Auto Fence Builder [Released]

It looks like you have a very old version, can you update to the newest version 2.2 on the Asset Store. Or email the support address if you need further help.

Thanks

Joe

 

I've created more internodes than before and now it works. Maybe you do not have to run too much space between one node and another. Thanks anyway for your answer

 

I'm willing to buy this asset, it looks amazing, a real time saver!

May we save the meshes in the scene and completely remove the script, once we get the desired shapes? I don't like keeping many "script-dependent" objects in my scenes due to problems in the past with lots of other assets (upgrade, then have bugs with my models...). If we could "finish editing" leaving just the meshes in the scene, that would be perfect. Is it possible with current versions?

 

Hi Marcos-Elias,

Yes, this is the prefered workflow, finished fences become completely independent game objects. There is also the option to have these as many independent meshes for the various parts of the fence (for easy modification), or to combine all the parts in to one large mesh/gameobject for efficiency.

Thanks

Joe

 

Nice, I like this approach. I'll buy it today, thanks!

 

Thanks for the interest!

 

Hi,. I have a problem. the presets dropdown is empty! I seem to have lost my presets. can you help please?
I deleted the folder and re-downloaded it, then i removed the builder from my scene and re-added it from the menu. it hasn't helped.

edit, never mind, it's working now. had some duplicates that were creating a conflict.

 

Ok, let me know if you get more problems.

Cheers

Joe

 

I created a new project for Auto Fence and successfully built a custom wall section. What is the suggested way for me to transfer this wall section into my main project.

 

Hi, do you mean you’ve constructed 1 section of wall from custom components, which you want to import to use as a panel section in another project? Or do you mean you’ve built an entire run of wall, that you want to save and re-import?

 

Yes, please.

 

• Create a Custom fence panel along the x-axis
• Finish the fence (switch off posts and extras if you don't want them in the composite panel)
• Select the finished fence in the hierarchy and do a 'Create Merged-Mesh Copy'
• Select the resulting merged-mesh game object, and drag it in to your Assets folder to create a prefab.
• Select the new prefab, right-click->Export Package
----- Load the project you want to import in to -----
• Import the new package
• Drag it to the scene
• It's now available to use as a component in Auto Fence Builder


In the image below I did the above with a the wood & concrete composite fence, exported then imported it, then added to AFB as my Custom Object fence panel (main Rail), and then added a secondary rail of the bricks. So in principal you could do this as many times as wanted to get panels of arbitrary complexity.

If you design panels within the same project, say in a separate scene, (so avoiding export & import) it's actually pretty quick to build up stacked layers of components like this.




Cheers

Joe

 

I created the custom fence wall section (rails) and built my wall, then finish and copy. I have the wall in the current wall folder and the fence copy. They look good in the scene view, but in play mode the rail meshes are disabled. Any suggestions on this?

 

Taking the same steps as above, I’m unable to reproduce this, the fence appears normal in Play mode.

Ok, this sounds like an issue related to your particular custom object and project, would you mind contacting me at the support address, and we’ll track down what the problem could be. When you say disabled, do you mean the meshes are disabled (switched off) in the inspecor, or that the meshes are missing?

 

Permit me to follow up on this issue. The problem was related the custom item. More precisely, the item, itself, was good, however it was too complex for the AFB mesh combine tool. I used a different mesh combine tool from the asset store and thereafter, AFB was able to use the resulting combined mesh.

It is worth note to mention to other users that Two-Click provided me with a helpful vid of custom fence usage in AFB. While it was not the solution to my particular problem, it illustrates good developer support, for which I am grateful.

 

Thanks for the update. More for the benefit of new users: The Mesh Combine tool is a seperate convenience tool for combining basic meshes and isn't required for the functionality of AFWB.
It sounds like you've found a limitation with combining complex meshes or materials? Then thanks for the feedback, and if you want to send the source assets you were trying to combine, I'd like to see what's causing it to fail.

Cheers

joe

 

===================================
Auto Fence & Wall Builder: Update to 2.3
===================================

Woody found a bug when using a custom combined mesh (made with the mesh combine tool): If you make a prefab from this before adding it as a custom mesh, the mesh can disappear. A temporary workaround is to just use the newly combined mesh direct from the Hierarchy, rather than using a prefab made from it.

