Please send suggestions for my scriptwriting

Moho allows users to write new tools and plugins. Discuss scripting ideas and problems here.

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Fazek
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Please send suggestions for my scriptwriting

Post by Fazek »

I am new here, and now trying Moho under Linux. Can anyone tell me what are the major script extensions added, and what are the most requested missing things? I want to change some functions in the basic scripts/tool set because it is not quite comfortable for me. Of course I will give these developments to the public.

My major goal in almost every tool is to minimize mouse clicks and tool changes. The selection of the points seems a bit difficult, the most uncomfortable I think is the Create Shape tool (this is only my opinion, maybe others like it). But, for example, Manipulate Bones works great.

Because I have not enough experience yet with Moho, it should be important to receive suggestions. The known hidden bugs in the tools are also welcomed.

I am interesting on the coordinate model (What is the unit? The height of the field?), the spline calculation method (what is the meaning of the magic curvature value?) and any other important data.

I am also planning to implement my image vectorising and peghole recognition for scanned papers, but maybe the lua is not powerful enough, and I do need a perfect description of the spline geometry first (ADDED: now I know it)

(added 23/04/2006) YOU CAN DOWNLOAD MY TOOLS FROM HERE:

http://www.firkafilm.com/moho/index.html

Final version: 08/12/2006
Details of the tools at: http://www.firkafilm.com/moho/tools.html
Containing these tools:

Replacements of LM tools:

fa_add_point.lua
fa_bind_points.lua
fa_create_shape.lua
fa_curvature.lua
fa_freehand.lua
fa_magnet.lua
fa_paint_bucket.lua (works only from Moho 5.4!)
fa_rotate_points.lua
fa_reparent_bone.lua
fa_scale_points.lua
fa_select_points.lua
fa_translate_points.lua

New (non-LM) tools:

fa_polygon.lua
fa_replace_line.lua

(added 08//05/2006) ADDITIONAL EXPOSURE SHEET TOOL:
for editing Switch layers in an exposure sheet (dopesheet) style

Final version: 14/07/2006

fa_switch_xsh.lua

(added 13/06/2006) A PLAYER FRONTEND FOR MPLAYER:
MPlayer is a multi-platform freeware media player.
(do read README.txt!)

Final version: 16/06/2006

fa_mplayer.lua

(added 21/06/2006) INSTANCING VECTOR LAYERS (LAYERSCRIPT):
Copies the mesh point positions from a source layer into other layers

Final version: 22/06/2006

fa_meshinstance.lua

(added 18/08/2006) USEFUL SCRIPTWRITER MENUS:
Prints the value of a global variable. It is possible to print tables and metatables recursively. It has a history to browse global variables easier. Printlayer is a button on the tool window (using the printvalue menu's functions) to print the actual selected points, curves, shapes.

Final version: 25/08/2006

fa_printvalue.lua
fa_printlayer.lua
Last edited by Fazek on Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:51 am, edited 41 times in total.
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Rai López
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Re: Please send suggestions for my scriptwriting

Post by Rai López »

Fazek wrote:My major goal in almost every tool is to minimize mouse clicks and tool changes.
...So you have here a LOT of work to do! ;) And before nothing it'd be nice (I think) that you take an eye to the 7feet's "Universal Points Tool" and "Universal Layer Tool" (and many other still modified tools) to start seeing what is still made, all of they are in this section of the forum and I'll be adding others as I remember it... I think I should make a search too about all my ideas and suggestions along all this years, hmmm... :roll:

BTW... YOU ARE VERY WELCOMED! :D
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Fazek
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Post by Fazek »

Hi Ramón,

I found the Universal Points Tool, thank you. It is really useful, and I am sure I will see many usable ideas in it. (Only the Undo works buggy). Now I collecting the information about lua and the Moho functions. I want to put some definiately new selection method - floodfill-like selection to make shapes, for example.

By the way, is there a tool to:

1. remove or partially remove a shape from an outline?
2. add new closed curves to an existing shape (or merging shapes)?
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Rai López
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Post by Rai López »

HI! :) And BTW... I was recently working in a little added/modification for points tools that I think could be interesting for others, so I'll put it here when I have a chance, it is more like an animation assistant option than a point modificaton option but it is very-VERY usefull (for me at least) during point animation works (it basically show you which points has a keyframe at current frame), and well... maybe you are offering now the oportunitie to try to make the definitely point tool expounding the more interesting ideas and sugestions, can be difficult cause everyone has his own perfect idea for a definitely tool, but could be interesting to put oursef in the LM skin during a time :) ...Ah! The other issue, are you talking about something like this? http://www.lostmarble.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3071 Cause this is something that everybody could desire :) ...CIAO!
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Fazek
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Post by Fazek »

Hello Ramón,

The cut out tool is a very good idea. I think it could be a tool for all of the possible logical operations. I am thinking on such things because of a selection type when you click somewhere inside an outline (without fill shape) and the program selects all surrounding points to prepare a fill shape creation (feels like a floodfill function in pixel-based programs) This requires to map all possible curve segments between the "hub points" of the mesh, and then to find an outline around the clicked point. I think after this is finished, it will be enough experience about the tricks to make such cut-out like tools...

