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ARCHIMATIX PRO Node-based Parametric Modeling for Unity [Unity Awards Finalist]

Discussion in 'Assets and Asset Store' started by roryo, Jun 4, 2015.

  1. Teila

    Teila

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    Love all of these! I have a similar question as above. I love the exterior of these buildings but would prefer an empty interior, no repeating arches inside, or at least less of them so the space is actually usable...Or an outside that I can fill with a different inside (or an instanced interior via loading).

    Is it possible to make a shell with your tool? Or will it be possible in the future? I am assuming once it is saved as a prefab we can add whatever else we want to the object, glass windows, signs, etc.

    I do love the idea of unique, but still with a flash of historical. Our game is basically built upon that premise..an alternative world with unique cultures wrapped in bits of real life cultures, but not exactly like real life cultures. :) That is what attracts me to Archimatrix. Of course, we still need the buildings to be functional for the players.

    BTW, add a little grunginess to those buildings and it reminds me of Venice, one of my all time favorite destinations. They would be amazing on a canal.

    Those buildings above would look so lovely in our city. :)
     
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  2. roryo

    roryo

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    Hi @Damien Delmarle - There are 17,822 triangles in that example. Its the interior arches that eat up a lot. On the other hand, I was not tweaking it for efficiency. To do that, I can go back and lower certain parameters in the node graph, particularly the number of segments in the are curves. Also,I realized that I did not need side walls on the wall panel extrudes since they are not visible. I just unchecked that in the extrude node and lowered the count to 14654. A benefit of parametric modeling is that it is non-destructive. You can return to any node in the graph and alter parameters and it regenerates the forms in realtime. In this way you can really tune the model in terms of its looks vs its triangle consumption.

    There are only four materials in the model, so 4 draw calls - either by static batching or checking "Combine Meshes" on the final Grouper node.
     
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  3. roryo

    roryo

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    @Teila - thanks for the great feedback on the historical starting points for design/modeling! And, yes, you can model building exterior alone or separately from interiors. Here are the same nodes rearranged a bit to leave only an exterior. Since there is now nothing inside, I put an opaque plane behind the windows with a Gothic tracery texture, but, ahem, it is not my finest texture! Since our medieval beggar was booted from the interior, I made a balcony for him to stand on. This new version has 5380 triangles, but could probably still go lower without sacrificing too much of the aesthetic.

    Archimatix 2016-04-05_06-34-11_PM.jpg

    Here is an birdseye view...

    Archimatix 2016-04-05_06-36-38_PM.jpg

    ... and a worm's eye view to show the hollo interior.

    Archimatix 2016-04-05_06-36-23_PM.jpg
    I left the bottom of the roof's woodwork there since that hags out past the stone work a bit.

    Archimatix 2016-04-05_06-43-04_PM copy.jpg

    You can keep adding items to the node graph like parametric window, one-off crates, signs, etc. or of course adorn it with other assets store items like torches and statues that are not in the Archimatix model, but just in the scene with it, as I did with this Roman temple example (reposted from a few pages back on this thread).

    Archimatix 2016-01-22_11-32-11_PM.jpg

    The temple model is still parametric here, so I could continue to vary it. Soon you ill be able to add these other prefabs to the Archimatix repeaters.
     
    Last edited: Apr 6, 2016
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  4. roryo

    roryo

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    Modeled entirely in Unity with Archimatix...

    Archimatix 2016-04-06_12-38-49_PM.jpg

    In the lower right status bar of the the Archimatix node graph editor window, shown in the image below, you can see the number of vertices and triangles for the entire model. This model has 6584 vertices and 4504 triangles (including the stairs). You can also see what each node is using. For example, the Extrude node (on the left of the node graph window) for the main internal massing of the building has 240 vertices and 160 triangles. The FloorRepeater uses 2130 vertices and 1396 triangles. The Grouper which combines these two nodes uses their sum: 2370 vertices and 1556 triangles. With these displays, you can decide where you are using up your triangle budget and zero in on some elements that are hogs without providing much visual impact.

    Archimatix 2016-04-06_12-47-08_PM.jpg

    Archimatix 2016-04-06_12-42-39_PM.jpg

    Archimatix 2016-04-06_12-40-09_PM.jpg
     
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  5. roryo

    roryo

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    I know I said I would be starting documentation today, but...:rolleyes:

    Archimatix 2016-04-06_05-51-09_PM.jpg

    ... Repeater2D is just too important not to implement for the initial release! ;)

    In this example, a rectangle is repeated in a GridRpeater2D and then used as a void in a ShapeMerger, which is itself fed into an Extrude. AS you drag the grid around in realtime, so do the window voids move.