An update will be released on the store in about two weeks with the proper fix, but if it affects you in the meantime, you're welcome to contact support for it now.

The 2.3 update will contain many small improvements, and tweaks users have requested, but the main changes are a categorised preset system, and the addition of a full Variations section, using both alternate prefabs, and procedural tweaks to differentiate repeated sections. If anyone wants a beta, contact support.

Let me know if you'd like a list of imminent changes.
Feel free to suggest any simple changes/features for the upcoming release. (Bigger feature requests would have to wait for the next update as we don't want to delay this one.)

Thanks for your support!

Joe

 

Hi, I have one question. For modular walls, instance rendering will help a great deal increasing performance. Does it support instance rendering? Thanks.

 

Hi chrisk,

Great question which we've been testing a lot on. It's non-trivial for a couple of reasons. In most cases, where the ground isn't perfectly flat/level, each wall section becomes a unique mesh so that it can be modified to join and flow precisely with any ground curvature, as per the screenshot showing with modified meshes or fixed repeats. (Upright posts don't have this requirement)

Also, on a long section of wall with many repeats where you would most care about instancing, is also the case where you'd want some variations and randomisations in the sections to avoid obvious visual repeats, which again negates instancing (an imminent update can add even more variations.)

Long story short, for most cases, getting a long wall to look good usually involves many modifications, variations and randomisation among the sections, removing the option of instancing identical meshes.
Instead there is the option to condense a finished wall in to a single Game Object and mesh, which provides very good optimisation, comparable with instancing.

By the way, all of the above could apply whether you used a tool like Auto Fence Builder, or build manually with prefabs.

Having said that, the reason it's on the todo list is because it would be good if instancing could be specified in cases where the wall is perfectly level, with no modifications, randomisation or variations. This would remove the possibility to build across any change in slope, as in the 2nd screenshot, though.

If you'd like to measure for yourself the possible benefits of instancing with walls in your workflow, email support, and I could send you 2 pre-built sections of long walls: one with multiple unique sections compiled into a single Game Object (as per typical use of AFB), and the same with multiple identical meshes that you could enable instancing on.

Thanks

Joe

 

Hi, Joe, thanks for your detailed answers. Sure I would love to try it out.

Going to instancing all at once require some thoughts as you said but we can make it more instancing friendly in several steps.

1st Step. Simple Instancing: Walls that doesn't require modification can be grouped in an instancing basket.
Perhaps, half of the walls may not require modification and performance can still benefit from it.

2nd Step. Subsection Instancing: Divide your wall prefabs into small pieces that make up the wall: like the pillar, rods, and whatnot. Each of these subsection doesn't need to be modified, therefore they can be instanced.

3rd Step. Modification Instancing: For the wall that requires modification, like section repeats and skewed shapes, the parameters like positions, and length needs be fed to the instancing shader and shader will modify them directly within the shader.

If you are familiar with shader programming, they are not so difficult to add modifications to the instancing and I'm pretty sure you will have everything you need in order to make the whole wall instanced.

Thanks, and please keep the good work.

 

A lot of food for thought there, thanks very much Chris.

All excellent suggestions, especilly the basket idea, which could be extended to quantiize any modifications to fit within a fixed number of baskets.

We’ll make this a priority, we just need to get this current update published.
By all means email, it would be interesting to compare notes on any instancing tests, or send you a test version

Joe

 

Hey, love this plugin, but I'm having a small problem. The "Choose - Preset" dropdown menu is not working. So I can't use the preset function at all.

When I interact with either the dropdown menu or the arrow buttons next to it I get the following console error

Code (CSharp):

1. FormatException: Input string was not in a correct format.
2. System.Number.ParseSingle (System.String value, System.Globalization.NumberStyles options, System.Globalization.NumberFormatInfo numfmt) (at <ac823e2bb42b41bda67924a45a0173c3>:0)
3. System.Single.Parse (System.String s, System.Globalization.NumberStyles style, System.Globalization.NumberFormatInfo info) (at <ac823e2bb42b41bda67924a45a0173c3>:0)
4. System.Single.Parse (System.String s) (at <ac823e2bb42b41bda67924a45a0173c3>:0)
5. AFBPresetManager.CreatePresetFromStringValuesArray (System.String[] readValues) (at Assets/Auto Fence Builder/Scripts/AutoFencePreset.cs:364)
6. AFBPresetManager.ReadPresetFiles (System.Boolean clearOld) (at Assets/Auto Fence Builder/Scripts/AutoFencePreset.cs:256)
7. AutoFenceCreator.CheckPresetManager (System.Boolean loadPartsAlso) (at Assets/Auto Fence Builder/Scripts/AutoFenceCreator.cs:417)
8. AutoFenceCreator.ResetAutoFence () (at Assets/Auto Fence Builder/Scripts/AutoFenceCreator.cs:339)
9. AutoFenceEditor.Awake () (at Assets/Auto Fence Builder/Editor/AutoFenceEditor.cs:57)

I'm using Unity 2018.3.4f
The preset function is essential when working on larger projects so I appreciate any help!

Edit: Also another small annoyance, not sure if it's related, but when I deselect the Auto Fence Builder gameobject the settings on the current fence I'm working on are reset to default when I select it again.

Thanks!

 

Hey wayego, sorry to hear you've had a problem, and thanks for including the error log.
It sounds like there might be a corrupt preset file in the folder Auto Fence Builder/Editor/AutoFencePresetFiles.
Could you zip up that entire folder and email it to us, I should be able to find the one causing the problem.

Have you seen the issue with the settings resetting before, as this also sounds like a symptom of AFWB failing to load a corrupt file?

In the meantime, could you try replacing this line 364 of Editor/AutoFenceEditor.cs:
presets.Add ( new AutoFencePreset( readValues[0], //name

with:
presets.Add ( new AutoFencePreset( "Version 2-0:44",

There will be 2 or 3 presets missing in the list after doing this, but it could be a quick-fix until I can check your files, would help narrow down the problem.

Thanks

Joe

 

Hi again.
I changed all of these lines in AutoFencePreset.cs

Code (CSharp):

1. float.Parse (readValues[x])
2. int.Parse (readValues[x])

to

Code (CSharp):

1. float.Parse (readValues[x], CultureInfo.InvariantCulture)
2. int.Parse (readValues[x], CultureInfo.InvariantCulture)

That seems to have solved the problem.
I think some system setting caused the parsin to use a different number system, changing a "2.000" float to "2,000", causing the error.

 

Thanks very much for coming back with this! That would have been a total head-scratcher without seeing the error for myself... good job tracking it down.

Out of interest, are you on PC or Mac? (Wondering if I can force the problem on my Mac)

Cheers

Joe

 

Schedule for v3.0

We had planned to release an update to v2.3 just before christmas. In the end we've added so many new features that's it's been virtually a total re-write, so it's going to be version 3.0, which will be submitted to the asset store at the end of next week. Apologies for the delay, but we're including many new prefabs too which have taken a long time to model and texture.

We did have some feedback last year that due to the amount of included fences and walls, the import size is well over 1Gb (though naturally this is stripped to a few Mb at build time), so it can take a while. It's going to be even bigger now, but if you can just bear with us for the initial release of v3.0, we'll release a minor update soon after with just a core library for faster import, with the rest as modules that can be added if needed. These updates will of course be free.

With reference to the issue in the previous post, the preset system has been rewritten to use ScriptableObjects, so in the event that Unity/SystemOS chews your preset files, it'll be easy to locate and repair. The preset system is also now hierarchical with all fences, walls and component parts in their own categorised sub-menus,

Here's a peek at one of the new features, generating variation from otherwise repeating sections. Before and after:

 

On PC. Windows 10

 

Do the new prefabs happen to include a race track style of chain link fence with the upper section bent inwards to catch track debris? Do the old prefabs for that matter as I just purchased and haven't checked yet.

