SiClone (UI)
Please read the below information to learn more about the plugin.
The SiClone logo displays the SiNi version number and if there is an update available. The show checkbox when checked displays the plugin icon in the viewport. You can adjust the logo size if required.
Tip - SiClone plugin help
Clicking on the question mark in the header will open this help document page.
01. Distribute Spline Rollup
Display Type
- Force Display Type - check this box to force the display to the selection.
- Select the display of objects dropdown - select from the list.
- Point Cloud Vertices Percentage - defines the number of points.
- Independent object display dropdown - select an object to isolate it from the list.
- Independent sweeps display dropdown - select a spline to isolate it from the list.
- Object Count - select the number of renderable scattered objects.
Tip - Viewport display settings
For heavy scenes, with millions of polygons, we recommend setting this to Pyramid.
Scatter Type
- Random Pattern - distributes a random pattern along the spline path.
- Ordered Pattern - distributes an ordered pattern along a path (A, B, C..), together with additional Distributed Objects features - including Posts and End objects. The Exact checkbox creates exact user spacing.
- Individual Pattern - distributes each object independently of the other.
- Seed - click on seed to reseed the random pattern.
SiClone Model Selection
- Select SiClone Objects - click the button to select everything linked to SiClone.
- Update SiClone Objects - click this button to update the model.
Tip - want to copy and paste SiClone models?
If you want to copy a SiClone model to duplicate in the 3ds Max scene or copy to a new scene, make sure you click on the Select SiClone Object button first. To copy to a new 3ds Max scene, use the IgNite Springboard plugin to copy from one scene to the next. Please note - you must open IgNite Springboard in both copies of 3ds Max. Copy from one, paste from the other.
The list view displays all 3D objects added to SiClone.
Buttons
From top row - left to right
- Add objects - click to manually pick objects from the scene. Click to stop selecting.
- Add by name - opens the 3ds Max scene explorer to pick objects.
- Delete objects - select objects from the list and click to delete.
- Add Null/Blank objects - ordered pattern only. Adds an invisible null object.
- Shift object order up - moves the selected object up the order rank. Objects can share the same order number.
- Shift object order down - moves the selected object down the order rank. Objects can share the same order number.
The selected objects X, Y, Z dimensions are displayed below the buttons.
- Clone button - clones the selected object in the list.
- Copy button - copies the transform properties from the selected object.
- Paste button - pastes the transform properties onto the selected object.
Make Post
Clicking the Make Post button converts the selected object to a Post. Posts are placed on each corner and end with the spacing set in the Object Spacing settings.
In the display list, the letter P will indicate which object is a Post. See the below image.
The images above show a handrail post using the All Objects spacing (left), and on the right with Make Post applied. The spacing is converted to the posts individual Object Spacing, set below in the rollup.
Make End
Clicking the Make End button adds the selected object to the end of the spline. The button will display Delete End when selecting any existing End object.
In the display list, the letter E will indicate which object is an End. See the below image.
Object Management
Tip - double click objects for object management
When you double-click an object in the list the pop up appears to rename the object.
Depending on the scatter type selected (see Distribute Spline rollup above), the objects displayed in the list view will have associated letters and numbers.
The table below explains which Scatter Type uses each type.
Key | Random Pattern | Ordered Pattern | Individual Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
Rank numbers (1,2,3) | | | |
Null Item (named) | | | |
P | | | |
E | | | |
Ranked by numbers
The number sets the order the objects appear along the spline. This is handy for making patterns, such as the picket fence below. Use the top buttons to move objects up and down the rank order, plus you can stack them, 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5...
- Object Start Offset - moves the start of the object alone the spline path.
- Object End Offset - moves the end of the object alone the spline path.
- Straighten Posts - when unselected, the object will align with the spline direction on curved splines.
- Post Padding - adds padding to either side of posts.
- Follow Spline Orientation - when selected the object follows the spline orientation.
- Random Transform - tick the checkbox to add transforms below. Seed - click seed to generate a new order.
Transforms
Tick the checkbox to activate transforms. This will expose the right side column meaning you can input (lower) to (higher) numbers. SiClone will use these figures to randomly adjust each instance.
Seed - click seed to re-generate the transformation settings.
Tip - transformations
In the list panel - if All Objects is selected this will apply global settings to all objects in the list, ignoring their individual settings. Selected objects - if you select a single object, you can adjust independently its transforms.
Cloning Objects
- Mirror to the other side - mirrors the object to the opposite side of the spline.
- Mirror Exactly - mirrors an exact duplicate.
- Number of Clones - set the number of cloned objects. Clone Spacing - add spacing. XY Offset - add offset distance.
The list view displays all 2D shapes added to SiClone.
Tip - double click objects for sweeps management
When you double-click a name in the list the pop up appears to rename the shape.
Buttons
From top row - left to right
- Add shapes - click to manually pick objects from the scene. Click to stop selecting.
- Add by name - opens the 3ds Max scene explorer to pick objects.
- Delete objects - select objects from the list and click to delete.
- Steps - the number of spline steps to the shape.
- Clone button - clones the selected shape in the list.
- Copy button - copies the transform properties from the selected shape.
- Paste button - pastes the transform properties onto the selected shape.
From top row - left to right.
- Smoothing Threshold - adjust the smoothing on the swept shape.
- Angle UVW Threshold - adjust the UVW on the swept shape.
- Flip Normals - flips the normals
- Flip Object - mirrors the shape to the opposite side of the spline.
- Verticle checkbox - if selected the shape will always remain verticle on Z-axis. For example, the edges of glass balustrading going up a staircase would be verticle.
- Cap Ends checkbox - caps both the start and ends of shapes.
- Shape Start Offset - moves the starting position of the selected shape.
- Shape End Offset - moves the end position of the selected shape.
Transforms
Set the selected shape transformations.
Cloning Shapes
You can clone this shape creating a mirrored shape on the opposite side of the spline.
Click the checkbox to apply and set the XY Offset distance.
Tick the checkbox to activate. Click on the Seed button to apply random seeding.
Variation count - Up to 500 colour variations.
Diffuse and texture colour adjustment sliders.
- Hue shift - adds hue variation.
- Saturation - adds saturation variation.
- Brightness - adds brightness variations.
- Contrast - adds contrast variations.
Tick checkbox for material name filtering. Texture Name - select the material name you want to apply to. Click the plus (+) to add.
Include/Exclude Select the option you prefer. For example on a tree, you may want to exclude the bark material.
Export options
- Export normally - exports as an edit mesh.
Export to Multi Mesh This exports each 3D object as a collapsed (combined) single object.
Export to Single Objects This exports each 3D object as an individual object and creates instances. Full Mesh (greyed out) - By default, exporting is set to full display resolution.
- Export as V-Ray proxy - exports each 3D object in V-Ray proxy format.
- Export as Corona proxy - exports each 3D object in Corona proxy format.
All proxy formats export and save instances.
If you select one of the proxy formats you have the option to select the display settings.
| ProxSi | V-Ray | Corona |
|---|---|---|---|
Logo | | | |
Pyramid | | | |
Bounding Box | | | |
Squirrel | | | |
Point cloud | | | |
Preview Edges | | | |
Preview Faces | | | |
Wireframe Box | | | |
Half mesh | | | |
Full mesh | | | |
Tip - rearrange the SiClone Rollups
Did you know you can rearrange the Rollups to your preferred workflow? Left-click on the dot grid in the top right corner of each Rollup and hold down to move or right-click to open the config tab.
