Dashed spline?

[FlytE]

Does anyone know if there is any way of creating a dashed spline in max/viz? The intention is to make easy road markings by giving a dashed spline thickness... cant seem to find the function or suitable script though....

[Stephen Thomas]

Not tried it myself, but this script claims to do what you're after i.e. make a dashed line out of a spline. After that just make it a renderable spline, rectangular type, length=1 width=100 e.g., or whatever suits.

 

http://www.scriptspot.com/3ds-max/rdg-dashed

[FlytE]

yeah I tried that script and it didnt work... im thinking maybe its something to do with it being for max8 (im on 9). Ive had to settle for arraying an extruded rectangle along a path, but im a bit disappointed that the option for a 'dynamic' dashed spline that I could give thickness to etc was not an option.

 

Thanks for your help anyway!

[Stephen Thomas]

Try this link then, maybe an updated version because I just tried it with max9 and it works a treat.

 

http://www.sharecg.com/v/262/script/rdg::dashes-[2]

 

You'll need to edit your UI to create a button for it in one of your toolbars remember once you've ran the script. Then just add editpoly or extrude modifier to create a surface from the generated spline.

[Vince Paske]

You could just assign a black/white dash map to the line's opacity channel material.

[FlytE]

i will give both a bash and see how they turn out. Ive tried the array and it works really well but i was hoping for a more numerical settings-based solution. Ill let you know, thanks again.

[Claudio Branch]

 

...i was hoping for a more numerical settings-based solution.

 

Here is a somewhat novel approach that I have used in the past:

 

Create a small horizontal line which will serve as your dash "unit"

 

Select the dash unit and then select your Spacing Tool

 

Now just select the spline you want dashed and ramp up the count parameter.

 

This will work with a 2d or 3d spline. The more curvature that your spline has in it, the smaller you will want the length of your base dash unit. You may have to delete some of the dashes that fall near any harsh corners.

 

Hope this is helpful...

[Guest nazcaLine]

Here is a somewhat novel approach that I have used in the past:

 

Create a small horizontal line which will serve as your dash "unit"

 

Select the dash unit and then select your Spacing Tool

 

Now just select the spline you want dashed and ramp up the count parameter.

 

This will work with a 2d or 3d spline. The more curvature that your spline has in it, the smaller you will want the length of your base dash unit. You may have to delete some of the dashes that fall near any harsh corners.

 

Hope this is helpful...

 

hey that's a good idea...let's see if the "lines" follow the curvature of the path, though

 

Eduardo

[Claudio Branch]

Just select "Centers" and Check "Follow"...it works like a champ.

 

Try it out on a Helix...

[redzuan3828]

Try this link then, maybe an updated version because I just tried it with max9 and it works a treat.

 

http://www.sharecg.com/v/262/script/rdg::dashes-[2]

 

 

Thank guy

[Stephen Thomas]

Just noticed in the latest installment of the Visualisation Insider series, Brian talks about amethod of importing dashed lines from autocad. Instead of importing as dwg, export the line as .3ds file from autocad and it comes in with dashes intact. Just another idea to try.

 

http://www.cgarchitect.com/upclose/VI/Week22/VI_Week22.pdf

[Claudio Branch]

 

Instead of importing as dwg, export the line as .3ds file from autocad and it comes in with dashes intact.

 

 

Interesting, because I have tried to export closed polylines using the .3ds file type and nothing comes in. I just thought that the .3ds format was only for importing faces.

 

I am able to bring in the closed polyline as a layer using .dwg format, but I still lose the linestyle data.

[Brian Smith]

page 14 of that article talks about importing the dashed lines.

 

all you have to do is create a pline in autocad with whatever width you want, set the proper ltscale that you want (which sets the spacing of the dashed lines), and export those lines as a 3ds file. when you import into max, the plines are converted to edit splines with the same width that you specified in autocad. works like a charm and there's simply no faster way to do the same thing.

 

claudio, you mentioned that it didnt work for you, but you said you were using closed splines. you dont need a closed spline, just a pline with a width.

 

works fine with 3d terrrain too, using the boolean>cut>split feature

[Claudio Branch]

Thanks Brian,

 

tried out your suggestion and it is working nicely.

 

Claudio