 

So it turns out you have what I needed already. I am having a problem getting the collider onto the secondary rail though. Primary rail is DiamondNew2_Panel_Rail and has the collider. Secondary is the same prefab but I don't get a collider and I see that its not an option under Settings. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

Hi digitalzombie, very sorry for the late reply.

There is a limitation with getting colliders on the second rail... the initial thinking was that a single collider whose size is configurable would be enough to prevent the player from passing through. It sounds like you have a situation where this is not enough. Is it that you have a gap between rails that you'd like to be passable without collision?

Again apologies for the late response, I rely on notifications to catch forum posts and didn't get it this time.
If this ever happens to anyone else, send an email, I'll get straight back
By way of apology, if you'd like to upload or email an image of any kind of fence/wall that you haven't found, I'll be sure to include it in next week's update. It sounds like you're ok with the chain link, though I'll add a bent round aluminium post for good measure.

Cheers

Joe

 

Hi Joe,

No worries on anything Joe. I appreciate you considering my problem. I'm looking to purposely bounce objects off the fence and need that directed down collision offered by the angled section. Do you think I could do it with a customized fence prefab with preassigned colliders, one for the vertical and one for the angled?

Thanks.

 

Yes, that sounds like the way to go, then you'll have full control of the collider shape. If you run into any difficulties, drop me a line and I'll send you a prefab.

 

Auto Fence & Wall Builder 3 Update

Although this was finished and submitted, along with other publishers we seem to have been caught in the upheaval of the recent Unity policy update which requires publishers to have 3 current projects per 6 months, before an existing project can be updated. More info here... https://support.unity3d.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001147326-Asset-Store-Policy-Updates

We're still waiting for a reply on this point, but as some of you know, we do have other projects (e.g. Auto Stairs & Steps and Auto Music Builder) in the works, but it's a bit of a chicken & egg situation for us at the moment.

In the meantime, we can offer a Dropbox link to anyone who would like to get the update if you contact us with the invoice number at the support address (available here https://assetstore.unity.com/publishers/207)

Cheers

Joe

 

Is that the correct UAS article, linked above?

 

Yes, it’s about halfway down the page under ”New expectations of publisher’s personal website and portfolio”
There’s not much there, there is more detail in their rejection emails, but I’m not sure if it’s ok to quote. The comments under the article outline the requirements they’ve asked for.

Their support has always been good, so I’m optimistic it can be resolved.

 

Ohhhh, I see. No update to website, so no updates allowed to an existing asset. Seems full of unintended consequences!

 

Hello I just saw your tool in the asset store, looks amazing. just wondering, does it work with the new HDRP?

 

Hi, thanks for the comment.

The current build uses the Standard Shader on all the materials of the included prefabs, so no, not really, although it's building functionality shouldn't be affected one way or the other. Using your own prefabs or rebuilding materials with hdrp shaders should be ok, but for the next 10 days I'm developing on a older Mac that doesn't support HDRP, so I can't test exactly the steps required, or if there's an API clash. Until then, if you want to contact the support address listed here: https://assetstore.unity.com/publishers/207 , I can send you a demo to run a test yourself.

Cheers

Joe

 

I think there should be a LODing system in place. at least a way to have the fences cull themselves at a far distance

 

Thanks, great suggestion whidzee. Up until now the workflow had been to do a 'Finish', then add a LOD Group component to the finished build folder. Makes sense to have AFWB do this for you.

Gimme a couple of hours and I'll get a script addition up to automate this.

Cheers

Joe

 

When you perform a "Finish & Start New", a LOD Group will be added to the root of "Finished AutoFence". It's set to Culled at 20%, but you can of course change that.

I can provide a finished script for anyone that wants to contact support, or if you want to add it manually, paste/insert the following at line 463 (and optionally 502) of AutoFenceCreator.cs

//Add LOD Group

LODGroup lodGroup = currentFolder.AddComponent<LODGroup>();

LOD[] lodArray = new LOD[1];

Transform[] allChildren = currentFolder.GetComponentsInChildren<Transform>();

List<Renderer> renderersList = new List<Renderer>();

for (int i=0; i< allChildren.Length; i++)

{

    Renderer renderer = allChildren[i].gameObject.GetComponent<Renderer>();

    if (renderer != null)

        renderersList.Add(renderer);

}

lodArray[0] = new LOD(0.2f, renderersList.ToArray()); ;

lodGroup.SetLODs(lodArray);

I'll add a more featured version in the next update, but this will give the core functionality for now.

