Abstract Space from Memory

Posted: January 31st, 2012 | Author: genevieve | Filed under: Unity3d | No Comments »

So this week to get up and running with Unity3d and scripting, I played around a lot with nested for loops and rotation. Our assignment James George’s class Pixels to Polygons is: “On Being Memorious” == Recall an abstract space from your memory and recreate it using only programmed primitives, colors, and lights. Using the GeometryHelper class and example project, create a menu script that generates a static 3d scene without any hand editing/

The abstract space I created is based on an ampitheatre I went to as a child to see cirque du soleil. I mostly remember how amazing the the ceiling was in the theater, and how it made me think of stars, even though it had a regular patter. Anyway, here is the model.

I still have a ways to go figuring out how to apply color to multiple GameObjects (in a for loop), as well as figuring out lighting and moving the camera around. But I was really impressed with the immediate gratification that the GUI offers, and how I could move the lights and camera around manually to get a feel for how I’d like to program their location.

The code requires the GeometryHelper.js script that James made available. Stick it in the plugins folder.

/**
 * Geometry Helpers
 * by James George 
 * January 2011
 *
 * For
 * Pixels to Polygons: Coding 3d Worlds ITP
 * 
 * A simple plug-in to generating 3d geometry easy
 * MIT LICENSE
 * 
 */
 
public class GeometryHelper {
	private static var materials : Array = [];
	private static var geometryParent : GameObject;
	private static var mesh : Mesh;
	private static var vertices : Array;
	private static var indices : Array;	
	private static var uvs : Array;
	private static var colors : Array;
 
	//SPHERES
	static function CreateSphere(pos : Vector3, radius : float) : GameObject {
		return CreatePrimitive(pos, radius, PrimitiveType.Sphere);
	}
 
	static function CreateSphere(pos : Vector3, scale : Vector3) : GameObject {
		return CreatePrimitive(pos,scale, PrimitiveType.Sphere);
	}
 	//
 
	//CUBES
	static function CreateCube(pos : Vector3, radius : float) : GameObject {
		return CreatePrimitive(pos,radius, PrimitiveType.Cube);
	}
 
	static function CreateCube(pos : Vector3, scale : Vector3) : GameObject {
		return CreatePrimitive(pos,scale,PrimitiveType.Cube);
	}
	//
 
	//CYLINDERS
	static function CreateCylinder(pos : Vector3, scale : float) : GameObject {
		return CreatePrimitive(pos,scale, PrimitiveType.Cylinder);				
	}
 
	static function CreateCylinder(pos : Vector3, scale : Vector3) : GameObject {
		return CreatePrimitive(pos,scale, PrimitiveType.Cylinder);						
	}
	//
 
	//CAPSULES
	static function CreateCapsule(pos : Vector3, scale : float) : GameObject {
		return CreatePrimitive(pos,scale, PrimitiveType.Capsule);		
	}
 
	static function CreateCapsule(pos : Vector3, scale : Vector3) : GameObject {
		return CreatePrimitive(pos,scale,PrimitiveType.Capsule);
	}
	//
 
	//GENERIC PRIMITIVE
	private static function CreatePrimitive(pos : Vector3, scale : float, type : PrimitiveType) : GameObject {
		return CreatePrimitive(pos, Vector3(scale,scale,scale), type);
	}
 
	private static function CreatePrimitive(pos : Vector3, scale : Vector3, type : PrimitiveType) : GameObject {
		var prim = GameObject.CreatePrimitive(type);
	   	prim.transform.position = pos;
	   	prim.transform.localScale = scale;
		prim.transform.parent = GetGeometryParent();
	   	return prim;
	}
	//
 