    Archimatix 2016-04-06_06-03-39_PM.jpg
     
    Last edited: Apr 6, 2016
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  6. roryo

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    These grids are too fun. Must. Stop. Playing!
    Archimatix 2016-04-06_06-32-42_PM.jpg

    This is one of those times when I just have to force myself to quit the scene or I will be tweaking it for hours. And there is a package to get out there!
     
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  7. roryo

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    It must be getting late... I am starting to think of the sidebar node icons in the Archimatix EditorWindow as trays of candy!
    Archimatix 2016-04-06_07-56-48_PM.jpg
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2016
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  8. David-Shaw542

    David-Shaw542

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    Mmmmmm Candy........Looking good Roryo. Can't wait for the release.
     
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  9. roryo

    roryo

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    Thanks, @David.Shaw! :)
     
  10. roryo

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    Robot Kyle was not usually frightened of encounters with his doppelgänger Kevin, except for those times when Kevin would suddenly, and with warning, come striding out of the dusk at an absolutely horrifying scale...
    Archimatix 2016-04-06_10-31-51_PM.jpg



    A grid of columns like this should make for a nice three-minute tutorial. I'm very excited to be starting on documentation!

    Archimatix 2016-04-06_10-37-52_PM.jpg


     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2016
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  11. roryo

    roryo

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    A 3 minute model made in Unity using Archimatix!

    Archimatix 2016-04-09_11-26-40_AM.jpg
     
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  12. roryo

    roryo

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    Complex Shape merge made easy! Indulgently taking a little time away from documentation to polish the 2D workflow ;)
    Archimatix 2016-04-10_09-50-04_PM.jpg
     
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  13. roryo

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    I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I know it can be made from scratch in Unity in just a few moments using Archimatix!
    Archimatix 2016-04-10_10-23-29_PM.jpg

    It is secretly just a circle subtracted from a rectangle with a rounded offset, fed into an Extrude mesher with a healthy rounded bevel.
    Archimatix 2016-04-10_10-30-09_PM.jpg

    Moving the circle bit generates this.
    Archimatix 2016-04-10_10-33-33_PM.jpg

    And it can be RadialRepeated to generate this fine work...
    Archimatix 2016-04-10_10-22-00_PM.jpg

    ... but, alas, now to subdue my inner sculptor and get back to documentation!
     
    Last edited: Apr 11, 2016
  14. Bitstream

    Bitstream

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    You have shown some twisted buildings on page 8, but in these examples every floor in the repeater was rotated... is it also possible to rotate a form for example in the Sweep Mesher?

    For example is it possible to rotate the star form in doppelgänger portal while extruding? So at one side of the portal it's rotated 180deg and the extruded form looks like it's bend...

    I think a picture will describe it more clear, is an effect like in the picture possible?

     
    Last edited: Apr 11, 2016
  15. roryo

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    Hi @Bitstream, You can't currently twist a PlanSweep, but this can be added. After the initial release, I would like to add several Deformation nodes like AxialTwist, ShapeTwist, Bulge, Pinch and Jitter (on the actual vertices rather than items in a Repeater as previous examples are showing. This first crop of Deformer nodes would be procedural rather than brush-based. The Deformers will be fun to work on since they are relatively easy to code and generate great results. Thanks for the question BitStream. It really helps to know what kinds of things people are interested in. Now, back to getting the first release out there, me!
     
  16. Skolstvo

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    This has probably been mentioned before but deforming and instantiating along a curve would be very necessary features.
     
  17. roryo

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    Hi @Skolstvo, although deformation along a curve will be available in a later release, instantiating along a curve will be in the first release. Below are two examples of the Archimatix PlanRepeater node.


    Archimatix 2015-05-19_10-32-59_PM.jpg Archimatix 2015-06-27_06-46-27_AM.jpg
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2016
  18. wetcircuit

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    I've been loving your screen grabs (and the funny narrative).

    Are there hardware or graphic card limits? Will this work on both Mac and PC?
     
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  19. roryo

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    Thanks, @wetcircuit! I can't say there are no limits, but Archimatix runs well on my 4-year old MacBook Air. I am primarily developing most of the time on a 2-year old MacBook Pro. A few of the initial beta folks have been testing on PCs and all seems to be going well there. Of course, if you ask your parametric model to generate hundreds of thousands of triangles (not hard to do with GridRepeater!), then your limit will be based on the graphics card's ability to render them all, but this is not necessarily a matter of Archimatix limitations. There is a lot going on under the hood in Archimatix between the node graph editor window, SceneView handles, Shape mergers, mesh generators, library database, parametric relations firing around the graph data structure, etc., and yet Unity seems to motor through all this c# code with ease and grace. Kudos to the Unity folks for creating such a fine platform! I must say, the Unity editor scripting environment that has made the development of Archimatix an exercise in pure joy!
     