Cheers

Joe

 

@whidzee, just noticed, thanks for taking the time to review AFWB. (easier to provide support here than on the store page, but I'll copy/paste it anyway, as just for anyone's FYI, we don't get notifications of reviews, in case you don't get a quick response))

"about 10 inches above the fence"
The collider problem definitely shouldn't be happening. Have you tried it in a clean project... is it affecting all types?
We'll get to the bottom of this if you can give a few more details, but in the meantime, in the "Settings..." window of AFWB is there a rogue 'Rail BoxCollider Y Offset" setting?



If not, does entering a small value, say -0.2, provide a temporary workaround?
(I can't reproduce this in v3.0, which has just been approved, but can fix it for v2.2 if it persists)



Is this the right tire stack texture you referred to? Just want to make sure I fix the right one..

 

Auto Fence & Wall Builder v3.01 update now on Asset Store.

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/tools/level-design/auto-fence-wall-builder-23201

 

New Features in 3.01:


•Variations - up to 5 different Game Object alternatives can be used per fence/wall component. These can be arranged free-hand, optimally varied, random, or sequenced giving you control over every individual panel.

A YouTube video will be uploaded later today outlining how to use the Variations section. In the meantime, there are details in Docs/Auto Fence Builder 3 Manual.
The Variations system can be disabled if you just want to continue with the old system by deselecting 'Use Rail A Variations'

•New Preset System - arranged hierarchically by category and name.

•Prefab Categories - the component prefabs, rail/post/extras etc. are now categorised

•Many new prefabs

•Triangle usage display in Scene View

 

Upgrading a project from 2.x to 3.x

First of all it's recommended that you test-drive v3.0 in a new project (or project that doesn't already contain AFWB) to see the differences before making changes to a live project

The presets and prefab-selection menus & systems have been rewritten, which include a better and more consistent naming convention. Many v2.x prefab names have been changed so are not automatically recognised by Unity's asset-caching.

There are a couple of extra steps involved if wanting to upgrade an existing project that uses v2.x to v3.x :

• Backup your project folder.
• 'Finish' any live fences
• Drag the folder 'UserGeneratedRailMeshes' out of the old Auto Fence Builder folder in to the top level Assets folder
• Completely remove the old version of Auto Fence Builder from the Hierarchy and the Project (Assets Folder).
(Game Objects will temporarily have missing textures (and appear pink) after removing the old version, but will return when importing the new version)
• After importing AFWB 3.01, put the 'UserGeneratedRailMeshes' folder back in to the top level of the 'Auto Fence Builder' folder

 

Overview of new variations system:

 

Auto Fence & Wall Builder 3.1 will be submitted on Tuesday 21st May

New Features

• Smaller, simplified UI - only see the tools you need.
• Auto Assign Variations - some one-click starting points for variations
• Basic Unity LOD group setup - each finished fence/wall can be assigned a LOD with distance disable
• Triangle usage displayed in Scene View can be enabled/disabled
• Tooltip help on every control and parameter
• Subposts now have variations

Improvements

• Optimised & refactored code - 2-300% faster build times in the editor

Bug Fixes

• Fixed issue where under some circumstances Undo can create duplicated GameObjetcs that had to be cleared with ‘Rebuild’

------------------------

If anyone has found a need for any other minor fixes, or would like to post a screenshot of a fence/wall that could be added to the library, please contact us and we’ll include it in this update.

Thanks

Joe

 

Just got this - great tool!

I notice the presets are categorised by material, wood, metal etc. This is sometimes ok, but wouldn't it be better to sort them by useage instead? e.g. Urban, Rustic, Military, Residential etc?

Also, in the video about variations, you don't mention what the "Random Variation" section is for, I couldn't really figure out what's different compared to the "Optimal" settings?