	//PLANES
	static function CreateVerticlePlaneAlongX(center : Vector3, width : float, height : float) : GameObject {
		var plane = GameObject.CreatePrimitive(PrimitiveType.Plane);
		plane.transform.position = center;
		plane.transform.localScale = Vector3(height, 1, width);
		plane.transform.Rotate(-Vector3.forward, 90);
		plane.transform.parent = GetGeometryParent();
		return plane;
	}
 
	static function CreateVerticlePlaneAlongZ(center : Vector3, width : float, height : float) : GameObject {
		var plane = GameObject.CreatePrimitive(PrimitiveType.Plane);
		plane.transform.position = center;
		plane.transform.localScale = Vector3(width, 1, height);
		plane.transform.Rotate(Vector3.left, 90);
		plane.transform.parent = GetGeometryParent();
		return plane;
	}
 
	static function CreateHorizontalPlane(center : Vector3, width : float, depth : float) : GameObject {
		var plane = GameObject.CreatePrimitive(PrimitiveType.Plane);
		plane.transform.position = center;		
		plane.transform.localScale = Vector3(width, 1, depth);
		plane.transform.parent = GetGeometryParent();
		return plane;		
	}
	//
 
	//POLYGONS
	static function CreatePoly(a : Vector3, b : Vector3, c : Vector3) : GameObject {
		BeginPolys();
		AddPoly(a,b,c);
		EndPolys();
 
	}
 
	static function BeginPolys(){
		if(mesh != null){
			Debug.LogWarning("Forcing end polys. check that begin/end is matched");
			EndPolys();
		}
 
		mesh = new Mesh();
		vertices = [];
		indices = [];
		uvs = [];
		colors = [];
	}
 
	static function AddPoly(a : Vector3, b : Vector3, c : Vector3){
		if(mesh == null){
			Debug.LogWarning("Forcing begin polys. Check that begin/end is matched");
			BeginPolys();
		}
 
		vertices.Push(a);
		vertices.Push(b);
		vertices.Push(c);
		indices.Push(vertices.length-3);
		indices.Push(vertices.length-2);
		indices.Push(vertices.length-1);
		uvs.Push(Vector2(0,0));
		uvs.Push(Vector2(1,0));
		uvs.Push(Vector2(0,1));
 
//		colors.Push(Color(Random.value,Random.value,Random.value));
//		colors.Push(Color(Random.value,Random.value,Random.value));
//		colors.Push(Color(Random.value,Random.value,Random.value));
	}
 
	static function EndPolys() : GameObject {
		mesh.vertices = vertices;
	    mesh.triangles = indices;
		mesh.uv = uvs;
		mesh.colors = colors;
		mesh.RecalculateNormals();
		mesh.RecalculateBounds();
 
		var meshContainer : GameObject = GameObject("TriMesh");
	    meshContainer.AddComponent(MeshFilter);
	    meshContainer.GetComponent(MeshFilter).mesh = mesh;	    
	    meshContainer.AddComponent(MeshRenderer);
 
	    meshContainer.renderer.sharedMaterial = GetMaterialWithColor(Color.gray);	    
	    meshContainer.transform.parent = GetGeometryParent();
 
		mesh = null;
		return meshContainer;		
	}
 
	//LIGHTS
	static function CreatePointLight(position : Vector3, range : float, intensity : float, color : Color) : GameObject {
		var lightContainer = CreateLight(position, intensity, color, LightType.Point);
		var lightComponent = lightContainer.GetComponent(Light);
		lightComponent.range = range;
		return lightContainer;
	}
 
	static function CreateDirectionalLight(position : Vector3, direction : Vector3, intensity : float, color : Color) : GameObject {
		var lightContainer = CreateLight(position, intensity, color, LightType.Directional);
		lightContainer.transform.LookAt(position + direction);
		return lightContainer;
	}
 
	static function CreateSpotLight(position : Vector3, direction : Vector3, range : float, angle : float, intensity : float, color : Color) : GameObject {
		var lightContainer = CreateLight(position, intensity, color, LightType.Spot);
		lightContainer.transform.LookAt(position + direction);
		var lightComponent = lightContainer.GetComponent(Light); 
		lightComponent.spotAngle = angle;
		lightComponent.range = range;
		return lightContainer;	
	}
 
	private static function CreateLight(position : Vector3, intensity : float, color : Color, type : LightType) : GameObject {
		var lightContainer : GameObject = new GameObject("Light");
		lightContainer.AddComponent(Light);
		var lightComponent = lightContainer.GetComponent(Light);
		lightComponent.type = type;
		lightComponent.intensity = intensity;
		lightComponent.color = color;
		lightContainer.transform.parent = GetGeometryParent();
		lightContainer.transform.position = position;
		return lightContainer;
	}
 
