On 6/6/2017 3:08 PM, Bald Eagle wrote:
> Stephen <mca### [at] aolcom> wrote:
>
>> An alternative view.
>> I prefer to use frame_number rather than the clock variable.
>> For a start you will want to know how long your animation to last and
>> the framerate of your animation. This will give you the total number of
>> frames needed. I find it easier to work with integers as when working
>> with complicated animations it is useful to define key frames where
>> changes occur.
>
> I have not learned the method doing animations through KeyFrames (yet), but it
> seems to be the way a lot of people do things.
>

It is the way to go when your scene starts getting complex. Break things 
down to the lowest common denominator. Then put them back together 
again. That is why (for me) using frame_number with initial_frame & 
final_frame is better than plain simple clock.
For instance, in this animation. The chain drive between two of the 
drive gears is only a quarter of a full revolution of the drive, 
repeated ad infinitum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfVRnAHu4JI

But then I came to PovRay because I wanted to make a fly through a 
Fractint plasma heightfield almost 20 years ago. (Still not done it.)
Here is what I did instead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP4BMrfMLSk
&
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-OPfs25aRM

Most of my animations are cyclic.

>> The arithmetic* is not really harder than using decimals
>> and reduces the chances of rounding errors. It also makes it easier to
>> have cyclic functions within your animations using mod(A,B).
>
> You certainly are a ... polymath.  :D
>

Wrong word. I am more of an autodidact. You can't teach me anything. ;)
I've got to learn from my mistakes. Of which I make many. :(

>
>> Or you can define where the image files are to be saved in the ini file.
>> Alternatively there is an option to define the output directory in
>> povray.ini. (But I cannot remember what it is as it has been years since
>> I used it. :-(  )
>
> Noted.  Thanks!

It was a "FYI". I use your method. :)
>
>> Which reminds me that you can have your clock running from A to B not
>> just 0 to 1
>
> Well, sure.
> I also have learned not to use the clock variable directly, as I have often run
> into the situation where I want to modify something halfway in.
> So rather than having to hunt down all of the instances of clock, I usually
> start off with
>
> #declare Clock = clock;
> And then all I have to do is edit my single function.
>
> #declare Clock = clock*2;
> #declare Clock = clock*360;
> #declare Clock = (clock*9)+1;
>
>

Whichever way you do it. Sums are involved. :)


>> And it is fascinating watching your animation render frame by frame.
>
> Fascinating .... and sometimes dismaying, when you've totally miscalculated
> something in a long train of ... maths.
>

Wrong attitude. ;) It gives you an opportunity to restart before the end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHPOzQzk9Qo

-- 

Regards
     Stephen

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