I, for one, would use Chris Colefax's autoclck.mcr and clockmod.inc:

 #declare CLCK = (From (0, 0)  To (.250, 1)  To (.625, 1)  To (1, 0)  ) ;
or whatever. The values are totally negotiable based on whatever clock range
you use.

Extremely useful, and the movement over any range of frames does not have to
be linear (accelerate, decelerate, Bounce, Wave, etc.)


d.


"Marc Champagne" <marcch.AT.videotron.DOT.ca> wrote in message
news:Xns### [at] 204213191226...
> Hi again!
>
> During an animation sequence, if an object is to:
>
>     do something for 2 seconds
>     stay idle for 3 seconds
>     do something for 3 seconds
>
> What method or methods have any of you used in your code for
> this type of control?
>
> Assuming:
>
>     +kff???
>     +ki0 (default)
>     +kf1 (default)
>     And that we encode the final animation at 25 fps.
>
> Would one use something like this to figure out where in time
> we are?
>
> #declare T = frame_number / 25 ;
>
> #if ( T<2 | ( T>5 & T<8 ) )
>     do something
> #end
>
> This seems obvious but maybe there are other proven
> techniques one could use.
>
> Thanks
>
> -- 
> Marc Champagne
> marcch.AT.videotron.DOT.ca
> Montreal, CANADA

Post a reply to this message

I've always done it the same way:

#declare Animation_Time = [Seconds];
#declare Animation_FPS = 25;

These are two basic parameters all my newer Include-
Files making use of animation-capabilities use. I've even
included a small script inside my LSSM which derives
the amount of frames from POV-Internal-Data. Based
on FPS, it can then calculate the amount of seconds.

And then, I either set my animations with values from
0 to 1 (beginning to end of animation) or with values
from 0 to clock*Animation_Time (beginning to end
of animation in seconds).

Now, thats not much for HOW to actually set things
up, but sticking to a certain, obvious style, makes
things easier in the long run. In this case, someone
else can easily set the LSSM and my Particle-System
into one scene, without having to mix different kinds
of timing systems. Also, I like to think in seconds,
rather than animation time. Its easier to visualize.

Most of the time, I do use
#if (clock*Animation_Time < 3)
...
#else
...
#end
or something alike.To have a handy value for any range,
I simply subtract the time when something begins, and
divide it resulting value by the timespan until the next
event occurs.
E.g: Animate from 3rd sec to 5th sec:
#if (clock*Animation_Time>=3 & clock*Animation_Time<=5)
 #declare LocalClock=(clock*Animation_Time-3)/2;
 ...
#end

LocalClock will then run from 0 to 1 during those 2 seconds,
and things can be animated very easily with values from 0 to
1 IMHO.

Regards,
Tim

-- 
Tim Nikias v2.0
Homepage: http://www.digitaltwilight.de/no_lights
Email: no_lights (@) digitaltwilight.de

> Hi again!
>
> During an animation sequence, if an object is to:
>
>     do something for 2 seconds
>     stay idle for 3 seconds
>     do something for 3 seconds
>
> What method or methods have any of you used in your code for
> this type of control?
>
> Assuming:
>
>     +kff???
>     +ki0 (default)
>     +kf1 (default)
>     And that we encode the final animation at 25 fps.
>
> Would one use something like this to figure out where in time
> we are?
>
> #declare T = frame_number / 25 ;
>
> #if ( T<2 | ( T>5 & T<8 ) )
>     do something
> #end
>
> This seems obvious but maybe there are other proven
> techniques one could use.
>
> Thanks
>
> -- 
> Marc Champagne
> marcch.AT.videotron.DOT.ca
> Montreal, CANADA


---
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Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.515 / Virus Database: 313 - Release Date: 02.09.2003

Post a reply to this message

"Dennis Miller" <dhm### [at] comcastnet> wrote in
news:3f64f222$1@news.povray.org: 

> I, for one, would use Chris Colefax's autoclck.mcr and
> clockmod.inc: 
> 
>  #declare CLCK = (From (0, 0)  To (.250, 1)  To (.625, 1) 
>  To (1, 0)  ) ; 
> or whatever. The values are totally negotiable based on
> whatever clock range you use.
> 
> Extremely useful, and the movement over any range of frames
> does not have to be linear (accelerate, decelerate, Bounce,
> Wave, etc.) 

Eh hum..well a couple of hours ago I discouvered Chris's
macros & includes and have been fiddling with it, very
interesting in dead. 