But now I am going step-by-step. First of all I am working on a correction of the original LM_ tools. I am just trying the tools and see when the tool does different thing than I accepted. For example, if I click somewhere outside of anything, I (and most of the users, I think) want to clear all selections. If the program does it differently, I change it. So it will be a replacement of the original toolset, not additional.

I almost finished a combined point, curve, shape and bone selection tool. I did not decided yet to keep all the LM_ names or create a new set of files with FA_ beginning, but I want to make this new set to be as compatible as possible with the old files. As I see the LM_ files are using the functions of each other, and perhaps others' scripts are also depending on the original names.
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rylleman
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Post by rylleman »

Fazek wrote:I did not decided yet to keep all the LM_ names or create a new set of files with FA_ beginning...
Please use FA_toolnames, It would be confusing to have different tools with the same names. Even if the differences are minor it would be a good thing to know which tools you actally use.
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Fazek
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Post by Fazek »

OK, then I will make FA_ names, as modular as possible to be able to use the files separately, but I will add a special file to the scripts/utilities folder to be compatible if someone wants to remove the original LM_ files....

You know, this will be a REPLACEMENT
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Fazek
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Post by Fazek »

YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE ACTUAL VERSION OF MY TOOLSET HERE:

http://www.firkafilm.com/moho/index.html

It is under development, so I encourage everybody to try it and tell me every ideas, bug reports etc. about it. I don't write any user guide yet, because I think it will change.

But you can try these:

- click inside what you want to fill in "Create Shape",
- click on points, curve segments, (parent) bones with all of the tools
- - - Fazek
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Rai López
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Post by Rai López »

...EY! EY!! EY!!! :D :D :D Only a few minutes testing it but I still love that universal Selection Tool!!! In general I use a high number of tiny bones and have the hability of select'em in the same way as points is really (really) GREAT! THANK YOU VERY MUCH for all that nice work and uf... hope you be here for a looong time :) ...BYE1!

PS: Of course I'm loving too all the other things but I'll coment here when I had experimenting a little more :) (and yes, I'm thinking on suggestion too :roll:)

EDIT: BTW, HERE is another Universal tool made by dear 7feet that you could find interesting, maybe a more complete bone selection options, rotation/scale conbination and numerical boxes would made it perfect ;) ...BYE2!
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Rai López
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Post by Rai López »

...HI! :) (again) Well, I know this are not the final versions, but something seems wrong working with Select tool and grouping function, when I treat to select a group in the pop-up menu I obtain the following error in the Lua Console window:

...\fa_select_points.lua:185:attempt to index field 'groupName' (a nill value)

This when I treat to delete one of them:

...\fa_select_points.lua:174:attempt to index field 'groupName' (a nill value)

And this when I press any that + or - buttons:

...\fa_select_points.lua:150: attempt to index field 'groupName' (a nill value)

I HOPE this can help! CIAO & THANKS again!
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heyvern
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Post by heyvern »

Dagnabit!

Actually... Whoooooweeeeee!

I can stop fiddling with my "version" of this... phew... so relieved.

These tools do nearly everything I was trying to accomplish plus TEN TIMES MORE.

God bless you... or... may you continue to evolve... or... live long and prosper.... whatever...

Thanks!

-Vern
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jorgy
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Post by jorgy »

Awesome awesome awesome!!! I downloaded and have started playing with these tools, and I must say that the freehand tool is great! The select tool also is great, though I have gotten the same error as ramon:

Code: Select all

fa_select_points.lua:150: attempt to index field 'groupName' (a nill value)
I'm anxiously awaiting your bug fixes!

jorgy
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heyvern
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Post by heyvern »

Hmm...

Yes, one of the things that 7feet's modified selection tool does is add points.

I wouldn't use it in place of the add point tool for a lot of drawing... but it is very nice to be able to quickly add a point here and there while moving things around.

Currently I have both of these modified selection tools loaded up to see which one I click on more... the one I moded from 7feet or these new ones...

I still tend to lean towards mine more often since I can rotate and scale from that one tool.

I also have noticed that when I do anything with shapes... I do it in "big batches"... I find when I am modifying vector and point positions I am not as likely to need to select a shape or change colors... so the benefit of have that in my selection tool isn't as great.

Having scale and rotation tools is helpful though.

I absolutely LOVE being able to select a shape by just clicking on the "edge" of it... that is brillaint. Or being able to move a group selection by just grabbing one of the spline curves.

My stupid tool... I have to click on a point in the selected group or it just deselects... which is the oposite of Fazek's version which deselects all but the point you click on depending on the settings. ;)

Nice having all these options though. Maybe I won't have to pick my favorite.

-Vern
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Post by bupaje »

With all these cool tools being produced it might be nice if someone would create something similar to those font organizers, this way you could create groups of tools and load/unload different sets as needed. Otherwise it might get a bit confusing to have so many varities of similar tools. :)
[url=http://burtabreu.animationblogspot.com:2gityfdw]My AnimationBlogSpot[/url:2gityfdw]
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jorgy
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Post by jorgy »

heyvern wrote:Nice having all these options though. Maybe I won't have to pick my favorite.
I agree. It may not be necessary to have to pick, we can all mix and match to get exactly what we want since all of these are in lua and we can customize to our heart's content!

jorgy
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