Tutorial Art Design: parametric

SVERCHOK / Parametric Design Study of Soccer Ball

I have a growing interest with everything Parametric Design. Blame it on Sverchok and Blender. Well, actually ... I have been researching about this area pretty much since I started Computer Graphics.

There is instant beauty with patterns, repetitions, variations, generative, all those qualities that are inherited from nature and hence look very natural for our eyes, yet feel alien sometimes.

A small confession: I have an obsession with Voronoi (Cell) patterns. And that alone can be seen in many modern design. Actually designers and architectures are abusing Voronoi patterns for quite some times. Voronoi 3D is used in fracturing.

Maybe, designers and architects are just a bit curious (or "lazy") when they decided just to add complex looking pattern to their "simple" design! Let computer randomly form and generate the design! Sometimes, they end up with an interesting design that is really difficult to design. Happy accident.

I bet that is happening too. However, in grander scale, we do appreciate both SIMPLICITY and COMPLEXITY in design.

I want to give an example today how we could parametrically "re-modification of" Soccer Ball design into an interesting complex design.

POLYGON vs NURBS FOR PARAMETRIC DESIGN

Remember in the past when 3D people are modeling characters using NURBS? Until they realize that Subdivided Polygon is probably better and more efficient. Actually both are a good for parametric modeling. Polygon can easily tesselate into complex design, working with vertices, edges, and faces. While NURBS Curve and Surfaces has it's own built-in parametric UVW surface that is always smooth and can be modified in a more parametric ways (extrude, loft).

In Blender, we are using Polygon mostly. Maybe that will change when the NURBS is making a come back.

PURE SOCCER BALL MANUAL 3D MODELING

Firstly, I stumbled into this tutorial by Weelian Soh by accident today. Luckily, we have a good way to make soccer ball manually. It's quite fast too.

I went through his every steps on modeling soccer ball and I kind of like this.
https://vimeo.com/5991717

In a way, this is quite procedural modeling and parametric as well. Why so? Because it is like a recipe, there is exact step by step and it teaches few modeling techniques.

Soccer Ball is very special, it's Mathematically correct.

SVERCHOK AND MATH FOR SOCCER BALL?
We could start from nothing and model the Soccer Ball using Sverchok and Math. I am 100% sure! Maybe someone will go about doing that. So we can have a nice parametric Soccer Ball design (Soccer Ball is after all just a Soccer Ball, or is it?) right inside Blender. I will save this as challenge for you and myself.

https://www.awesomemath.org/assets/PDFs/MR4_planar_graphs.pdf

I simplified Weelian Soh's STEP BY STEP soccer ball into something like below that we can actually memorize and recite, to teach our future CG artists (I am dead serious!):

Here it is ... Soccer Ball in 30 Seconds... Start the timer....

1. Start with Icosphere.
Just like the Weelian Soh tutorial, I started with Blender Icosphere. Tap F6, set division from default of 2 to 1 division.

2. Do Subdivide in Edit Mode, Level 2.
Hit Tab, in Edit Mode, do Subdivide up to level 2.

Well this step takes the longest... however, if you go to Top Ortho view, you can quickly select 6 vertices and then switch to Bottom Ortho View to select another 6 vertices.

3. Select all peaks and average.
Selecting the peak vertices of our 3D form so far, we want to "flatten" them so that we end up with the 5-sided parts of the soccer ball.

4. Simplify the soccer ball
In this case, I actually want a flat very basic 3D soccer ball with 5-sided and 6-sided. I use Blender Modifier actually:

Voila! We got Maya's Primitive Soccer Ball.

DONE creating Soccer Ball in 30 seconds?

Continue on, we don't just settle with simple looking ball. We want something more interesting.

You could continue with the usual HQ soccer ball, extruding, inset, Shrink/Flatten, Spherize. Careful here and don't end up with Macaroon Soccer Ball like what I have here:

Oops... I ended making this.

You need to Bevel properly. Use "Face Inset", then Subdivide. Poke the Faces, then Spherize. That's all, I think you could do it differently, to get that perfect Soccer Ball.

Here is the BLEND: https://www.dropbox.com/s/0m0hkh3gwwb5l4n/flower_soccer_ball12.blend

With a bit of Fractal:

However, I want to switch mode now to add some complex design. Let's slow down now.

DETAILING SOCCER BALL

We can take this soccer ball design to many different level.

I am following this trick shown in this "Parametric Building Design using Autodesk Maya". This book has some interesting technique in building all sort of intricate parametric design.

Actually some of them is not a purely parametric, but they are still step by step and applied as whole. Which is procedural. That is okey, we don't worry about that.

Let's bring back our soccer ball.

