Rope Editor Plugin - Demo Version now available

[NormJ]

As the title says, a pre-release Demo of the Rope, Cable, Pipe, Spring, etc. Editor is now available for download.

Rope Editor Demo Version (http://home.comcast.net/~normj77/Demo/Rope_Editor_Plugin_for_Lightwave_3D.htm)

If you do not know what the Rope Editor Plugin is, you must not be one who visits the LW - Gallery for Work-In-Progress, so time to play catch up at...
Rope thread in WIP Gallery (http://vbulletin.newtek.com/showthread.php?t=27044)

Currently the plugin is available as a Windows version only. With the interest from the Mac community, I plan to investigate making it available for the Mac.

Since this is a demo version, there are limitations, as follows (these have not yet been stated on the download page):

1) There is a limit to the length of the rope, etc. that can be created, or the number of sections.
2) The rope strands are limited to 3 points/polys per cross section.
3) The saving and loading of custom presets is not available.

For those who do not currently have a license for Lightwave, you can still try out the Rope Editor plugin by downloading Lightwave 7.5 from the Lightwave download page:
Lightwave 7.5 Download (http://www.newtek.com/products/lightwave/downloads/index.html)

Enjoy,
Norm Johnson

[bloontz]

That's extremely fun! Thank you!

[mouse_art]

Wohoo nice Plugin. :)

[caesar]

Amazing tool for the LWer!!!

[nickel]

Great and fast Plugin!!!
When we can play with unlimited version? :)

[adrian]

... and how much will it cost?

Adrian.

[NormJ]

... and how much will it cost?

Adrian.
Okay, enough people have asked, so I might as well spill the beans. I'm planning on a nice round $50.

Norm

[adrian]

Good price. Hopefully by setting it at this you will get tons of orders. Maybe you should persuade Newtek to put it in a future release of LW and you get commission?

Adrian.

[MooseDog]

50 bucks?!!!

excellent decision norm. positions this right where it should be, and where lw is: extremely powerful, but affordable and thus easily available. demonstrates that brains and technology are not mystifying, just satisfying.

best of luck and continued success!

[colkai]

I'm planning on a nice round $50.
Norm

Norm,
for that price, I'm guessing you are going to do very well with this!
I for one will be placing an order, (assuming paypal payment), and I'd wager I will be in with the majority! :D

[Muad'dib]

sign me up ;)

[The ripper]

Very nice/interesting plugin NormJ... I tested it a bit and It works just great... do you plan to add some more presets (chain for instance) in the final release?

The ripper.

[mouse_art]

If i can pay via PayPal then you have my 50$, for sure. :)

[Graham Nichols]

Any planned release date for the full version please?

[NormJ]

Any planned release date for the full version please?
Well, we all know the dangers of giving a release date, but I'm aiming to begin the final round of testing within the next 1-2 weeks. I will let you know when I've made this available to the testers.

On the Mac side of things - the good news is that I've found out that the biggest technical concern I had about porting my interface to the development environment that I use is apparently a non-issue. There is still some specialized work to do, of course, but it should be doable.

Norm

[Tiger]

Good work NormJ!

I hope there will be a nice manual so even a
brainless person like me can use Rope.

[etobiason]

Good news for us Mac users, Rope looks to be a must-have for LW.

[NormJ]

I'm just about ready to begin the Beta Testing phase before release of the plugin.

The features to support UV textures have been enhanced since the prior version (i.e., same as the demo version). Thus, I would be interested in having a couple of testers who are quite familiar with UV texturing to participate in testing. There could even be a possibility of providing some last minute input to that part of the functionality.

If you're interested and available to do some testing along those lines, send me a private message. PC version only at this time.

Norm

[mav3rick]

it works with new 8.2 SUBP uv mode?
and could we expect finally complete spline(rope) anim in layout?
if some1 could mix FI and SHIFTSPLINETRANSFORM would be great
SST miss ENDOMORPH(actually miss deformation plugins) support and FI BEZIER BEND work with ENDO(deform)... but pain in *** to setup...........

[NormJ]

it works with new 8.2 SUBP uv mode?
and could we expect finally complete spline(rope) anim in layout?
if some1 could mix FI and SHIFTSPLINETRANSFORM would be great
SST miss ENDOMORPH(actually miss deformation plugins) support and FI BEZIER BEND work with ENDO(deform)... but pain in *** to setup...........
Since the Rope Editor creates SubD meshes, you can use the new UV modes in 8.2. At present, you do need to use the Vertex Maps panel to set the UV interpolation type to Subpatch or whatever.

For animation, one still needs to use the standard animation tools in Lightwave, but, if desired, the Rope Editor can create a chain of skelegons or 2-pt polys along the center of the rope, or alternately, a rope along a chain of skelegons. Also, using the Bkg to Morph feature of LW along with the Rope Editor, it's pretty easy to make morph targets.

Norm

[mav3rick]

naaaaaa hattes workrounds.... i will wait for spline solution... till than fi bezier bend or SST

[Activator]

So... any idea when a Mac version will debut? :(

Patiently waiting....

[mikadit]

WOW, :eek:
the Rope Editor is a GREAT NEW TOOL FOR LW!
Great job, I can't wait for the final relese.

[NormJ]

So... any idea when a Mac version will debut? :(

Patiently waiting....
I don't have a specific date yet, but I'm planning to delve into the world of the Mac once the PC version is ready. I should be able to get some assistance to get that work underway.

Norm

[jeanphi]

That could be great to add chain patterns not only strings/ropes.
And why not a custom 2D/3D patterns... in the rope editor 2.0... :D or in your new chain editor!

[NormJ]

The day has finally arrived when I can release Rope Editor.

First, to answer the question you're wondering - yes, that's the name. I've had mixed feelings about changing it, but ended up doing the simple thing and leaving it unchanged.

I do not yet have the full process to deploy the plugin en masse, so you that view this thread get the first chance at it.

Here's the initial process:
- You will need to be prepared to pay by means of PayPal. For the time being, this is the only payment option.
- IMPORTANT: You will need to provide the serial number of your hardware key (dongle). If you are not certain of what it is, wait a little longer as I will be providing a utility to reliably get it from your dongle.
- Send a note requesting the plugin to rope@Next4D.com.
- I will send an email to you instructing how to make a PayPal payment.
- You make payment and provide your dongle serial number at that time.
- I will send an email with the plugin and license key once payment has been received. Then you're up and running.

NOTE that initially, I will be responding to your requests in the evenings (USA Pacific time), so please be a bit patient as we get things moving.

Now I know some of you will check out the new web site for Rope Editor. Please don't laugh at this time (enjoy the Rope Editor instead). However, the web site is in the works. I'm planning to have resources, such as more screen capture recordings, gallery, etc.

Norm

[mikadit]

Great news!

btw, at this time the website is fine expect of few missing informations on how to purchase it. Maybe that adding a PayPal payment botton somewhere in the page will be a good think to. Using a PP form will help you much more insteed of the personal emails. ^^

[NormJ]

mikadit Thanks for the comments on my web site, but you would be referring to my original site, rather than the new home of Rope Editor for which construction has just begun. The new site is at Next4D.com - Home of Rope Editor (http://www.next4d.com), and it is starting to improve.

I do plan to add PayPal to my site, but It will take me a little while to be ready for that, and I did not want to hold up release of the plugin. So if folks could be a little patient, we can begin with this initial approach.

The updated Rope Editor Manual is now available online. To see it Click Here (http://www.next4d.com/Rope_Editor_Plugin_for_Lightwave3D.pdf)

I should have mentioned the price of Rope Editor since that was mentioned back on page 1. The price is US$50.00.

Norm

[mikadit]

Thanks for the updae, I'll stay tuned on it.

[mikadit]

I made an instant test after I recived it.
I didn't test the demo becouse I thought that I had no time for it, but I have to say that is unbelivable how easy it is to use and user frendly. Much more of what I was expetcing:
http://www.lwita.com/attachments/misc/ropetest0.jpg
I needed more time to render it than to edit this fast test knot!