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  20. wetcircuit

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    Yay! Great to hear! Looking forward to this! I've never seen anything like it (and I've been looking at procedural modelers since the '90s...)

    I'm definitely a buyer.
     
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  21. roryo

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    @wetcircuit, I am excited to see what you will create with Archimatix - especially after seeing your ArchiLines video! In the first release, Archimatix is focused on its role as an editor extension, but not long after, I will release a runtime API so that you can procedurally vary the parameters in the GameView, allowing for some interesting possibilities for realtime cinema.
     
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  22. roryo

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    ..and speaking of the 90's, here are some vintage shots circa 1991 when I was finishing my M.Arch degree. I coded an "architectural organism" as a thesis project, making my Scar Tissue Berlin project the first generative design at the school (Columbia GSAPP). This blast-to-the-past is brought to you by photographs of the 1280x1024 monitor, since the one SGI machine we had did not have any color output!
    Archimatix 2016-04-12_10-28-37_AM.jpg Archimatix 2016-04-12_10-28-34_AM.jpg Archimatix 2016-04-12_10-28-28_AM.jpg Archimatix 2016-04-12_10-28-22_AM.jpg
     
    Last edited: Apr 12, 2016
  23. vrpostcard

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    What a great blast from the past. Reminds me of the days of developing VR walkthroughs with the Superscape Virtual Reality Toolkit on PC in 1996! Quality state of the art graphics right there.

    Still looking forward to getting my hands on Archimatix!
     
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  24. roryo

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    @vrpostcard, doesn't it seem like, since all the hype in the mid-nineties, mainstream VR has continuously seemed to be just around the corner, without ever quite arriving? It reminds of the scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail where Lancelot is endlessly running toward the castle. It will get here eventually, and probably with a sudden lunge when it finally arrives! Now back to work for me, or we will never get to the final beta phase of Archimatix!
     
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  25. vrpostcard

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    @roryo , you are absolutely correct. I invested heavily back in 1996 thinking VR was the next big thing and ended up getting burned. Back in those days we were talking $10k for software, about $6k for a workstation and the hideously expensive Virtual IO HMD that had a massive 640x480 resolution. I stupidly tried selling this into the market to disastrous results and ended up making VR simulations on contract.. Thinking the time is about right for VR now but I'm going to take a little bit more care this time before I jump in with both feet and am hoping I can use archimatix in some form this time around. As noted before, I'd love to help out with your next beta if you'd like.
     
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  26. roryo

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    LOL - I just realized that the Lancelot running metaphor could apply to the endlessly imminent next beta of Archimatix just as well! :rolleyes: D'oh!

    @vrpostcard, thanks for offering to help with the next beta. Its.... just around the corner!
     
    Last edited: Apr 14, 2016
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  27. roryo

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    I haven't checked physics with Archimatix in a little while... check!
    Archimatix 2016-04-14_03-01-56_PM.jpg
     
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  28. roryo

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    Although at first harboring a bit of anxiety, Robot Kyle was starting to relax, wondering if all the hype about the "fierce creatures" that come to the watering hole in the early evening wasn't just that...

    Archimatix 2016-04-16_06-47-42_PM.jpg

    Archimatix 2016-04-16_07-06-08_PM.jpg
     
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2016
  29. roryo

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    At the suggestion of phase one beta tester @elbows, just added sorting to the library sidebars. Now the simpler shapes and 3D parametric models appear at the top of lists. More complex Shapes and 3D library items can be found by scrolling the sidebar lists. FYI, the library items are on the left and generator nodes are on the right.

    Archimatix 2016-04-16_07-15-10_PM.jpg
     
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  30. roryo

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    I confess that I am not just working on documentation, but also whittling down a manageable to-do list with easily squashed bugs and very minor features additions (like the above library sorting). I'm very happy with the progress of the last couple of days!
     
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  31. roryo

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    Having a lot of fun with the new ShapeRepeater...

    Archimatix 2016-04-17_06-57-02_PM.jpg

    Archimatix 2016-04-17_05-29-46_PM.jpg

    Archimatix 2016-04-17_07-00-20_PM.jpg

    Archimatix 2016-04-17_03-36-32_PM.jpg
     
    Last edited: Apr 18, 2016
  32. roryo

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    Here are some variations made by altering only the radius parameter for the circle Shape that has been repeated:
    Archimatix 2016-04-17_07-09-39_PM.jpg
     
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  33. alienheretic

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    superior work !!!
     