1. Clean soccer ball.

2. "Chamfer the vertex"
Actually in Blender, there is no Chamfer per se, so we just use Bevel Edge, it can give you kind of similar result....

I have to bring in Maya's Chamfer: (I think this is more like Max)

Maya's Chamfer.

Actually in Blender, you can do something similar if you activate "Bevel Edge - Vertex Only". Very neat.

Blender Edge Bevel is actually pretty robust (similar to Maya). You can modify the profile, segment, etc.

3. Peak the N-Faces
Select all faces, except the Tris, then Peak the face, to get the Poke.

Poking faces is usually bad for deforming geometry (we know, we love quads), however, in parametric design, we care more about getting interesting pattern.

We can Poke and Spherize to get something like below:

If we do Extude Individuals and then Scale Individual Faces:

If we use the "Vertex Only" options, we actually get a more beautiful umbrella flower like pattern.

From here on, Blender has own advantage of being able to go to Wireframe Modifier and just respect the edges to get such design below:

The Wireframe Modifier works only for faces, not edges, but if we have only edges, we can also use the Skin Modifier. And combo with Subdivision Modifier, you got all sort of interesting result.

New York City NYE Ball can be a great inspirations.

SVERCHOK SOCCER BALL MODIFICATION

We have not even used Sverchok yet...

Procedural bouncing ball is also possible by the way.

In Sverchok, we can bring in Polygon and turn it into Edges. Edges is totally and well respected.

Enough with soccer ball for today... I will add more over time for Soccer Ball related.

My point here will be:
We don't always need to start from scratch, in fact, the BASE forms is an important before we add more details. In fact by combining and mixing 2 factors, we often get something that is original.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

Parametric Building Design using Autodesk Maya
http://ming3d.com/book/resource/

Form + Code
http://formandcode.com/

Parametric Design for Architecture
http://www.laurenceking.com/us/parametric-design-for-architecture/

DRAWING USING WIREFRAME IN THIN AIR INSPIRATION

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2014/04/lix-the-worlds-smallest-3d-printing-pen-lets-you-draw-in-the-air/
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/studiocheha/bulbing-a-magical-lamp-design-light-up-your-life

SVERCHOK / Parametric Snippets 1

As I started get deeper into parametric modeling using Sverchok, the more I realized how powerful this workflow could be, when fully integrated into Blender environment and work with the rest of Blender.

The Sverchok Add-On is updated daily, so we may see new nodes and improved version of Sverchok. I tried to keep it up to date.

THE SVERCHOK SCRIPT NODE
There are already some awesome tricks like the new SCRIPT NODE (thanks ZEFFII) that is capable of doing lots of unusual Python tricks inside Sverchok.

I tried experimenting with it using simple Python Script node in Sverchok to randomize Light Colors and Light Intensity using node inside Sverchok.

It requires scripting, but by "nodifying" and containing useful Python script inside a portable node, and having ability to control many objects using simple parameter is great.

INPUT
PROCEDURES
OUTPUT

It is just quite fascinating when LOW LEVEL Data can actually modify the HIGH LEVEL Object Data, back and forth.

POST MODIFIER DATA
In latest Sverchok, we also have the option to read the low level data, POST the Modifiers. This is really cool. Just like Particle System "Use Modifier Stack", the Sverchok preview is shown after all the Modifiers applied to the Mesh, but it is still alive. This is even more procedural.

Let say, Dynamic Paint to scatter some Particles, which then with Sverchok we can control the details of the copies. This still has limitation of course, because it can get heavy. Sverchok is like working in Edit Mode, and unlike Particle Instancing, what we are working inside Sverchok is something to be baked out as Geometry or Mesh at later stage.

MORE POWERFUL THAN ONE THINK
The MAIN PURPOSE and focus of Sverchok is for Parametric Modeling as Nikita has stated. It is the right way to remain focus on development to keep it maintainable by Sverchok developers. I agree with this.

However looking many years ahead, I can see that this is going to be bigger than it is today, when continue being developed. As Work In Progress (WIP), Sverchok Add-On is something that can help general CG artists to understand Math, Vectors, Matrix, parametric creation and so on.

In fact, at current development stage, with limited nodes a more technical users can carefully study each node properly and see them working in context. This is very important. Imagine if the collection of nodes grow like Houdini, over hundreds nodes, then thing can started to get very complicated.

There are already a lot of gems and useful information can be found at Sverchok original thread at Blender Artist Forum:
http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?272679-Addon-WIP-Sverchok-parametric-nodes-for-architects

At the moment, that forum thread above is the best place to ask questions and maybe request a feature. Sverchok development team is amazing.