Looks very promising, this kinda stuff should be built in to
POV :) 

Thanks

-- 
Marc Champagne
marcch.AT.videotron.DOT.ca
Montreal, CANADA

Post a reply to this message

"Tim Nikias v2.0" <no_lights (@) digitaltwilight.de> wrote in
news:3f64f471@news.povray.org: 

> I've always done it the same way:
> 
> #declare Animation_Time = [Seconds];
> #declare Animation_FPS = 25;
> 
> These are two basic parameters all my newer Include-
> Files making use of animation-capabilities use. I've even
> included a small script inside my LSSM which derives
> the amount of frames from POV-Internal-Data. Based
> on FPS, it can then calculate the amount of seconds.
> 
> And then, I either set my animations with values from
> 0 to 1 (beginning to end of animation) or with values
> from 0 to clock*Animation_Time (beginning to end
> of animation in seconds).
> 
> Now, thats not much for HOW to actually set things
> up, but sticking to a certain, obvious style, makes
> things easier in the long run. In this case, someone
> else can easily set the LSSM and my Particle-System
> into one scene, without having to mix different kinds
> of timing systems. Also, I like to think in seconds,
> rather than animation time. Its easier to visualize.
> 
> Most of the time, I do use
> #if (clock*Animation_Time < 3)
> ...
> #else
> ...
> #end
> or something alike.To have a handy value for any range,
> I simply subtract the time when something begins, and
> divide it resulting value by the timespan until the next
> event occurs.
> E.g: Animate from 3rd sec to 5th sec:
> #if (clock*Animation_Time>=3 & clock*Animation_Time<=5)
>  #declare LocalClock=(clock*Animation_Time-3)/2;
>  ...
> #end
> 
> LocalClock will then run from 0 to 1 during those 2
> seconds, and things can be animated very easily with values
> from 0 to 1 IMHO.

I like this LocalClock idea!

I managed to find Chris Colefax's animation macros and
managing object in time is pretty simplified. 

Thanks

-- 
Marc Champagne
marcch.AT.videotron.DOT.ca
Montreal, CANADA

Post a reply to this message

> in dead

"indeed" =)

 - Slime
 [ http://www.slimeland.com/ ]

Post a reply to this message

"Slime" <fak### [at] emailaddress> wrote in
news:3f6513ae$1@news.povray.org: 

>> in dead
> 
> "indeed" =)

Oops, the mind is faster than the fingers

-- 
Marc Champagne
marcch.AT.videotron.DOT.ca
Montreal, CANADA

Post a reply to this message

Great. Let me know if you have any questions about Chris's stuff. I've been
using it regularly for a few years.
D.

"Marc Champagne" <marcch.AT.videotron.DOT.ca> wrote in message
news:Xns### [at] 204213191226...
> "Dennis Miller" <dhm### [at] comcastnet> wrote in
> news:3f64f222$1@news.povray.org:
>
> > I, for one, would use Chris Colefax's autoclck.mcr and
> > clockmod.inc:
> >
> >  #declare CLCK = (From (0, 0)  To (.250, 1)  To (.625, 1)
> >  To (1, 0)  ) ;
> > or whatever. The values are totally negotiable based on
> > whatever clock range you use.
> >
> > Extremely useful, and the movement over any range of frames
> > does not have to be linear (accelerate, decelerate, Bounce,
> > Wave, etc.)
>
> Eh hum..well a couple of hours ago I discouvered Chris's
> macros & includes and have been fiddling with it, very
> interesting in dead.
>
> Looks very promising, this kinda stuff should be built in to
> POV :)
>
> Thanks
>
> -- 
> Marc Champagne
> marcch.AT.videotron.DOT.ca
> Montreal, CANADA

Post a reply to this message

"Dennis Miller" <dhm### [at] comcastnet> wrote in
news:3f663b91$1@news.povray.org: 

> Great. Let me know if you have any questions about Chris's
> stuff. I've been using it regularly for a few years.

Hi D.,

Well I'll shoot this one at you then.

An axample of what I have been trying to do would best be
explained by this real world example: 

Drop a rubber ball into a liquid that is flowing somewhat,
It sinks a bit,
bobs back to the surface,
and bobs some more until it reaches an equilibrium.
all this time moving in the direction of the liquid flow.

My interests are in the first sink-and-bob while flowing.

Now, Chris's "bounce" paramater brings the object back to the
previous "from" or "to" directive's position, assuming the
drop is in the -y and the flow is in the +z, I would like the
bounce to happen from y to -y to y (this is normal) at the
same time -z to z (and not back to -z). 

This may not be clear, if not I'll try to explain some other
way. 

Let me know.

Thanks

-- 
Marc Champagne
marcch.AT.videotron.DOT.ca
Montreal, CANADA

Post a reply to this message

Hi. You can declare as many parameters as you want for the position of the
object using the macro, so you could have one declaration for the y position
and one for the z. Only two things you need to specify:
the time for some event and the value at that point. So if you can describe
the motion in the y axis as a pair of values - a point in time and the value
at that point - then you can basically move any way you want. The only other
thing to determine is if you want the motion between points to be linear or
not (options are speeding up, slowing down, the Bounce factor you mentioned,
etc). But you could describe the motion "manually" for any of those types of
motions.
So declare the y factor :
 #declare Y = (From (0, 0)  To (.250, -1)  To (.625, -1)  To (1, 0)  ) ;

independent from the z:
 #declare Z = (From (0, 0)  To (.250, 1)  To (.625, 1)   ) ;
 translate <0,Y,Z>

these are just examples; you can have as many "breakpoints" as you need by
just declaring ever more points in time and the associated value...