[Lowly Designer]

Sweet Jesus!!! Its the dogs hairy bits, Giant funbags of joy etc etc....

[GregMalick]

I purchased a copy yesterday and this is one great tool. Rock solid I might add. :cool:
Norm, thanks for such great work at such a reasonable price.


suggestion: announce on Flay, and post the manual.pdf in this thread.

[prospector]

It's for sale now?

Haven't been payin attention and looking for just the thread that says "For SALE"!!!

Cripy, sorry norm, I'll get right to the site :)

[prospector]

OK went to site above Next 4D but no link to buy. :(

HOW!!!!????

[GregMalick]

for prospector:

The day has finally arrived when I can release Rope Editor.

First, to answer the question you're wondering - yes, that's the name. I've had mixed feelings about changing it, but ended up doing the simple thing and leaving it unchanged.

I do not yet have the full process to deploy the plugin en masse, so you that view this thread get the first chance at it.

Here's the initial process:
- You will need to be prepared to pay by means of PayPal. For the time being, this is the only payment option.
- IMPORTANT: You will need to provide the serial number of your hardware key (dongle). If you are not certain of what it is, wait a little longer as I will be providing a utility to reliably get it from your dongle.
- Send a note requesting the plugin to rope@Next4D.com.
- I will send an email to you instructing how to make a PayPal payment.
- You make payment and provide your dongle serial number at that time.
- I will send an email with the plugin and license key once payment has been received. Then you're up and running.

NOTE that initially, I will be responding to your requests in the evenings (USA Pacific time), so please be a bit patient as we get things moving.

Now I know some of you will check out the new web site for Rope Editor. Please don't laugh at this time (enjoy the Rope Editor instead). However, the web site is in the works. I'm planning to have resources, such as more screen capture recordings, gallery, etc.

Norm

[NormJ]

suggestion: announce on Flay, and post the manual.pdf in this thread.
Nice idea, except that I'm not yet ready for that kind of a rush! A few days to get my Web site up to speed, then I should be ready. So please folks, don't tell Flay yet!!!

The manual I actually did a few posts back, but it is sort of hiding. So here it is again in bolder text.
View the Rope Editor Manual Click Here To View Manual (http://www.next4d.com/Rope_Editor_Plugin_for_Lightwave3D.pdf)

mikadit If you haven't discovered it yet - there is a separate UV Map for just the polygons on the ends - it goes from 0 to 100% from the end of the main mesh to the very tip.

[mikadit]

Yeah, I sow it immediately, but in that fast test I had apply the same generic chessboard-image to the 2 generated UV maps.
Now I had edited 2 customs chessboard-images to fill the real genereted UV maps, one for the rope and one for the rope tip, of course it's a better test :o
http://www.lwita.com/attachments/misc/ropetest0adjust.jpg

[Jalle]

Just got my copy of this fantastic plugin !
Fun and versatile, a must.

Thanks Norm !

Rep, rep ,rep, rep !!! ;)
/Jalle

[NormJ]

Rope Editor News

1) The new web site home for Rope Editor is being assembled. In the next couple of days, it will have the new look it was trying to have. In the meantime, there is now a page to pay by PayPal, so no need to send an email requesting information on how to pay.

2) I've added the utility to read your dongle Lock ID.

3) Believe it or not, the name has changed - to something a little more fitting. For those who have already purchased, the plugin is the same, just the name has changed. I will contact you for info about how to update.

For those curious, the web site is at www.next4d.com (http://www.next4d.com)

Norm

[UnCommonGrafx]

braids?
_^o^_
_ _
___

Truly, that would rock. This would knock one down with how hard this puppy already rocks!

All kinds of cool stuff out lately for this old thang, LightWave. How cool.

:cool: :p

[mgreenway]

This tool is fun. That is my highest praise.
It is just off the top of the "easy to use and productive" scales.
and at this price, wow!