My friend Prof. Klaus Teltenkoetter shared with us his students work in parametric design with 3d Studio MAX @ Digitales Entwerfen . Each student has shared his/her experience with parametric array in a short video. They have gone through basics and advanced topics such as surface unfolding which I’m going to post it right here. All videos are in German but you definitely learn something from the picture.
Thanks for Digitales Entwerfen for their amazing videos:
Modeling in 3ds max in an architectural and interior architectural context. Focus is using 3ds max as a parametric software for conceptual design.
Videolanguage: german
Lighting in 3ds max in an architectural and interior architectural context. Focus is using 3ds max for photorealstic and physically correct visualisations. Videolanguage: german
It’s been a while that someone asked me about using curve as magnets in parametric array, he also sent me a sample code that could return the closest point of the curve to an object. Well, unfortunately I forgot to reply him (or her) but here is a short video explaining how to the curve controller to return the closest point and incorporating the result inside the magnet controller which I’m posting it here.
The following video is about using mix controller to combine the effects of two magnet points. It’s continuation of the previous video (manipulating Boolean objects) which you can find here.
I just came back from a parametric design workshop at school of design Mainz in Germany. Together with Prof. klaus Teltenkoetter and his Masterstudents “Kommunikation im Raum” we had an intense workshop which took 4 days and the last two days were more about parametric array. I’m going to post some parts in my blog.
In this video we practiced manipulating Boolean objects using a magnet controller. The fact that you can modify the Boolean operands is quite impressive!
In this video I’m using PARA to create a light sensitive shading structure in form of dome that responds to the location of sun which it also follows the daylight system in 3ds max. I use surface controller to populate the surface with the custom made panel. Each triangular panel has three blades folding among the outer edge. Panels are designed to block the direct sun light while they allow the indirect light to penetrate the surface of the dome.
This is an example of using Magnet controller to derive the values based on orientation of the objects according to the magnet node. The angle of the panel is set to the angle between the Z axis of the object (the panels have been transformed to the surface using a surface controller on transform property) and the line that connects the sun node to that object. It’s very important that sun node must be far enough from the objects in array so the sun rays become approximately parallel.
A new function of PARA 2.2 has been incorporated in this video to create the resulted animation. This new utility allows user to select the desired controller/property and creates a series of key frame within given time frame. The use of utility is very simple and straight forward and does not require further explanation.
Watch the back scene in 6 min, although this video is not a tutorial, I hope that you can learn something!
1. Select objects in D1/D2/D3 direction function used to select the array object. It’s been fixed and works properly,
2. Surface controller works in MAX 2012
3. Surface controller works on extrude surface with an Edit poly modifier on top
4. PARA can now control LOFT and NURBS properties inside the array. Check out new tutorials for more information.
5. Error in make unique function is fixed.
6. Error in random controller interface is fixed.
New items:
1. Copy / Paste function has been added to the set property tools. This function allows user to copy the property value of one object and paste it on a group of objects inside the array ,(Match properties)
2. A new utility has been added called “Key frame maker” .It’s a great tool for animation.
3. New warp function has been added to surface controller.
4. New pattern option has been added to random controller to generate repetitive random values
5. New mapping method “SCALE” has been added to pattern controller
6. Double click on a controller from library will assign it on previously selected channel in PARA settings dialog box. Previously it was going to the main controller.
I was challenging the PARA II to model something like the Allianz Arena stadium in 3DS MAX. Each panel composed of a solid flat frame and a bulged part. To imitate the lighting effect I assigned a material modifier to the smooth part of panel and a Pattern controller change the index value.
The skew effect of the skin is the result of the deform controller that takes the initial value from the sub-object controller and pass it to the UVW offsets in surface controller. The disadvantage of this method is when you try to use the UVW mapping to get uniform subdivision all over the surface. I shall add an option to surface controller to fix this problem soon.
In this video I tried to explain how to use the pattern controller to make a wall with staggered tiles. This is a response to a user’s question and here is the comment which was posted by V.T. :
Hi, I’d like to know if there’s a way to create an array with staggered row (like a ordinary brick wall). Thanks.
This video demonstrates use of MIX Controller in order to mix the effect of two independent curve controllers. Each of curve controllers is set to control the position of the box along a unique shape in two different dimensions. Incorporating both in one Mix controller approximate a surface which is result of translating one of the curves along the other one.
