Being relatively new to the Animation Plug-In, I'm looking for some
information:

Is it possible to animate textures?  For example, changing the phase
variable for water motion, or replacing a color in a colormap?  How about
switching textures on an object partway through the animation?

Otherwise, it looks as if the plug-in will only allow you to translate,
rotate, and scale an object, and textures cannot be altered.  The obvious
workaround would be to define a new texture on a copy of an object, I
suppose, and translate it into place at the appropriate time.  But for water
animation, this would not be feasable.

Hopefully, I'm missing something?

- How

Post a reply to this message

i think the plug only does motion, rotation and scaling at this time
(xander!!), but i think there are big things planed (Xander!!)

besides you just know your going to get a ton of script jockeys telling you
to use an iso surface and 'real animation' involves a clock variable :))))

Rick

Post a reply to this message

How Camp wrote:
> 
> Being relatively new to the Animation Plug-In, I'm looking for some
> information:
> 
> Is it possible to animate textures?  For example, changing the phase
> variable for water motion, or replacing a color in a colormap?  How about
> switching textures on an object partway through the animation?

A specific list of what can be animated in textures is in the docs:
  - Animation of textures is partially complete.  The following texture
information
    will be keyed:
      Solid colors used in pigments and media (the <r,g,b,f,t> value)
      Transforms
      Finish
      Noise modifiers

  Note that only textures (or individual components of textures) that
are named
  will be keyed.


So, if the "phase" you are refering to is part of a noise modifier, you
can key it.  Note that you need to provide a name to anything you want
to key.

> 
> Otherwise, it looks as if the plug-in will only allow you to translate,
> rotate, and scale an object, and textures cannot be altered.  The obvious
> workaround would be to define a new texture on a copy of an object, I
> suppose, and translate it into place at the appropriate time.  But for water
> animation, this would not be feasable.

Named textures can be keyframed.  Not everything is in place that I
would like to get done, for example it would be nice to key some of the
values in color maps.  Just takes time.

Xander



> 
> Hopefully, I'm missing something?
> 
> - How

Post a reply to this message

Alexander Enzmann <xan### [at] mitreorg> wrote in message
news:39464050.D1992B8F@mitre.org...

> A specific list of what can be animated in textures is in the docs:

Blast!  After years of lurking, I've been able to answer all of my questions
simply by reading the docs, or looking at the FAQs.  Now, the one time I
post a question... it's in the docs.  Sorry about that.

> So, if the "phase" you are refering to is part of a noise modifier, you
> can key it.  Note that you need to provide a name to anything you want
> to key.

Yes, phase is a noise modifier, just like frequency, etc.

> Named textures can be keyframed.  Not everything is in place that I
> would like to get done, for example it would be nice to key some of the
> values in color maps.  Just takes time.

Understood.  Thanks for your help - and thanks for a great plug-in!

- How

Post a reply to this message

> Blast!  After years of lurking, I've been able to answer all of my
questions
> simply by reading the docs, or looking at the FAQs.  Now, the one time I
> post a question... it's in the docs.  Sorry about that.

This is the bain of documemt and FAQ writers everywhere :)

Rick

Post a reply to this message

How Camp wrote:
> 
> Alexander Enzmann <xan### [at] mitreorg> wrote in message
> news:39464050.D1992B8F@mitre.org...
> 
> > A specific list of what can be animated in textures is in the docs:
> 
> Blast!  After years of lurking, I've been able to answer all of my questions
> simply by reading the docs, or looking at the FAQs.  Now, the one time I
> post a question... it's in the docs.  Sorry about that.

Not a problem - after all, that was in the "know problems" section...

Perhaps for the next iteration I'll include a brief description of
making a circular animation that changes the phase in a marble texture. 
Really easy to set up and looks nice.

Xander

Post a reply to this message

> > > A specific list of what can be animated in textures is in the docs:
> > 
> > Blast!  After years of lurking, I've been able to answer all of my questions
> > simply by reading the docs, or looking at the FAQs.  Now, the one time I
> > post a question... it's in the docs.  Sorry about that.
> 
> Not a problem - after all, that was in the "know problems" section...
> 
> Perhaps for the next iteration I'll include a brief description of
> making a circular animation that changes the phase in a marble texture. 
> Really easy to set up and looks nice.

I've read the docs a few times, and each time I missed the 'Note that 
only textures (or individual components of textures) that are named will 
be keyed.' section.

<slaps forehead>

I was wondering why it wasn't working how I expected it to...  (or at all 
in certain attempts)

Bye for now,
     Jamie.

Post a reply to this message