Cube Confabulator Documentation

Cube Confabulator is an addon for Blender that allows you to delete, transform and manipulate that pesky default cube in lots of unique ways. There are 50 built in Confabs (buttons / ways of manipulating the cube) and functionality in place that lets users add and save their own.

Installation

Install Cube Confabulator just as you would any other addon:

1. Go to Edit -> Preferences.
2. Select the Add-ons tab on the left if it is not already.
3. Select the Install… button along the top.
4. This will open a file dialog where you should navigate to where you have downloaded the CubeConfabulator.zip file. This file should not be unzipped.
5. Then, click the Install add-on from file button.
6. Search for the add-on by typing Cube Confabulator in the search box if it does not already appear.
7. Make sure the checkbox next to the add-on (Mesh: Cube Confabulator is ticked
8. Have fun messing with that pesky default cube!

Usage

To use Cube Confabulator, go to any 3D viewport (the default view on opening a new project), press 'n' to open the sidebar and select the Cube Confabulator panel from there. Then, press any Confab (button) you like and enjoy!

Conditions for Confabs to run

Cube Confabulator is based on manipulating the default cube. Because of this, some checks are in place before running a Confab:

• Cube exists (Cube called 'Cube')
• Default transformations (Position and Rotation = (0,0,0) and scale = (1,1,1) globally)

If these conditions aren't met, a message will pop up saying what and why.

Custom Confabs

Cube Confabulator gives users the ability to create and save their own custom confabs. A video example of how to save and delete one can be found HERE.

Confab System:

1. Default cube is deleted
2. Custom objects are added in from storage
3. Animation is played to required frame
4. All imported objects are removed
5. (Optional) A new, clean, cube is added back in

When creating your own Confab follow the below steps:

1. Create all objects and animations you wish to be saved and imported when a button is pressed.
2. Set your desired finishing frame of the animation
3. Give the Confab a unique name
4. Decide if a new cube should remain after the Confab has finished (Add Cube After button)
5. Select ALL objects you wish to be saved and press Convert selected to Confab button
6. To run the Confab, just press it's button as you would any other.

Deleting Custom Confabs

Once again in the Custom section, there is a part called Delete Confab by Index. Each custom confab has a number associated with it (seen to the right of the button as below) so if you want to delete one, simply put in it's index and hit Delete. 

Points of good practise for custom Confabs

• Any objects you wish to remain hidden when a Confab is run should have the word 'HIDE' in it's name.
• Ideally, the importing of objects should be seamless with the scene so a good point to start is just with a default cube at frame 1.
• Rigid body simulations should be baked to keyframes before saving (Object -> Rigid Body -> Bake to Keyframes).
• If you want a new cube to be added after the Confab has been run (for example cube does a backflip and ends in same place as it starts), check Add Cube After.
• Functionality for custom Confabs to be baked has not been added yet so avoid super complex simulations.
• 
  

Baking Fluid Confabs

By default, the two fluid simulation based Confabs come pre-baked with the addon. However, if you prefer a smaller download these can be baked after installation.

To do so, simply navigate to the settings section (bottom of the Cube Confabulator panel) and at the every bottom you will find two buttons to bake each of the simulations. On a MacBook Pro M1, 'Fluidify' takes 12 seconds to bake and 'Honey' takes 90 seconds.

Settings

Time Multiplier

1.00 by default

This adds extra time to the fluid simulations before exiting the Confab to account for any lower frame-rates you experience. For example, 'Fluidify' runs for 100 frames but if this is getting cut short, you can increase the time multiplier  to 1.25 for example to raise it to 125 frames before exiting (100 * 1.25 = 125). 

Auto Add Cube

Unchecked by default

When this button is checked, a new cube will be added to the scene when a button is pressed if a valid one does not already exist. Furthermore, a new, clean default cube will be added after the Confab has finished running.