Tries to stack a series of meshes from different files with minimal clearance.

JiggleMeshesInZ.py

import Rhino
import rhinoscriptsyntax as rs
import scriptcontext as sc
import os

def test():
    max = 16 #max iterations
    
    MainFolder = rs.WorkingFolder()
    if sc.sticky.has_key("MAIN_FOLDER"):
        MainFolder = sc.sticky["MAIN_FOLDER"]
    
    MainFolder = rs.BrowseForFolder(MainFolder)
    if not MainFolder:return
    
    sc.sticky["MAIN_FOLDER"] = MainFolder
    
    print(MainFolder)

    i = 0
 
    # Sort the files from higher to lower arch
    Files = [file for file in os.listdir(MainFolder) if file.endswith('.stl')]
    Files = sorted(Files,reverse=True)
   
    vecTemp = Rhino.Geometry.Vector3d(0,0,.05) #small extra vertical move after the final position has been arrived at.
    """
    Move each mesh as it comes in to the top of the previous one
    then back downward half or some fraction their BB depth, then half of that until intersections are found
    then move it back by half again and test, etc.
     
    """
    for file in Files: 
        rs.DocumentModified(False)
        rs.AddLayer(str(file))#add the layer with the name of the stl
        rs.CurrentLayer(str(file))#set the layer active
        
        cmd= "_-Import " + chr(34) +  str(MainFolder) + "\\" + str(file) + chr(34) + " _EnterEnd "#import the next file
        print "cmd = " + cmd
        rs.Command(cmd) 
        
        if rs.LastCommandResult()!= 0: continue
        rs.UnselectAllObjects()
        id = rs.LastCreatedObjects()[0]
        if not id: continue
        
        if i == 0:
            #if this is the first time through
            #just get a copy of the mesh, set it as the base mesh,
            #set a flag (i) and then open the next file
            baseMesh = rs.coercemesh(id).Duplicate()
            i = 1
            continue
          
        # get a copy of the incoming mesh into memory
        mesh = rs.coercemesh(id).Duplicate()
        
        #Get the BB of the previous mesh
        baseBB = baseMesh.GetBoundingBox(False)
        baseCorners = baseBB.GetCorners()
        
        #Get the BB of the current mesh
        bb = mesh.GetBoundingBox(False)
        corners = bb.GetCorners()
        
        #Get a vector from the bottom of the current mesh BB to the top
        # of the previous mesh BB as a starting point for jiggling.
        tempDir = Rhino.Geometry.Vector3d(0,0,baseCorners[4].Z-corners[0].Z)
        
        # move the mesh on top of the last mesh
        mesh.Transform(Rhino.Geometry.Transform.Translation(tempDir))

        # get a vector representing the depth of the current mesh in z
        vecDir = corners[0]-corners[4]
        #make the vector smaller.
        vecDir = vecDir*.25
        
        last = False
        count = 0
        
        while True:
            
            count += 1
            
            # find the intersection of the two meshes
            x = Rhino.Geometry.Intersect.Intersection.MeshMeshFast(mesh, baseMesh)

            if count > max: # hit the max iterations
                break

            if x.Count  == 0  and last == False:
                #print "None_False"
                mesh.Translate(vecDir)
                continue
                
            elif x.Count  == 0 and last == True:
                #print "None_True"
                last = False
                
                #shrink the vector and reverse it
                vecDir = vecDir*.5
                vecDir.Reverse()
                mesh.Translate(vecDir)
                continue
                
            elif x.Count  != 0 and last == True:
                #print "Some_True"
                mesh.Translate(vecDir)
                continue
                
            elif x.Count  != 0 and last == False:
                #print "Some_False"
                last = True
                vecDir = vecDir*.5
                vecDir.Reverse()
                mesh.Translate(vecDir)
                continue
                
        #make the last prcessed mesh the one to test against 
        baseMesh = mesh

        #add the last processed mesh to the doc
        baseMesh.Translate(vecTemp)
        sc.doc.Objects.Replace(id, baseMesh)

        sc.doc.Views.Redraw()

test()