Is it possible to save a mesh to a filepath?

[haraaald45]

Hi all,

I would like to save my mesh to a path (C:\dummy\test). Of course, I could just manually save the Rhino file, but I am wondering there is a more “Script-wise” way so that one can generate a mesh in Grasshopper and save it using a component/GhPython script.

Thank you in advance.

[diff-arch]

@haraaald45

save it using a component/GhPython script

Sure, check this out:

How to optimise GHPython OBJ export?

Hi everybody, Since the DLL workflow still doesn’t work on macOS, I came up with another Pythonic approach today. It uses the Rhino _Export command. Basically, a temporary, new layer is created in Rhino. The desired meshes are baked to that layer, and exported to an OBJ file. After that, the temporary layer and meshes get deleted, since they aren’t needed anymore. In my most recent test, I was able to export a Mesh with 165K vertices and 160K faces in 4.07 seconds, which isn’t bad at all perf…

It exports meshes as OBJ straight from Grasshopper.

[haraaald45]

This is so great!! However, I am getting this small error. Do you have any advise for this?

[diff-arch]

It’s kind of hard to tell, but you might have forgotten to copy the last part of my code?
Anyways, here’s an example file I just tried and it seems to work.

By the way, once you specify an output directory with the Path component, it instantly runs and exports the example mesh as an OBJ!

mesh_obj_export_example.gh (781.2 KB)

[haraaald45]

Yes, this code perfectly works. But, in your other post “How to optimise GHPython OBJ export?” Terry reported an exporting speed of 3.249 GB/sec. Now with this code, my scripts takes around 1 sec for the given mesh. Is it because of my Computer spec or are they different scripts?

[gankeyu (Keyu Gan)]

If you don’t need to use it elsewhere, it’s faster to use Data Input/Output

[diff-arch]

@haraaald45

But, in your other post “How to optimise GHPython OBJ export?” Terry reported an exporting speed of 3.249 GB/sec.

Haha, yes! So Terry wrote a super optimized C++ script/library. Python is by nature slower.

@haraaald45

Now with this code, my scripts takes around 1 sec for the given mesh. Is it because of my Computer spec or are they different scripts?

Sure, the specs of your computer, mainly hard-drive and CPU speed play into this a little, but one second to export the example mesh, which has 16900 vertices and 15360 faces doesn’t seem that bad really. For me it takes about 6 seconds 0.6144 seconds.
Fun fact, Terry’s approach is by far quicker than even the native Rhino export, which I use in this script.

[diff-arch]

@haraaald45, what do you want to use this for? I exported entire OBJ sequences (for animations) without a problem really.

@gankeyu, could you explain a little what you mean? Data input/output that’s basically what I do - I use the Rhino OBJ export -, unless you mean something else?
OP asked specifically for a “component/GhPython script”, if you’re referring to some C# shenanigans.

[haraaald45]

I want to save meshes directly in my Azure cloud. I got the other C script running (Just commented out some parts which are getting textures for). You really helped a lot, thanks.

[gankeyu (Keyu Gan)]

There’re two components. One is called Data Input and another is called Data Output.

If the fastest output is really needed and a universal format isn’t required, BinarySerializer on Mesh will be the optimal.