C# Script to Export to Colored Layers from Grasshopper without Baking

[Joseph_Oster]

@James_Richters

you can give it the trailing “” or not, so either “c:\test” or “c:\test” is fine.

They look like the same thing to me?

I see no reason for the extreme verbosity of trace / error messages. In this case, I hadn’t yet changed the ‘Directory’ text panel so expected to see the fail message you added but I don’t see it?

Command: _-Grasshopper
Grasshopper option ( Window Document Solver Banner ): _Document
Grasshopper Document ( Open Save SaveAs Close CloseAll ): _Open
Grasshopper file ( Browse ): “C:\Users\josep\Downloads\Export Without Baking.gh”
Connected as an Analog Input - Ready to Export
Increase value to Export - keep at Maximum until export is completed
Grasshopper option ( Window Document Solver Banner ): _Enter
Grasshopper option ( Window Document Solver Banner )
Connected as an Analog Input - Ready to Export
Increase value to Export - keep at Maximum until export is completed
Connected as an Analog Input - Ready to Export
Increase value to Export - keep at Maximum until export is completed
Connected as an Analog Input - Ready to Export
Increase value to Export - keep at Maximum until export is completed
Connected as an Analog Input - Ready to Export
Increase value to Export - keep at Maximum until export is completed
Connected as an Analog Input - Ready to Export
Increase value to Export - keep at Maximum until export is completed
Connected as an Analog Input - Ready to Export
Increase value to Export - keep at Maximum until export is completed
Connected as an Analog Input - Ready to Export
Increase value to Export - keep at Maximum until export is completed
Connected as an Analog Input - Ready to Export
Increase value to Export - keep at Maximum until export is completed
Connected as an Analog Input - Already Active
Set Input to Minimum to Reset

When I changed the directory to one that exists and tried again, it fails. I see this message:

Connected as an Analog Input - Already Active

So I quite Rhino, restarted your GH file, changed the directory and tried again. It failed again with no clue as to why? I’m ready to give up now.

The analog trigger sounded like a clever work-around yesterday but in fact is a PITA to use. UGH! There must be a better way using a single button. A few years ago I cobbled together a bake to layer component that uses a single button to trigger multiple copies of the component and it works well:

'Bake to Layer' component with 'M' (Material) input?

Updated. Now handles groups. Open source Python. [mMaterial_bake_to_layer_pieces_2020Jan30a] mMaterial_2020Jan30a.gh (29.5 KB) mMaterial_bake_to_layer_2020Jan30a.gh (39.5 KB) STEP1_mMaterial_bake_to_layer_2020Jan30a.gh (40.0 KB) STEP2_mMaterial_bake_to_layer_2020Jan30a.gh (16.1 KB) NOTE: The ~5 second benchmark in this video is more than three times longer than the same operation takes when not running the video capture software…? What are blocks? Again, I’d rather not be distracted …

Some comments on the GH prior to your C#:

• I see no reason for the Brep Join prior to ArrBox. It’s only effect is to convert curves to surfaces which can be accomplished by a Srf param.

• I see no reason for nine Flatten components when the same goal can be accomplished with three Entwine components.

• The ‘Extension’ Value List should be a dropdown instead of a cycle.

• I hate relays.

Export Without Baking_2023Aug21a.gh (19.2 KB)

I’m not sure yet how I would use this, if it worked, but it’s broken.