Not sure if this is what is stumping you; if you don't declare a type of
motion, then the points are just interpolated linearly. But if you <choose>
to include the type of motion between points in the declaration, keep in
mind that once you use a motion type:
 #declare Y = (From (0, 0)  To_Using (.250, 1,"B")  To (.625, 1)  To (1,
)  ) ;

then that motion type remains in effect for the rest of the points, so you
have to "disable" to use another type:
 #declare Y = (From (0, 0)  To_Using (.250, 1,"B")  To_Using (.625, 1, "L")
To (1, 0)  ) ;

not sure if that helps, but you just set up a different type of motion for y
and z... And you can scale or offset any of these if you wanted to keep
everything positive or negative.
Is that what you are looking for?
D.



"Marc Champagne" <marcch.AT.videotron.DOT.ca> wrote in message
news:Xns### [at] 204213191226...
> "Dennis Miller" <dhm### [at] comcastnet> wrote in
> news:3f663b91$1@news.povray.org:
>
> > Great. Let me know if you have any questions about Chris's
> > stuff. I've been using it regularly for a few years.
>
> Hi D.,
>
> Well I'll shoot this one at you then.
>
> An axample of what I have been trying to do would best be
> explained by this real world example:
>
> Drop a rubber ball into a liquid that is flowing somewhat,
> It sinks a bit,
> bobs back to the surface,
> and bobs some more until it reaches an equilibrium.
> all this time moving in the direction of the liquid flow.
>
> My interests are in the first sink-and-bob while flowing.
>
> Now, Chris's "bounce" paramater brings the object back to the
> previous "from" or "to" directive's position, assuming the
> drop is in the -y and the flow is in the +z, I would like the
> bounce to happen from y to -y to y (this is normal) at the
> same time -z to z (and not back to -z).
>
> This may not be clear, if not I'll try to explain some other
> way.
>
> Let me know.
>
> Thanks
>
> -- 
> Marc Champagne
> marcch.AT.videotron.DOT.ca
> Montreal, CANADA

Post a reply to this message

"Dennis Miller" <dhm### [at] comcastnet> wrote in
news:3f6fb81f$1@news.povray.org: 

> Hi. You can declare as many parameters as you want for the
> position of the object using the macro, so you could have
> one declaration for the y position and one for the z. Only
> two things you need to specify: the time for some event and
> the value at that point. So if you can describe the motion
> in the y axis as a pair of values - a point in time and the
> value at that point - then you can basically move any way
> you want. The only other thing to determine is if you want
> the motion between points to be linear or not (options are
> speeding up, slowing down, the Bounce factor you mentioned,
> etc). But you could describe the motion "manually" for any
> of those types of motions.
> So declare the y factor :
>  #declare Y = (From (0, 0)  To (.250, -1)  To (.625, -1) 
>  To (1, 0)  ) ; 
> 
> independent from the z:
>  #declare Z = (From (0, 0)  To (.250, 1)  To (.625, 1)   )
>  ; translate <0,Y,Z>

You see, I didn't think of using it that way, via a declare
for each axis, it's a lot easier to implement and understand.

I tried all kinds of weird combos, but your way makes a whole
lot of sense. 
 
> these are just examples; you can have as many "breakpoints"
> as you need by just declaring ever more points in time and
> the associated value... 
> 
> Not sure if this is what is stumping you; if you don't

If it works as you say it does then it should un-stump me!

> declare a type of motion, then the points are just
> interpolated linearly. But if you <choose> to include the
> type of motion between points in the declaration, keep in 
> mind that once you use a motion type:
>  #declare Y = (From (0, 0)  To_Using (.250, 1,"B")  To
>  (.625, 1)  To (1, 
> )  ) ;
>
> then that motion type remains in effect for the rest of the
> points, so you have to "disable" to use another type:
>  #declare Y = (From (0, 0)  To_Using (.250, 1,"B") 
>  To_Using (.625, 1, "L") 
> To (1, 0)  ) ;

This I had understood.

> not sure if that helps, but you just set up a different
> type of motion for y and z... And you can scale or offset
> any of these if you wanted to keep everything positive or
> negative. Is that what you are looking for?

I sure will give it a try, I'll keep you posted!

Thanks D.

-- 
Marc Champagne
marcch.AT.videotron.DOT.ca
Montreal, CANADA

Post a reply to this message