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  34. roryo

    roryo

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  35. roryo

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    Testing ShapeRepeater to generate a city! Archimatix 2016-04-17_11-12-50_PM.jpg Archimatix 2016-04-17_11-11-55_PM.jpg
     
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  36. Bitstream

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    Wow... the result looks very impressiv for that relativ simple looking build logic.

    I'm thinking of trying to build a rollercoaster type building. You said twist deformations along a path will not be part of the initial release but would a simple rollercoaster without loops and twists be possible to build with a more complex build logic?
     
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  37. roryo

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    Hi, @Bitstream - do you have any concept art I could sneak a peak at? That would help me assess the possibilities with the current state of Archimatix.
     
  38. roryo

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    In this more normative use of ShapeRepeater, a rectangle is PairRepeated and then that composite Shape is GridRepeated:
    Archimatix 2016-04-18_08-55-23_AM.jpg Archimatix 2016-04-18_08-55-52_AM.jpg
     
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  39. KWaldt

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    roryo. Beta. Now.

    (Such a tease, honestly. These screens look great.)
     
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  40. Teila

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    WOW!!!

    Does this have to lay out in a grid or can it have diagonal or even curved streets? I love this and it is exactly what I need. :)
     
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  41. roryo

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    Thanks, @KWaldt! I will respond to your outrageous demand in a following post ;)
     
  42. roryo

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    Yes, to diagonal and curved streets! And void for public squares, etc. All the buildings placed will get their Y-position from a terrain (hello, Gaia!). This particular example is a bit of a cheat because it is just PlanSweeping a building section around the 2D Shape made by the repetition of thickens squares, thus all the buildings have the same elevation (not unlike the similar building heights and facade treatments of central Paris). However, in the future, the blocks and plots formed generatively will produce parametric variations of the buildings they set in place. That is one of the first things I will be focusing on after the initial release.
     
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  43. roryo

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    This announcement is for all the folks who have been so kindly expressing interest in the next beta phase.

    I have officially set May 3 in the calendar as Beta II Day! This will be a closed beta and will hopefully be the last before release ;) Anyone who's still interested (after all this waiting, waiting, waiting!), please send me a note via private conversation with you *official* request :) to be added to the group. Robot Kyle will be standing by to offer any assistance to the new beta group inductees.
    Archimatix 2015-06-19_07-56-41_AM.jpg
     
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  44. roryo

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    This maze-like complexity was generated with an "I"-shape repeated 9 times with rotational jitter and then subtracted from a rectangle.
    Archimatix 2016-04-18_03-53-28_PM.jpg Archimatix 2016-04-18_03-55-12_PM.jpg
     
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  45. roryo

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    I must say, it is fun testing the ShapeRepeater!
    Archimatix 2016-04-18_05-31-55_PM.jpg

    Archimatix 2016-04-18_05-33-03_PM.jpg

    Archimatix 2016-04-18_05-32-28_PM.jpg
     
  46. roryo

    roryo

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    ShapeRepeater now has its own SceneView handles!
    Archimatix 2016-04-19_08-26-06_AM.jpg Archimatix 2016-04-19_08-23-14_AM.jpg Archimatix 2016-04-19_08-24-58_AM.jpg
     
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  47. roryo

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    Hang in there Robot Kyle... don't despair! Archimatix Beta II is only two weeks away! *just between you and me, I am starting to wonder if Kyle isn't a little bit of a loose cannon...*
    Archimatix 2016-04-19_03-48-19_PM.jpg

    This facade is ShapeRepeated rectangle, which is fed into another ShapeRepeater to make a grid of grids, and then subtracted from a large rectangle and extruded.
    Archimatix 2016-04-19_03-53-41_PM.jpg

     
  48. Teila

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    Love the facade! :) Looks like fun.

    I think Robot Kyle is showing off for us now.
     
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  49. roryo

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    It does seem like he is going to ever more extreme measures to stay in the spotlight!
     
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  50. JohnnyA

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    Whats the status/performance of the runtime implementation? I'd like to do some crazy stuff with automated level generation (imagine a 3D urban nethack). No handles required, no need to be realtime as level generation will happen before user starts playing... I just don't want them waiting for ages.
     
  51. roryo

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    Hi @JohnnyA - currently Archimatix does not feature any of the expansive/infinite generative methods typically associated with procedural dungeon creation such as space partitioning algorithms, agent-based methods, or generative grammars. At release, Archimatix is a parametric modeler that gives developers the ability to create objects and environments that can be varied within a logic manifested in the node graph relations. Parametric objects can be distributed with Repeaters that can be "randomized" with adjustable Perlin values or by hand, being added, subtracted and merged according to the artist's needs - i.e., an editor extension as opposed to a runtime system. That being said, runtime, rule-based generation of levels/villages/cities is most certainly a natural direction for Archimatix to advance along in the future.
     
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