	//TODO: applying colors
	static function ApplyColor(object : GameObject, c : Color){
		object.renderer.sharedMaterial = GetMaterialWithColor(c);
	}
 
	//TODO: applying rotations
	static function Flip(object : GameObject, axis : Vector3){
		object.transform.Rotate(axis, 180);
	}
 
	private static function GetMaterialWithColor( c : Color) : Material{
		for(var i = 0; i < materials.length; i++){
			if(materials[i].color == c){
				mat = materials[i];
				break;
			}
		}
 
		if(mat == null){
			mat = new Material(Shader.Find("Diffuse"));
			mat.SetColor("_Color", c);
			materials.Push(mat);
		}		
		return mat;
 
	}
 
	private static function GetGeometryParent() : Transform{
		if(geometryParent == null){
			geometryParent = GameObject("GeneratedGeometry");
		}
		return geometryParent.transform;
	}
 
}

And here is my messyish code – Don’t mind all the things commented out.

 
@MenuItem ("Assignment1-2ndtry/HelloWorld")
static function HelloWorld () {
	Debug.Log ("Hello World");
}
 
/**
 * Test functions for all the geometry rendering
 *
 */
@MenuItem ("Assignment1-2ndtry/Test Geometry")
static function TestAllGeometry() {
 
 
	var g : GameObject;
	var j : int;
 
	for (j = 0; j < 50 ; j ++) {
 
		var degrees : float = 360 * j / 50.0;
		var distance : float = 50;
		var pos : Vector3 = Vector3(Mathf.Cos(degrees * Mathf.Deg2Rad), 0, Mathf.Sin(degrees * Mathf.Deg2Rad)) * distance;
 
		var i : int;
 
	    //GeometryHelper.CreateSpotLight(Vector3(pos.x*j, (pos.y + 500), pos.z*j),  -Vector3.up, 100.0, 1, 1, Color.white);
 
 
		for (i = 0; i < 20; i++) {
 
		g = GeometryHelper.CreateCube(Vector3(pos.x*i, pos.y, pos.z*i), Vector3(i*1, i*1, (i*i)/2));
		g.transform.rotation.eulerAngles = Vector3(90,-degrees + 90,0);
 
		g = GeometryHelper.CreateSphere(Vector3(pos.x*i, pos.y + 500 - (i*i), pos.z*i), 10);
 
		//g = GeometryHelper.CreateSphere(Vector3(pos.x*i, pos.y - 500 + (i*i), pos.z*i), 10);
 
		if (i == 15) {
	    GeometryHelper.CreateSpotLight(Vector3(pos.x*i, (pos.y + 800) - (i*i), pos.z*i),  -Vector3.up, 800.0, 100.0, 1, Color.white);
		}
 
		}
 
	    GeometryHelper.CreateSpotLight(Vector3(0, 800, 0),  -Vector3.up, 800.0, 115.0, 1.5, Color.yellow);
 
/*
		var i : int;
		var g2 : GameObject;
 
		for (i = 0; i < 40; i++) {
			g2 = GeometryHelper.CreateCube(Vector3(i*30, 0, 10), Vector3(10, i*10, 10));
			g2.name = "Cube" + i;
		}
 
		for (i = 0; i < 40; i++) {
			g2 = GeometryHelper.CreateCube(Vector3(i*-30, 0, 10), Vector3(10, i*10, 10));
			g2.name = "Cube2_" + i;
			//GeometryHelper.Flip(g, Vector3(0,0,0));
		}
*/
 
	}
 
}
 
/*
@MenuItem ("Assignment1-2ndtry/Move Camera")
static function MoveCamera(){
	Camera.main.transform.position = Vector3(-275, -25, -700); //move it somewhere;
	Camera.main.transform.LookAt(Vector3(335, 0, 360)); // point it at something!;
}
*/
 
//how do I set mulitple camera views without null pointer exceptions happening?
@MenuItem ("Assignment1-2ndtry/Wide")
static function MoveCamera(){
	Camera.main.transform.position = Vector3(-100, 500, -1400); //move it somewhere;
	Camera.main.transform.LookAt(Vector3(25, 0, 0)); // point it at something!;
}

Leave a Reply