sMILX Help

SSM Plugin

This page describes how to use the sMILX SSM plugin.

Opening SSM files

There are three ways to SSM files, so long as the SSMPlugin has been built.
1. Simply drag and drop the SSM file into the viewer, the plugin will automatically load it.
OR
2. use smilx in the command line as 'smilx myshapefile.ssm', the plugin will automatically load it.
OR
3. click 'Open' and from the filter combo box, select Shape Model Files (*.ssm). Then select your file in the browser.

Creating SSM files

You can use SMILX to create SSMs from meshes with the same number of points and point correspondence.

Click 'Open Collection' from the file menu, you will be asked if you want to open the collection with a plugin, click no until you get asked if you want to open the collection with the Shape Model plugin, click yes.
You will be asked the precision, and perhaps other things, the defaults are fine. Just keep pressing enter.
Use the features below to view the resulting model.
Save the model by Clicking 'Save' from the file menu.

Features for SSMs

When the model is loaded, the two windows show the model and the mean shape respectively. Scalars on the meshes are normally transferred to the mean mesh so that you can save the result from the mean mesh window.

Display any mode of variation, Right Click->Modes as Vectors
Generate the meshes for a mode that can then be loaded into the animate plugin, Right Click->Modes as Surface Collection.
View the constituents of the model, Right Click->Aligned Points or Right Click->Original Points.
Output images to show alignment and point ID distributions, Right Click->Output * as Images.

Troubleshooting

When click on 'Open' from the file menu, the Shape Model Files (*.ssm) option is not in the filter combo box. The solution is to ensure you have built the SSMPlugin. Check the terminal output to check if it has been loaded.