Collada plugin for After Effects

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Plugins and Scripts > trueSpace > Utilities

OD_CopyPaste for trueSpace7.61

copy paste icon

This script will copy and paste mesh data to and from an external file. Supports UV and morph options.

Based on OD_CopyPasteExternal by Oliver Hotz of Origami Digital
"Easily copying and pasting of geometry and common attributes across 3D Applications, perfect for quick iterations between them, without concerns about file management."

persistent base install v3 required

The script requires the plugin, Clintons3dPlugin. This can also be found on the persistent install scripts page.

Requires OD_CopyPasteExternal. https://heimlich1024.github.io/OD_CopyPasteExternal/

Installation:

  1. install the persistent base if not already installed
  2. drag the node into the link editor and press the install button
  3. remove the node from the scene after install is complete

Blender Installation

  1. Edit > Preferences...
  2. Add-ons
  3. Install Add-on from install button at the top
  4. choose BLENDER_ExportToExternal.py, and check the box
  5. choose BLENDER_PasteFromExternal.py, and check the box
  6. click Save User Settings button
  7. copy and paste will be found in the Object menu

Blender 4.3 Installation

  1. Edit > Preferences...
  2. Add-ons
  3. Dropdown list upper right, choose "Install from Disk..."
  4. navigate to Blender310 folder
  5. choose BLENDER_ExportToExternal.py
  6. press the "Install from Disk" button
  7. Clear the search bar
  8. Repeat steps 3,4 and 5 but for BLENDER_PasteFromExternal.py
  9. The Object menu now has "Copy to External" and "Paste from External"
copypaste panel

Copy to External:

  • Transfer Morphs - copy and paste morphs
  • Transfer UVs - copy and paste uv values
  • Copy to External - write the selected mesh data to the temp file
copypaste panel 2

Paste/New from External:

  • Transfer Morphs - copy and paste morphs
  • Transfer UVs - copy and paste uv values
  • Morph Start, Morph End - range of morphs to paste in
  • Use Advanced Morph Range - activate the advanced morph range input
  • Advanced Morph Range - use a combination of numbers and ranges of numbers seperated by commas
    ex: "1,3,7,25-33,42" => load morph numbers 1,3,7,42 and 25 to 33
  • Paste from External - read mesh data from the temp file replacing the selected mesh. If the selected object is not a simple mesh a new mesh will be created.
  • New from External - create a new mesh
copypaste panel 3

Animation:

  • Loop Frames - will copy the first morph to the end for a looping animation
  • Interval - number of frames between keys in the sequence
  • Create Morph Animation - create a sequencial animation from the morphs of the selected object

Basic Usage:

  1. select a mesh
  2. press the button to open the copy paste panel
  3. choose options for morphs and UVs
  4. copy to external
  5. paste into and edit in a compatible 3d program then copy out of the application
  6. paste from external

Notes:

  • autofacet normals of 30 deg is applied to the pasted mesh - mesh normals are not included in the copy paste toolset
  • Morph Start and End are used to limit the number of morphs that will be created inside the trueSpace object.
  • Morph Start of 1 corresponds to the first shape key inside Blender after the Basis shape key entry.
  • If any morph is named "Morph" inside tS it will need to be renamed before running a paste operation.
  • material indices will transfer and simple solid materials with random colors will be assigned when pasting if the target item does not already have corresponding materials
  • Create Morph Animation is for reading in a sequence of morphs as a single animation expression. Morphs can be used as a means to read vertex animation in the form of a series of morphs.
  • Use the interpolation tools to set the keyframes as linear type for the best result
    • Anim view DopeSheet or FCurve - select "Vertex morphs"
    • RClick toolbar button to open the panel
    • Type: choose Linear interpolation in the dropdown
    • press Select All
    • press Set Interpolation
  • Does not support Weightmaps
  • Does not support SubD and Subpatch, only the cage polygons of the SDS will import and export
  • Does not support Lightwave style UV's
  • Might be limited to 15000 vertices if 2 uv channels and 30000 vertices if 1 uv channel

Morph names

The morph names may be too long to see in the default tS morph panel.

  • Open the Link Editor to the "Vertex morphs" node inside the pasted object
  • choose the Default panel, right click the title to start the editor
  • select the "Del" button and shift drag on the right to make it bigger - this step is to avoid a super tiny Add button later
  • select the top scrubber and shift drag it's left side to make them smaller
  • work your way to the left, selecting and shift dragging to resize the inputs until the names are big enough
  • Right click the title and choose "Replace"

Old Video Demo

November 29, 2024

  • fix bug - can now import morphs to an object that already has morphs
  • split the ui into 3 panels - easier to understand
  • new advanced range input option
  • animation creates a new track/clip so it can be run more than once on the same object

October 8, 2024

  • load on demand style installer
  • update UI from UU
  • new icon design
  • pick range of morph indices to load in
  • status bar indicator for morph imports
  • opens in a floating panel
  • installer updates the uu button command and icon
  • warning question if try to import more than 99 morph targets
  • improve appearance while importing morph targets

May 17, 2023

  • increase paste speed
  • status line feedback
  • new installer

February 24, 2018

  • persistent install v2 compatible
  • compatible with new batch installer

January 25, 2018

  • persistent install
  • check for lights and cameras
  • check for valid mesh node
May 31, 2017
May 31, 2017