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Alias-Dynamo improvements and additions (2023)

New Alias-Dynamo nodes let you add more functionality and usability to your custom Dynamo Player scripts. For example, you can now add drop-down lists, radial buttons, and feedback messages, as well create scripts that modify existing Alias geometry. We've also added new Dynamo Player sample scripts to the Dynamo Player Toolbox. You'll also notice that the Alias-Dynamo user interface has been refreshed with a new look and feel.

New Alias-Dynamo nodes

We've added the following new nodes to the Alias section of the Alias-Dynamo library.

Combo Box

Use this node to add drop-down lists or radial buttons to your Dynamo scripts, making option selections in your scripts more intuitive and easier to use. By default, the node creates a drop-down list. Select the Use radio button option on the node to create radial buttons. Type a Name for each input value and under Item provide the associated value. You can connect the output of the node to the Index input of GetItemAtIndex node or directly to the input of a GeometryTranslate node.

Send Message to Alias

Use the Send Message to Alias node to add feedback messages to your script users. For example, use this node to warn users of invalid script inputs or to prompt them to make selections for input geometry. The Send Message to Alias node takes the output of String node and displays the text in Dynamo Player or directly in the Alias viewport.

New Keep Originals options

We've added a new Keep Originals option to the Send to Alias node. This option lets you create scripts that modify existing geometry as an input. You can choose to keep the original geometry in addition to its modified output. On the Send to Alias node, Keep Originals is controlled by a Boolean input, which takes the output of a Boolean node to toggle the option on and off.

See Alias-Dynamo nodes.

New Dynamo Player scripts

We've added new Dynamo Player sample scripts to the Dynamo Player Toolbox.

New pattern generation scripts

Use these pattern generation scripts together to create a points pattern, which can be then transferred to a target surface.

  • DP-Pattern-Toolkit.dyn - Lets you quickly create basic patterns on NURBS surface planes. This script simplifies pattern generation and incorporates the more complex components of a patterning script in Dynamo, such as calculating non-linear distribution. You can choose a pattern type, such as a grid, circular, or diamond pattern, and adjust the script parameters to generate the desired results.

    To use this script, you must install the Pattern Toolkit package for Alias Dynamo.

  • DP-Multi-Surface-Patterning-One-Guide-Curve - Use this script to transfer the points pattern created by the DP-Pattern-Toolkit.dyn script to a target surface. In addition to selecting a target input surface, you can select the geometry used to populate the pattern on the target surface. An input curve is used to specify the center point of the pattern on the target surface. Modifying the position or shape of the curve also affects the pattern on the target surface, such as compressing or expanding it.

For more information, see Scripts for generating patterns.

Other new scripts

  • DP-Subdiv-from-Nurbs.dyn - Use this script to convert a NURBS object to a subdivision object. You can choose to keep the input NURBS surface after generating the subdivision object.
  • DP-Delete-Duplicate-Points.dyn - Use this to select quickly delete duplicate instances of points from a selection of multiple points such as a point cloud.

Alias updated to Dynamo 2.13

We've updated Alias to Dynamo version 2.13.

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