Template Export GUI

I’ve added a Template Export Dialog to Structure Synth. This greatly simplifies the workflow when working with Structure Synth models.

The Template Export Dialog.

The Template Export Dialog makes it possible to browse the available templates, and see which primitives are defined in the template. The green primitives are the ones actually used in the EisenScript. If the EisenScript contains primitives not defined in the template, they will be listed as red items.

The Template Output section specifies the output filename. The default extension can be set in the template XML file (using this new defaultExtension attribute, e.g.: defaultExtension=”Sunflow scene file (*.sc)”). It is possible to automatically add a counter to the filename, to ensure that an unique file is created.

The output width and height can be changed from the dialog. The ‘/2’, and ‘*2’ buttons halves and doubles the output size, while the ‘D’ button sets the size to the size of the OpenGL window.

The Post Processing section makes it possible to specify a file with arguments, which is run after the output has been created. The $FILE$ marker will be substituted for the actual output filename before starting the process. Of course the path to the executable must be changed before using this.

It is also possible to directly modify the XML template before applying it (notice the syntax highlighting!) – this makes it easy to try out script variations. Even the final output can be modified before saving it as a file or copying it to the clipboard.

There has been a few changes to the template XML file format in order to accommodate these changes. The ‘defaultExtension’ and ‘runAfter’ tag was added, a new ‘description’ element has been introduced, and finally the ‘substitution’ element has been renamed to ‘primitive’.

The Template Export GUI will be part of Structure Synth V1.0, which I hope to release this week before I leave for my vacation.

7 thoughts on “Template Export GUI

  1. Hi i really respect what you are doing.
    great program! i play around with processing, so im a hobbyist, my question is can the exported file (*.sc)
    be opened in a 3D program some how? can a (*.sc) be made in to a (*.obj) file? how can i get Structure Synth file’s into a 3d program?

    thanks man, very good program!

  2. Hi,

    The template distributed with Structure Synth currently supports Sunflow (those are the *.sc files), PovRay, Renderman, and Blender (using a Python plugin). The Sunflow templates are the most mature – if you haven’t tried Sunflow, you should give it a try.

    I don’t know if any OBJ templates are available (I have not looked), but I don’t think so.

    Regards, Mikael.

  3. I’d suggest you try out Sunflow (http://sunflow.sourceforge.net/) as a raytracer. There is no 3D editor in Sunflow – you have to script everything – but it has beautiful renders, and is easy to use together with Structure Synth.

    Structure Synth is a spare time project, so writing something the size of a book would unfortunately take up too much of my time. At some point I might update the tutorials a bit, though 🙂

  4. ok, cool man thanks! but i have to say this is a great idea you had here. Nice Work. hope the development of Structure Synth keep’s going.

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