USEFUL PARAMETRIC SNIPPETS SERIES

Now, with this "Parametric Snippets" blog series, I will be posting some random finding, maybe simple snapshots of Sverchok node tree that is useful and can be used to build a more complex setup.

Nikita also posted lots of Sverchok snippets
https://plus.google.com/103738725871920806709/posts/Xz5v7TrDHeD

Remember that often by connecting many SIMPLE node tree, users can create COMPLEXITY that normally is very hard to create using manual traditional 3D modeling method.

TRICK: Procedural Animation

It is already possible to create Procedural Animation that can be rendered using Sverchok. I can confirm with that.

There are still few steps involved like:
1. FORCING ANIMATION FOR SVERCHOK
Activating Sverchok animation to update every frame changes, using below Python script below (was written by ZEFFII also, thanks man!)
import bpy

svAnim = bpy.data.node_groups['NodeTree']

def my_handler(scene):
svAnim.update()

bpy.app.handlers.frame_change_pre.append(my_handler)

2. BAKE ALL
Bake is important to enable rendering. Luckily, there is already the Bakery node that can update and output an actual renderable mesh. This data is often destroyed and rebuilt whenever we make changes in Sverchok. However, still useful and make Sverchok Preview renderable.

UPDATE 20140428:
Displaying Real Time Animation is now part of Sverchok, no longer necessary to force it using Python script above.

VECTOR MATH NODE

Vector Math node has lots of useful Math operations for Vectors, such as Cross Product. Below is the basic how to visualize a Cross Product.

TRICK: Outward Vertex Normal => Adaptive Polygons

I learned this trick from Houdini TD Spencer Lueder not long ago. To get Vector of Points that goes outward, just subtract vector to itself.

In Sverchok, just use Vector Math to add or subtract to get outward vector.

Which allows you to do something like below.

If you want it to work for Center of Polygons, use Center Polygons Sverchok node.

Alex said that instead of having Vector In (0,0,1), we use something like this instead: 1e-6 (0.000001). Small number that is almost zero.

Anyways, above we can see how WEIGHT made by node ca be used to pull objects to face certain direction specified.

Of course, there is also the uber powerful Adaptive Polygons node that you can use it when required. It is more convenient, very easy to adapt OBJECT into a TEMPLATE.

Mentioned by Nikitron that we can also use VECTOR NORMAL node.

TRICK: List via Formula

I found this from one of example by Nikita.

We could type in our own List of Numbers into the Formula node. As we know it already, there are two types of Formula nodes: Formula and Formula2.

Formula

Formula2

One of the main reason I like Sverchok is its way to handle LIST DATA STRUCTURE. Very similar to Python, easy to understand and we are given all kind of List nodes that does some interesting modifications to INPUT list and give us OUTPUT list that we really want.

Reversing List example:

We look at data, check and compare to understand why certain List does not give us the output we want. For example below, we have Random Vector node that gives output ready to be used as Vertices, while the Formula2 node, needs List Join to give data output that is better suited for Vertices.

Reversing List can change the output Polygon Face normal.

Try this yourself with all kind LIST nodes in Sverchok to better understand LIST in Sverchok and how it handles multiple data. It is very important once we start dealing with FRAME DATA for Animation Offset, Animation Variations.

NEW TRICK 20140429: Randomize Copy Instance

This is actually something that I requested from Sverchok team around 3 months ago. This is quite a nice surprise and finally we have List Item. Thanks to Linus!

LIST ITEM is a powerful way to quickly create variations of object.

In this example, you see that we have something that resemble Particle Instancing (random object in group). HOWEVER, keep in mind that those duplicate copies are NOT instances, they are actually a single object that can be combined together. Similar to SOP (Surface Operator) in Houdini, or like Blender Edit Mode, if you are adding objects into the Mesh. They are all can ended up being a single mesh or multiple objects if you use LIST JOIN.

There are few things, such as: UV, Materials, etc are not yet implemented. Like I said, it's not instancing.

TRICK: Adaptive Edges

New node from Linus. This replace every edges with another edges. You can supply the replacement edges by drawing it parametrically or just draw Grease Pencil.

Sometimes this node flip, but I guess there is a way around it.

TRICK: List Match

List Match node is an interesting node. I need to look at Grasshopper PDF documentation (Sverchok is originally inspired by Grasshopper for Rhino).

Say, I have 2 Lines DATA, and I want to "match" them.

TOP LINES have 9 Vertices
BOTTOM LINES have 2 Vertices.

Let see what List Match can actually do:

X-Ref

Cycle

Short

Repeat

NOTE:
Watch out, don't forget to do "Matrix Apply" when you use Object In. That is to ensure that the position of our data is already Applied, not at the original position (remember sometimes we do need to Apply Position, Rotation, Scale to confirm the current transform in World Space)

And of course, List Match can give us the MANDALA.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandala

Everything comes from a single dot.
Everything is connected to each other.
A single entity does not belong to itself, but part of the universe.

