3D Max Shapeways Calculator v1.1

The purpose of this tool is to calculate the price of your object, in the same way the site does it for you, but without the hassle of uploading, waiting etc
The interface, except volume/area calculation, is updated in real time.

Please be aware, that the calculation times grow exponentially with polygon count.
You can abort execution any time by pressing the ESC key.

Not sure which MAX versions work, just try it and let me know.
Please treat this code with respect. Suggestions and modification are welcome, but please keep the main repository here.
Questions, request, bugs etc are all very welcome in this topic or through Private Messaging.

Cheers,

Stijn

3D Max Shapeways Calculator v1.1!
New screenshot will follow later.


DOWNLOAD LATEST
This version got a major overhaul, please let me know if I broke something

How to
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[*] Start 3d Max
[*] Load your favorite object
[*] Goto menu : MAXScript->Run script...
[*] Find and open "ShapewaysCalculator.ms"
[*] Click "Calculate" !
[*] Play with all the options, try materials, markups, scaling etc
[*] Please give feedback here :nod:
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The floater interface should speak for itself, I tried to keep it as intuitive as possible, and in line with the Shapeways website.

Known Bugs and Limitations
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[*] It only works with single object meshes, not with groups, or multiple selected. Please use utilities -> collapse.
[*] NO built-in meshmedic So overlapping or non-manifold meshes might produce different values than shapeways.

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V1.1 New features
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[*] Major update to config, incompatible with old version.
[*] SO OLD CONFIG WILL BE OVERWRITTEN ON FIRST RUN
[*] Layout changes/condensing
[*] Added object density
[*] Added bounding total
[*] Added link to (selected) material page
[*] Time to loose beta label
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TODO (maybe)
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[*] Export and Upload interface to Shapeways API (any help for this module?)
[*] Save/sync some more settings to ini, not everything sticks yet.
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Todone
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[*] Updateable configuration Beta8
[*] Remember settings Beta8
[*]Currency calculator/Pricing in Euros Beta5
[*] Try to make it more compatible with older max versions Beta4
[*] Unit flexibility - currently the script sets all units to mm where possible Beta5
[*]Manifold check/STL/Other model checks Beta4
[*] Add boundary checks for a given material Beta2
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Beta11 New features
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[*] Crash fix
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Beta10 New features
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[*] Docking now configurable via ini file (default=left) (Try the "EDIT" button under config to see ini)
[*] Improved config handling, script will now create default config if none exists.
[*] Updated ini file now part of script itself. Click restore once to update/restore your ini.
[*] Added restore function for config (overwrites config with default)
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Beta9 New features
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[*] Area calculation for Glazed Ceramics (still testing)
[*] Density discount for WSF (still testing)
[*] Unencrypted source
[*] Many bugs squashed
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Beta8 New features
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[*] Material and other settings in ini/settings file !
[*] All object values are now saved with the Max file !
[*] Plenty of other stuff, nothing major
[*] Dockable
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Beta7 New features :
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[*] Updated dollar2euro
[*] Added Stainless Steel
[*] Added New WSF Pricing
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Beta6 unpublished

Beta5 New features :
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[*] More compatible with other unit systems (no more forced mm units)
[*] Speed and code optimizations
[*] Euro selection
[*] Showing of error-object optional and only on error
[*] Inverted volume correction now optional
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Beta4 New features :
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[*] Compatible with R8 and up (hopefully)
[*] Crude manifold check (slow, but effective)
[*] Status window
[*] Lots of roll ups, to allow custom interface placement
[*] Better object selection
[*] Overall code refactoring
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Beta3 unpublished

Beta2 New features :
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[*] Fix negative volume issues
[*] Mass and center of mass (WSF only and not yet fixed for negatives)
[*] Polygon count
[*] Bounding box dimensions of object
[*] Warning if previous exceeds material boundaries
[*] New WSF price
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Beta 1 Features:
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[*] Volume in CC
[*] Shapeways price for selected material
[*] Final price including VAT, markup
[*] VAT selection
[*] Target Pricing - Calculates scale which will meet target price
[*] Scaled Pricing - Calculate price based on scaling
[*] Polycount warning/bailout if over 1.000.000

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[*] --

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Cheers.

Virtox,

that is quite simply awesome!

Have others tried it yet? What do they think of it?

Please don't be afraid to share any ideas you might have for this tool
Anything can be done unless proven otherwise

wow, this is a great bennefit for the community, i'm going to test it right away!

thank you!

As per request I hurried a new version online.
Hope I got all the kinks out

Sweeeeeeet!

Can you make it support Version 8? I get an error message when trying to run it.

Ok, BETA4 is up, and should from 3d Max R8 and up !
Only tested in Max R8sp3 and Max R2009.
Does have some visual issues in R8, but nothing serious.

Virtox,

I think you have to change your nick into VIRTUOS.
Could you make it also as a plugin for other programs as accutrans or meshlab, or maybe as the calculator on everybodies computer?

Great work,
AO

Thanks

The current version is written in maxscript, the internal scripting language for 3d max, pretty straightforward with al the 3d functions.
I don't really know meshlab or accutrans, so I have no idea if they support plugins and in what format. I had a quick look and it didn't look like it, but I could be wrong, anyone with more expertise on these programs or other programs ?

I was thinking of writing a version for a good free easy to use 3d program, but I have to find a friendly "host" and get to know it, before I could write a sensible plugin. But there is of course the blenderscript by Loonsbury which solves that
(I wish I had the time to switch to/learn blender.. max sucks sometimes , but you don't throw away 10 years of knowledge/experience/habit )

I have been thinking about a standalone application, but this would entail a whole lote more research/work. Since it would also require file format support, 3d parsing and everything.
I don't have the time for that, I also want to model !

And I would think Shapeways has the best angle of providing a desktop application, since they already have the server version

Would people really like a desktop app? Or would they prefer plug ins for the software they use?

Hi Joris,

I think a desktop app that can import stl or obj would be the most convenient since there are so many different softwarepackages available.

AO

Virtox,

Most of us are modelers and hobyist.
Having a job and also spending alot of time on modeling or writing a app like you did makes it extra hard.
The hours at night count double or even triple........the frustrations are at least triple .
Therefore don't forget to model and having fun in that.

AO

I was wondering, why does the volume-calculation (without any other checks) take so long? When using 3dsmax's own Measure-tool (under Utilities -> Measure) the volume is calculated in real time. I assume you've used a different algorithm, but why is that?

Hi there,
The simple answer is : maxscript IS slow :confused
Unfortunately there is no way I can get access to the info from the measure tool from within maxscript, the only workaround is to do the calculation inside the script itself, which is just terribly slow. The actual algorithm is the same, I think.

Ok, I held you guys back a little, I was still testing the latest version.
But BETA 5 is here, approximately twice as fast as BETA 4.

Hope I got all the kinks out !
And as usual any feedback is welcome !

Stijn

You rock!

Beta 7 online, updated dollar2euro, stainless steel, new WSF pricing.
For file, see opening post.

Thanx for the update Virtox!


and it works good

Good to hear !

Did it solve your price discrepancy I saw in another topic ?
(Quite curious where that came from)