Utilities
These sets of commands group a number of useful different features that we not relevant to any particular topic.
B_TogglePanel
Open the panel specified by the name given as option. The panel is opened in its current or default location and if it is in a dock bar containing more than one tab, it is set as the current tab.
Parameters
- Panel name (as text): can be either UvEditor, SoftEdit or ModelOutliner
B_ProjectImage
Project an image onto a different object. The image will be taken from the bitmap (or color) texture of the selected object and it will be assigned as a new material of the target object. Depending on the kind of project either the camera view direction will be used or the natural mesh direction. The natural mesh direction is meant as the average of the normals of the given normal.
Both the source mesh and target mesh need to have valid UVs for the image to be properly calculated.
Parameters
- ProjectionDirection: direction of the projection of the image.
- ImageSize: width and height of the generated texture. If zero or negative the original size of the image will be used. You should give enough resolution to make sure that the generated projection is readable.
To see the tutorial click here.
B_RemapObjects
Remap objects from one mesh to another. The objects will need to have matching UV coordinates (texture). The remapping will leverage those to match the position from one mesh to the next one. You can use diverse meshes but if the UV match to some extent then the remapping will work.
Parameters
- Tolerance: this is the search tolerance for the remapping. It informs the tool on how large to look around the given point for a match on the target mesh.
- Edge length: this is the dimension to be used for sampling. When a curve or any other object need to be re-sampled for the mapping then this measure will be used.
See how to remap curves on the tutorial. Watch the videos to learn the workflow: see how to remap meshes and edit them effectively.
B_SoftEditGrips
Enables the soft edit grip and shows the panel. Soft editing allow you to change a mesh by applying a transformation proportionally to neighbors of the selected vertices. The effect of the change is visualized with colors in the mesh you are editing.
To see the tutorial click here.
B_MergeGrips
Allow to merge two or more grips into a single arbitrary location when editing a mesh's grips. This command can also be triggered from the related button in the Botcha Soft Edit panel. (See B_SoftEditGrips)
B_MergeMultipleGrips
Allow to merge a set of grips dividing them in groups based on their mutual distance. Every such group is collapsed into a grip that has an average location.
Parameters
- Distance: the distance used to group grips to merge
B_MeshProject
Project a mesh onto another one. It is useful, for example, to make a mesh "stick" to another mesh.
B_RebuildMeshNormals
Rebuilds the selected mesh's normals, considering a welding angle between faces' normals.
Parameters
- AngleWeld: the welding angle to consider when rebuilding normals
B_FlowEdge
Flows a number of mesh edges to match the given curves specified. You can choose multiple couples of mesh edges and curves at the same time. The mesh is deformed trying to reduce the distortion as much as possible.
Parameters
- Accuracy: the level of accuracy you want on the similarity between the new mesh edge and the curves selected. A lower accuracy will provide faster results. It goes from a minimum value of 0 to a maximum one of 100.
- Delete input: You can choose wether to keep the old mesh or not.
To see the tutorial click here.
B_StitchCreate
Given a mesh or surface and one or more curves laying on it, this command allows you to create stitching along the curves.
Parameters
- Pattern: The preferred stitching pattern. You can either choose a pattern within a set of given ones (Linear, DashDot, ZigZag) or create your pattern with B_StitchPatternCreate command (see below).
- Style: The dash can assume two different shapes: Rounded, consisting in a cylinder with hemispherical ends, and Curved, if you prefer that the dash ends bend to the surface and give a more realistic effect.
- Diameter: Diameter of any dash composing the stitching.
- ProjectOnMesh: Allows you to choose between keeping the stitching on their leading curve or project them on the mesh.
Note
You can easily handle stitching generation by the Botcha panel Botcha stitching. Double clicking on the preferred pattern represented on the panel will allow you to choose the mesh and the curves where you want to create the stitching.
A linear stitching of curved style and cross rounded one
To see the tutorial click here.
B_StitchPatternCreate
Allows to create a custom pattern for stitching. The command will ask you to choose the curves you want your pattern to be made of, and a leading line, necessary to establish the orientation of the pattern shapes and their position with respect to the stitching curve they lay on.
Parameters
- DashLen: The length of any dash in the pattern.
- PatternName: The name of the pattern, that will appear on the panel after creating it.
B_LacesConstraints
This command, used together with B_LacesCreate allows you to draw custom laces on the shoe model in an easy and fast way. The thing you need to do first to trace your laces is put a set of constraints in the model. These are essential to decide the points the lace will go through. Three kinds of constraints are available on Botcha: eyelets, tunnels and curved tunnels.
Call the command B_LacesConstraints and select a mesh or surface you want to put the constraints on. After that, a set of options on the command line will ask you some parameters:
- Type: Here you can decide which kind of constraint you are going to draw. In case you choose a tunnel or a curved tunnel, a simple interaction will lead you to set the length of the straight and curved part
- Radius: Indicates the radius of the eyelets or of the tunnels
- Offset: the distance to keep from the mesh, in case of tunnels and curved tunnels. For the eyelets this value makes no sense and will not be considered.
Straight and curved tunnel constraints
Interaction to create a curved tunnel:
Note
Constraints surfaces and curves will not work anymore if they are moved, copied or edited. Their geometry has been created for that specific purpose and if modified they lose their function. In fact, the red and blue arrows will not light up anymore when calling the lace creation command.
B_LacesCreate
Once you used B_LacesConstraints to put the constraints on the object, call this command to effectively create the laces. It is possible to choose all the parameters for a custom laces shape interacting with the dialog that will open after calling the command.
Parameters
- Section: Choose here which kind of section you prefer. As far flat, round, squared and stitched sections are available on Botcha
- Width: The width of the lace. In case of round laces it corresponds to the diameter.
- Thickness: The thickness of the lace, in other words the height of its sections. This is not settable in case of round and squared laces since it is equal to the width.
- Piece in tunnels: Set this option to true if you want laces pieces to be created also inside the tunnels.
- Extremities: Choose wether you like extremities of the lace to go inside or outside the shoe or simply not be drawn.
Now you can trace your lace creating the path between the constraints step by step, each time choosing which side of the constraint enter the lace before. Two arrows highlight the two possible directions in constraints crossing.
Procedure for creating a lace.
Different kinds of lace section: round, flat, squared and stitched.
B_LacesRemoveObjects
Use this command to deprive all the constraints of their function. They become normal surfaces and curves with no specific purpose if you call this command. This also means that calling B_LacesCreate afterword, the command line will let you know that there are no constraints anymore in the document.
B_ExportModel
Export the selected objects in a glTF, GLB and OBJ file. The command will first ask you wether you want to export only the selected objects or all the objects into the document. If some of the exported objects have modifiers on, you will find in your new file the objects exported with all the modifiers applied on its geometry.