You see List Match is really quite powerful.

Not necessarily for random abstract looking design,

TRICK: Visualizing Index (of Vertices)

In the past, before Blender 2.7, we are able to display INDEX number of Vertex, Edges, Face of Polygon Mesh in Edit Mode, by turning it on using:
bpy.app.debug = True

You probably want to consider using this script by Bart to visualize the indices.
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Extensions:2.6/Py/Scripts/3D_interaction/Index_Visualiser

However, in Sverchok we can use the INDX Viewer Draw node.

For now, it seems to display only Index of Vertices. I am hoping that it will one day display ANY kind of values, including Vector, Weight, and other type of data that represent values. A bit like ICE in Softimage. It can be very cluttered, but good to have.

NEW TRICK: Kdtree and Convex Hull

Kdtree node deals with Point Cloud. It is quite powerful as it can find NEAREST points by comparing points. Think Ambient Occlusion or Raycast. Kind of like one mesh can SEE or aware of other mesh. Imagine glass ball with electricity inside and you are touching the of the glass. Kind of like that.

Convex Hull node is useful to create Mesh output based on Point Cloud.

Kdtree is a very advanced node, and I think it has lots of usages.

Use the Force?

TRICK: Line with Noise
Sometimes everything can be a bit more interesting, natural and organic, when we applied Noise.

TRICK: List Mask for Polygon Face Masking

I found out about this by accident.

List Mask can be used to mask data. But it is most obvious when we are masking Polygon Faces.

It works with LIST with ZERO and ONE (TRUE or FALSE).

With something like this, you can quickly create interesting geometry pattern.

SCRIPT NODE: Compare True False

I wrote this Python script for Script Node that "compare" between 2 list and return TRUE or FALSE based on the list. This could be useful for List Masking. Maybe this is possible to re-create using Sverchok node, but often it is easier to write down as code.

I am sure below script can be simpler or more efficient, but it will work.

HOW TO USE:
Just provide 2 different list, the order matters. It will result in TRUE or FALSE (Boolean Binary Code) by comparing the two list, if there are 2 matching number, return TRUE, and if not matching number, return FALSE.

SCRIPT NODE: "COMPARE"

def sv_main(dataA=[], dataB=[]):

# in boilerplate - make your own sockets
in_sockets = [
['s', 'In list A', dataA],
['s', 'In list B', dataB]
]

# import libraries if you need.

# your code here
out = []

for i in dataB:
if (i in dataA):
out.append(1)
else:
out.append(0)

out = [out]

# out boilerplate - set your own sockets packet
out_sockets = [
['s', 'Out', out]
]

return in_sockets, out_sockets

SCRIPT NODE: Random Range with Min and Max
def sv_main(min=0.0, max=10.0, count=1, seed=0.0):

# in boilerplate - make your own sockets
in_sockets = [
['s', 'Min', min],
['s', 'Max', max],
['s', 'Count', count],
['s', 'Seed', seed],
]

# import libraries if you need.
from util import sv_zip
import random

# your code here
random.seed(seed)

myList = []

for i in range(count):
#myList.append(random.randrange(min,max))
#myList.append(random.random())
randVal = (max-min) * random.random() + min

myList.append(randVal)

print(myList)
out = myList

# out boilerplate - set your own sockets packet
out_sockets = [
['s', 'Out', out]
]

return in_sockets, out_sockets

NOTE: We might end up with some stray vertices that we need to clean up later. No big deal. Just use Blender Edit Mode to clean it up.

UPDATE 20140428: Nikitron said we actually have Delete Loose node to clean up stray vertices and edges, so please use that!

TRICKS: Binary Code, Random True or False
Creating Number Pattern is a very interesting area. You can study or source some Math formula that does it for you.

A very cool example is the Script Node for Fibonacci Phyllotaxis (by ZEFFII) to generate numbers that spit out beautiful design:

Now, for something simper, if you want to generate random 0 and 1 number pattern, you can use something like below:

Random gives a random floating values between 0 and 1, the Float2Int node will use round() function to round the number, and you can end up with number 0 and 1.

Below is an example of usage of "BINARY SUZANNE"

Suzanne is made up of 500 Faces, and randomly deleting (masking) Faces using Random 0 and 1, we end up with 250 Faces left. Something to remember. 50-50 chances.

Remember that you can also bring your own Data using Text In node (CSV, etc). Unlimited possibility!

TO BE CONTINUED...
That's all of the Sverchok Parametric Snippets of Tricks I have for now. Hope they are useful. Will add more over time.

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