Random Loop Extrude

Random Loop Extrude creates random panel details that can be overlayed on top of each other using up to 5 objects. These random panel mesh stacks can randomize from the source object or from the last loop object created.

Figure 1

Here are the redo properties and what they do:

Loops

This row lets you activate the loop objects that can number up to 5. You can click to activate a single loop object or press the Shift hotkey then click to activate multiple entries or remove them if already activated.

Figure 2

Activating a particular loop number means you can only control this with the right column number from the properties below it e.g. to control loop number 4's loop inset thickness, you have to use the fourth column in that property row.

You can activate the loop numbers in whatever order, for example, 245 and it will still be regarded as 123 by the script. To influence their properties though, you have to use the right column number in a property row.

Ratio

The amount of faces to be used from the original face selection for randomization by percentage per loop object.

Figure 3

Seed

This randomizes the faces used by the ratio property with a seed number per loop object.

Figure 4

Ratio Global Seed

This randomizes the faces used by the ratio property with a global seed number for all the loop objects.

Figure 5

Loops Inset Depth Max/Min

This allows you to set the minimum and maximum height/depth of the inset or extrusion of the panel islands.

Figure 6

Seed

This randomizes the height/depth of the inset or extrusion of the panel islands using the values between the minimum and maximum properties with a seed number per loop object.

Figure 7

Depth Global Seed

This randomizes the height/depth of the inset or extrusion of the panel islands using the values between the minimum and maximum properties with a global seed number for all the loop objects.

Figure 8

Loop Inset Thickness

This lets you set the thickness/scale of the top faces of the panel islands per loop object.

Figure 9

Loops Subdivision

This allows you to set the subdivision per loop object.

Figure 10

This is different from the subdivision property below as that increases the subdivision of all activated loop objects.

Loops Panel Size

This lets you set the minimum/maximum size of the panel islands. Bigger values means bigger islands which is faster but less detail. Lower means smaller islands which provides more detail but is slower.

Figure 11

The speed is also relative to the resolution of the face selection and its subsequent subdivision using the subdivision property in the operator.

Solver

This has 3 options which is represented by the numbers 1, 2 and 3: Walk, Radial and Square. Walk will create a panel island by "walking" from a starting face then randomizing between its neighboring faces for the next step. Radial will create the panel island by expanding from an initial face. Square will create square or rectangular islands by walking the length and the width of the panel island then filling the faces between these dimensions.

Figure 12

Path

This has 3 options which is represented by the numbers 1, 2 and 3: None, Shortest and Longest. None will favor no edges and will walk every edge until if finds the next face or step. Shortest will favor the shortest edge of a face when selecting the next face or step. Longest will favor the longest edge of a face when selecting the next face or step.

Figure 13

Limit Smooth

This has 4 options which are represented by the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4: None, Base, Top and Random. None has no effect. Base will mark sharp the border edges of the panel islands. Top will mark sharp the border edges of the top faces of the panel islands. Random will randomize between using Base or Top.

Figure 14

Base Smooth

This has 3 options which is represented by the numbers 1, 2 and 3: Smooth, By Angle and Flat. Smooth will smooth shade the resulting mesh. By Angle will mark sharp edges based on a 30° angle. Flat will use flat shading on the resulting mesh.

Figure 15

This will only work if you are using Limit Smooth: None or 1 in that particular loop object number.

Size Mode

This has 2 options: Percentage and Number. Percentage will let you use a percentage slider to set the panel size. Number will let you use integers when setting the panel size.

Subdivision

The amount of subdivision to use on the selected faces. This results to more details because of the increased number of faces relative to the panel sizes used.

Figure 16

Be careful of increasing the subdivision too much especially with already high resolution face selections to avoid lags and freezes.

Smoothing

This has 2 properties: Factor and Repeat. Factor determines the strength of the smoothing to be applied on the random mesh. Repeat sets the number of times the smoothing will be applied.

Figure 17

Using the Base Smooth toggle will let you apply the smoothing before any subdivision is used on the random mesh instead.

Even Offset

This has 2 options: On or Off. On will inset or extrude the faces of the panel islands evenly or straight. Off will inset or extrude the faces of the panel islands unevenly making rounded edges on sharp angled edges.

Figure 18

Its main use besides the design effect is to avoid spiking geometry when Off is used.

Figure 19

Cut Method

This has 2 options: Wrap and Split. Wrap will let the panel islands expand around sharp angled edges using an angle threshold. Split will split the edges on sharp angled edges using an angle threshold.

Figure 20

Cut Angle

The angle threshold used by the Cut Method property to determine which edges are split.

Figure 21

You can also use this to get rid of tris clumping in sharp angled edges where triangle faces are located in the selection.

Clear Faces

This has 3 options: None, Inner and Outer. None has no effect. Inner removes the top faces of the panel islands leaving only the panel cut faces. Outer removes the panel cut or border faces leaving only the top faces of the panel islands.

Figure 22

Triangulate

The amount of faces to be triangulated in the face selection.

Figure 23

Material Index

The Material Index property lets the resulting cloth sim mesh inherit a material from the active or work mesh.

The default value of -1 means it will use the active material in the work mesh if that material exists.

Using 0 and above means you will be using the 1st material in the material stack when using 0, the 2nd material when using 1 and so forth.

Using a material stack number when that material does not exist will assign no material to the resulting panel cut mesh.

Use Mirror

This uses the mirror modifier of the source mesh to create a symmetrical result. Disabling this will use an applied version of the mesh to create asymmetry instead.

Figure 24

Individual Height

Lets you randomize the inset depth or extrusions of the panel islands in a loop object or use a single value.

Figure 25

Loop From Source

This allows you to randomize the panel islands from the original face selection or from the previously generated loop object.

Figure 26

Use Vertex Group

Automatically assigns the top faces of the panel islands in a vertex group for easy selection after the operation.

Figure 27

Clip Center

Clips the center vertices together in the x, y and z toggle using the distance threshold. This is used to merge the border edges of the plate details together in the symmetry lines removing the split detail there.

Figure 28

You can enable/disable this effect on a particular axis using the x, y and z toggles and control how much of the vertices beyond the symmetry lines are affected using the distance property.

Limited Dissolve

This uses limited dissolve on the source mesh which is primarily used to get rid of subdivision banding on cylindrical or organic surfaces.

Figure 29

You can, of course, use this to just lower the resolution of the resulting mesh.

This gets rid of the quad structure of the topology and will result in ngons but to combat this for curved or organic surfaces, start with a higher resolution where you can have a higher face count at just subdivision level 1 for more details without the banding. The banding usually starts at subdivision level 2 and becomes very noticeable at higher subdivision levels after that.

Max Angle

The maximum angle threshold for the limited dissolve property. Lower values preserves more form and shape of the resulting mesh.