POV-Ray : Newsgroups : povray.animations : Animation of a tail Server Time
8 Jul 2024 16:18:10 EDT (-0400)
  Animation of a tail (Message 1 to 6 of 6)  
From: wesr
Subject: Animation of a tail
Date: 8 Feb 2002 13:24:15
Message: <3c6417cf$1@news.povray.org>
I was wondering if any one out there has any suggestions on how I could
make a Mouse , Dog, and a cat tail look real.  
I'm fairly new to povray and have been slowly working on an animation.
Most of my atempts for a tail either look like a bad snake path or a fern
closing.    Any suggestions /code example would be greatly 
appreciated..


Wes Robbins.

As a part two: Does any know of a place I could find four legged animal
movements (Walking and running) for povray?


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From: Apache
Subject: Re: Animation of a tail
Date: 11 Feb 2002 08:15:31
Message: <3c67c3f3@news.povray.org>
I'm afraid that using IK (Inverse Kinematics) will be the best way of doing
that.


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From: Greg M  Johnson
Subject: Re: Animation of a tail
Date: 11 Feb 2002 11:10:23
Message: <3c67ecef$1@news.povray.org>
"Apache" <apa### [at] yahoocom> wrote in message
news:3c67c3f3@news.povray.org...
> I'm afraid that using IK (Inverse Kinematics) will be the best way of
doing
> that.
>

Really?  IK surely makes the most sense for hip-knee-foot, but does it
really for hip-middle_tail-middle_tail-middle_tail-end_of_tail?

I think a tail flows via pure FK.  The question is in choosing the right
time sequence for the wag.


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From: Tom Bates
Subject: Re: Animation of a tail
Date: 11 Feb 2002 12:28:03
Message: <3c67ff23@news.povray.org>
"Greg M. Johnson" <gregj:-)565### [at] aolcom> wrote in message
news:3c67ecef$1@news.povray.org...
> "Apache" <apa### [at] yahoocom> wrote in message
> news:3c67c3f3@news.povray.org...
> > I'm afraid that using IK (Inverse Kinematics) will be the best way of
> doing
> > that.
> >
>
> Really?  IK surely makes the most sense for hip-knee-foot, but does it
> really for hip-middle_tail-middle_tail-middle_tail-end_of_tail?
>
> I think a tail flows via pure FK.  The question is in choosing the right
> time sequence for the wag.
>
>

I used a progagating sine wave for my dragon's tail:

  #declare animlength = 32.0;  // length of the scene in seconds
  #declare cyclelength = 2.0;  // period of one tail-wag

  #declare aclock = clock*animlength;  // aclock ranges from 0 to 32

  // cycleclock ranges from 0 to 1 over cyclelength
  #declare cycleclock  = (aclock/cyclelength - int(aclock/cyclelength));

  #macro tz(p)
    (0.2*p * cos((p/24-cycleclock)*2*pi))  // Side to Side wagging
  #end

  // Tail Segment Rotation = < curl up, twist clockwise, curl left>
  #declare tailpos = array[tailsegments] {
                     <  0,  0, tz(36)>, // rotation of tail segment 1
                     <  0,  0, tz(35)>, // rotation of tail segment 2
                     <  0,  0, tz(34)>, // rotation of tail segment 3
                     // ...
                     <  0,  0, tz( 3)>, // rotation of tail segment 34
                     <  0,  0, tz( 2)>, // rotation of tail segment 35
                     <  0,  0, tz( 1)>} // rotation of tail segment 36


This provides a nice even wag where the rotation of each segment is relative to the
segment it is attached to.

If, however, I wanted the tail to flip a light-switch, I would try to figure out an
IK way to do it.
Rune has an IK Neck include file which I've downloaded but not looked at yet.
http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk/3d/include/include.html


Thomas Bates

--
#macro T(B)#local m=mod(B,8);#local B=floor(B/8);m#end#local C=126981491245202;#
local D=115694168992822;sphere_sweep{b_spline 16#local i=0;#while(i<16)<T(C)-4,T
(D)-4,10-i/10>.1#local i=i+1;#end pigment{rgb 1}}light_source{-10,1} //Tom Bates


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From: Apache
Subject: Re: Animation of a tail
Date: 11 Feb 2002 12:28:04
Message: <3c67ff24@news.povray.org>
I think that simple wagging movements can be done with fk quit easily.
IK is very usefull if you only want to give the beginning and the end of the
tail bones. The computer should find out the locations of all the other
parts. I'm working on a (simple) furring thing doing something like this.

Maybe some interpolation technique would be another possibility.


"Greg M. Johnson" <gregj:-)565### [at] aolcom> wrote in message
news:3c67ecef$1@news.povray.org...
> "Apache" <apa### [at] yahoocom> wrote in message
> news:3c67c3f3@news.povray.org...
> > I'm afraid that using IK (Inverse Kinematics) will be the best way of
> doing
> > that.
> >
>
> Really?  IK surely makes the most sense for hip-knee-foot, but does it
> really for hip-middle_tail-middle_tail-middle_tail-end_of_tail?
>
> I think a tail flows via pure FK.  The question is in choosing the right
> time sequence for the wag.
>
>


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From: Rune
Subject: Re: Animation of a tail
Date: 17 Feb 2002 18:03:29
Message: <3c7036c1@news.povray.org>
"wesr" wrote:
> I was wondering if any one out there has any suggestions
> on how I could make a Mouse , Dog, and a cat tail look real.

Hmm, I don't check this group so often, so this reply is a little late.

You could check out my Inverse Kinematics Neck include file which is
specifically designed to animate long necks and tails:

http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk/3d/include/include.html

This of course assumes that the movement is your problem. If it's the look
that's difficult (such as how to obtain fur or whatever), it might be a
better idea to post in another group.

Rune
--
3D images and anims, include files, tutorials and more:
Rune's World:    http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk (updated Feb 16)
POV-Ray Users:   http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk/povrayusers/
POV-Ray Webring: http://webring.povray.co.uk


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