shortest distance between two curves

Hi guys,

Is there a way to find the shortest distance between any two curves ?

Cheers,

Arthur

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Luis Fraguada on September 16, 2010 at 3:28pm

This sounds like a job for Galapagos! But I have a feeling you want to do this with many many curves!?

Attachments:

Galapagos_ShortestSpan2Crvs.ghx, 60 KB

Permalink Reply by MARIO VERGARA on July 14, 2011 at 9:50am

nice!

Permalink Reply by Jacek Jaskólski on September 16, 2010 at 4:03pm

The shortest line between the two curves must be perpendicular to each, right? So here's a crazy idea: treat one of the curves as a point - "from its perspective" the other curve is a lofted surface. Find the closest point to this surface and remap it to get the result:

This is probably nonsense in terms of memory usage but still it's a fun mental exersise :)

Attachments:

shortest_distance_2curves.ghx, 113 KB

Permalink Reply by Danny Boyes on September 17, 2010 at 2:41am

Here's how I've done this in the past.

Permalink Reply by Dedackelzucht on July 14, 2011 at 2:54am

Hey Danny,

this solution is depending on the DevideCrv N. Like it is set onto a iteration of 500 ( in your example). Isn´t it?

So if I want to have it exactly (I know this is about presetings). I need to take a higher slider value. If I check the result with the Rhino CrvDeviation there always seems to be a bit of a difference.

I guess I do need to take galapagos, do I?

Best Regards

DeDackel

Permalink Reply by Yoann Mescam (Systemiq) on July 14, 2011 at 6:35am

Here is an iterative "dichotomic" method using Hoopsnake. (for 2 curves only)

Attachments:

CurvesClosest.ghx, 342 KB

Permalink Reply by Yoann Mescam (Systemiq) on July 14, 2011 at 7:27am

Another simpler version

Attachments:

CurvesClosest2.ghx, 196 KB

Permalink Reply by Danny Boyes on July 14, 2011 at 8:28am

Thanks Systemiq,

I've been trying to figure this out all morning.

Is there away of doing for more that two curves?

Permalink Reply by Yoann Mescam (Systemiq) on July 14, 2011 at 9:46am

Probably, thinking about it.

Permalink Reply by Jesse Gould on February 17, 2015 at 5:46pm

Thanks for this.

Although im trying to do this for a series of profile curves against one rail curves. Ive tried matching the tree structure and still to no avail. any assistance?

Permalink Reply by to] on July 14, 2011 at 6:52am

Hi Arthur

there is a Curve Method:

public bool ClosestPoints(

Curve otherCurve,

out Point3d pointOnThisCurve,

out Point3d pointOnOtherCurve)

cheers to]

Permalink Reply by Giulio Piacentino on July 14, 2011 at 10:35am

Hi all,

very intriguing topic here. Different patterns intersect here. It's great to see programming, mathematical, numerical and evolutionary methods at work here.

I like all of them really, as they prove the inventiveness of people! :)

Following To's advice, these scripts obtain the same result in Python, C# and Vb.Net. Just a few lines. Probably they will be replicated similarly in Grasshopper components soon.

- Giulio
____________
giulio@mcneel.com
McNeel Europe

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