough texture for the layered approach since your eye expects vertical lines to match up. But what @wetcircuit suggests works with any texture, though it requires a bit more shifting and positioning.

If it is very important to have a monolithic texture cover the entire facade, then the approach of creating each facade piece as a 2D element and extruding is the way to go. The benefit of that method is that you can make some pretty distinctive facades:







This example is done with the 2D facade extrude and the walls assembled:

 

Also, many building types don't have"punched-hole" windows at all, but rather a ShapeRepeated or GridRepeated module. Here are some examples of that:

 

Here is another example where there are no boolean cutouts for wall openings, only modules repeated with PlanRepeater:







And building up elements:

 

The user guide button doesnt see, to do anything.
Also no errors

latest archimatix and unity 2021 versions

 

Thanks for reporting this, @DevDunk. On looking into this, I see that Unity can no longer open a local PDF file. For now, I have replaced the Button in the startup window with text displaying the path to the file.

/Assets/Archimatix/Documentation/UserGuide.pdf

 

The demo scene for the ImageShaper node has been fixed and will be included in the update to be posted tomorrow. The ImageShaper vectorizes a Texture2D based on its alpha channel. The Shape it creates can them be used in Extrudes and Lathes, providing a fast method for generating props that can be used outside Architmatix (on sale now!)

 

Hi friends, I recently bought this as it looks impressive.

I added 1.3.4 in a new fresh 2021.3.16 URP project. Unfortunately, every demo scene I open is super broken and I'm in pink shader hell (presumably b/c I'm using URP).

Given that URP is the future, is there any reason why Archimatrix isn't set up for URP by default? Hopefully you get that many folks will not tend to want to use (or trust) your plugin at all if their first experience with it is pink shader hell in URP. Basically, it's a sign the author isn't focused on URP compatibility and QA, so of course any dev worth their salt won't use an asset where QA for URP is not the priority. Or at least provide a URP patch that makes a pass and sets shaders appropriately.

 

Wow... entitled much?
Basically it's a sign of you don't knowing that:
1 - any asset not specifically stated as compatible with URP and HDRP is made for Built-In Render Pipeline ONLY.
2 - you can migrate any standard Built-In Renderer material that uses Unity's Standard Shaders automatically using the built-in wizard. CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW.

 

In addition to what @atomicjoe already said, there are still lots of devs who actually decide to work with the built-in RP because that way their game is for a wider audience.
Also, I know Rory (the dev) is working on AX2. I don't know if he'll include URP/HDRP in that, but in essence, it's easy to convert all materials AND shaders to URP and HDRP (I know, cause I've done it several times for my projects with HDRP settings).

 

Because it's "the future" and not the present. I say "the future" because Unity could cancel it at any time. It will take at least 3 years before it's near built-in quality. No sane developer "worth their salt" would use anything apart from Built-In or HDRP.

 

@plan-systems - thanks for getting AX and welcome aboard! While the suggestions here are a good start (especially to use the automatic URP converter), you are correct in that many people new to AX but unfamiliar with URP conversion would find the pink shaders alarming. I will add a set of materials using URP and HDRP shaders and create separate folders with example scenes that use those.

 

What are you defending? That assets sold for money shouldn't be bothered to make a statement that SRP is their priority? You may want to know you're talking to before you throw around insults btw.

Perhaps actually try that before you insult someone about not trying it. Needless to say, there are multiple errors and warnings when doing so. And to my point earlier, anyone shipping a URP project will (accurately) access that URP in Archimatrix support is not a priority, and that's ok. Contrary to your opinion, I give assets the benefit of the doubt and assume they will say what they do and don't support out of the box.

Your point is taken about SRP being mature, but it's strange to me to speak as if URP is experimental, when -- as an architecture -- is clearly the long-term winner. For example, consider ray tracing, unconventional lighting models, mobile hardware considerations, or other adaptive modifiers. Not everyone is using Unity to make games for desktop.

 

Hi friend, thanks for your consideration. I think what you're doing is impressive and pairs well with we're doing here, particularly the dynamic/runtime based generation. Happy to support projects like this and where it can go, but URP does matter to us. If/when URP is an equal focus, we'll be happy to reevaluate it for sure. Hopefully my feedback makes sense though -- it helps URP people to know what to expect ahead of time (and we all know what reactions we feel to products that come out of the box un an unhappy state).

 

Hey, I'm curious if it's possible to use Archimatix for runtime procecural generation type stuff. Example - I've got a sort of building template/prefab with the FloorRepeater - it'd be cool if I could create instances at runtime that have different numbers of floors, or other more conditional stuff (like how many windows there are (aka "holes" in a shape from a shapemerger) or their position).

Is that possible at all?

 

Yes. Archimatix calls this 'runtime models'.
search the docs or these forums.
there's also a discord and community downloads/tutorials (link in my signature)

 

Hey guys! First time I'm using this tool, seems really cool! I'm just curious whether it is possible to use my own mesh/prefab as a base model for parametric generation. For example using my object as a input node to any repeater.

Is it possible? If so, how can I do it? Thanks in advance for help!

 

One of the nodes is called Prefab Instancer
That node has an input slot for a Unity prefab and can be routed into a Repeater node.
Repeaters have a slot to assign the terrain, so your prefabs will align to the height of the terrain.

 

On Unity 2021.3. (URP) I consistently receive an error message when attempting to right-click on empty space in the Graph Editor of Unity 2021.3 (URP).:

Menu Tools/Archimatix Nodes couldn't be found

EDIT: Unity 2020.3 has the same problem...

 

Same in Unity 2021.3.16f (HDRP)
Does anyone have solution about this issue?

 

Me too, 2021.3.16 as well (not HDRP).

 

Can you please tell me how to create such a form, consisting of 3 materials?

 

I haven't been in there in a while so hopefully someone can be more technical with the explanation but you can use one box outline and cut one end away with another smaller box. Use the missing end to make extrusions to any height or width using the transform to move them where you want. Also extrude the first box to the overall height of the 4 extrusions of the end structure, one for each sill, another for the two vertical slats of the frame and then the window.

 

I was thinking they needed the blue object as 4 items because they show the miter lines.

 

I created it using this method, but here I got duplicate meshes after exporting to FBX. Ie a lot of extra hidden geometry.

Thanks for your method, I applied and added ShapeOffsetter to it, but after exporting the geometry, I see duplicate geometry in Blender. How to get rid of duplicate geometry? Or is it impossible to export a model from Unity with the standard Fbx Exporter? For what I'm doing this, I wanted to make sure that everything is in order with the geometry after creation.

And is it possible to combine 3 extrude data into one geometry?