[Add-on] Drop to ground

Hello! I’m working on a new function. It allows to drop multiple object to the first geometry they intersect along a certain axis. In the video a first test to explain better.

Howdy!

This could be pretty useful for the perfectionists! :stuck_out_tongue:

You mentioned “along a certain axis”, could you not just use the global Z axis?

I want to add the ability to “drop” in every direction, so it could be usefull for things that must lay on walls or ceilings.

Ahh I see. Good stuff. :slight_smile:

is that any different than this one?(well obviously the axis part would be new)

http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Extensions:2.6/Py/Scripts/Object/Drop_to_ground

Isnt there already a constraint for this?

Nice work :slight_smile:

I’ve asked for something similar to this before.
I would like to have a button to turn on that then makes an object stop at all faces you move it against, you should still be able to move it over a surface but it should never intersect it or any other object/surface.
Kind of an extended snap tool… It would be so handy :slight_smile:

It would be great if selected components snap to a nearest surface point.
For example, I want to snap the root of the curve vetices to the sphere.
Although I could use shrink wrap with vertex group for a poly line, I can not create a vertex group for a curve.
But probably this could be very different from what this addon intends to.


is that any different than this one?(well obviously the axis part would be new)

http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Ex…Drop_to_ground

Yes, the concept is the same. With my script ou don’t need to select the destination object, but I could add that option, because sometimes could useful to decide on what to drop. I’ll also add an offset option and a consistent selection option as in the advanced align tools.

It would be great if selected components snap to a nearest surface point.
For example, I want to snap the root of the curve vetices to the sphere.
Although I could use shrink wrap with vertex group for a poly line, I can not create a vertex group for a curve.
But probably this could be very different from what this addon intends to.

Yes, it’s different and more complicated for me.

Nice work :slight_smile:

I’ve asked for something similar to this before.
I would like to have a button to turn on that then makes an object stop at all faces you move it against, you should still be able to move it over a surface but it should never intersect it or any other object/surface.
Kind of an extended snap tool… It would be so handy :slight_smile:

I don’t really understand what you mean (due to my english I think) but it sounds complicated. Sorry! Try to explain me simplier please.

The options in that script holyenigma posted are good and useful, I think I could add them too.@holyenigma74

This would be a very useful tool for staging a scene indeed. Its task is so simple but the work it makes is very important. Dropping an object exactly to the imaginary platform of a given direction just with a ‘click’ would be a very significant help for the user. It is a command that exists in many apps and helps a lot.

Ok, if you have objects in your scene and move them around there are nothing stopping them intersecting with other objects unless you use the snapping tool.
But the snapping tool is not very easy to use for moving and placing objects in a scene .

What if you had a tool that detect any objects edges and faces and when you move an object it can’t go through/intersect with the object you move it against.

Lets say you want to move these chairs close to the table and woops… you accidentally place them a little through the table.
I would love to have some aid that helps me move them freely without they ever intersect each other or anything else automatically.


It would be great to turn on/off such a tool so you could place objects on the table, place a spoon in a cup without it intersecting the edge or bottom of the cup… well… you get the idea.

Cheers :eyebrowlift:

Hi,
I used the old above mentioned add-on, but good if a new enhanced on comes :slight_smile:
It would be nice if you could add an option to have the bottom face above, half or entirely underground, so that no object floats in the air. For dropping houses/trees on a ground, it brings much more realism and is better than offset. Just check that all vertecies that have the same z value (when dropping on z) as the first interesecting vertex are above or under the surface.
Thanks a lot anyway :slight_smile:

Seems to a very usefull Addon :slight_smile:

Kind regards
Alain

Now I understand. You mean that while grabing objects they don’t go in others! Yes, it could be nice! Actually i don’t know if I could do such a thing, because it works with another tool (the grab command). But it also could be easy! If someone knows about this could explain me and I’ll try to add that option.

I understand what you mean. But it seems to me it’s too much unpredictable and too specific… I think an offset could be more multipurpose, considering that even with your option the offset is needed.

@ Jukerlund: re-thinking about your idea, it seems to me very clever and useful! But not so easy to make I think, so it could be asked at the foundation.

Good idea :slight_smile:

That could be probably possible when bullet engine will be implemented as a simulation not just for game engine. It’s one of the google summer of code projects.

Ah, yes. Ideally for me would be the ability to pick an object/group and paint it directly onto a surface with either a random offset, following a freehand line or a straight line and still be able to interactively adjust the spacing/placement. I can’t find that particular work flow. It would make gardening very quick. :slight_smile: