Can someone tell me how to create a 3D (cubic) spline from a list of points in it? 
Specificaly, I want to be able to animate the
camera's position in a smooth manner by giving a list of points that it should travel
through in order.  Points that are closer
together should make it travel more slowly.  Does my question even make sense?  If
anyone can help here, thanks in advance.

-Slime

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In article <38693b3b@news.povray.org>, <msk### [at] msncom> wrote:

> Can someone tell me how to create a 3D (cubic) spline from a list of 
> points in it?  Specificaly, I want to be able to animate the
> camera's position in a smooth manner by giving a list of points that it 
> should travel through in order.  Points that are closer
> together should make it travel more slowly.  Does my question even make 
> sense?  If anyone can help here, thanks in advance.

I think there is a Colfax include file which does splines, but the 
easiest way would probably be to use one of the spline patches, which 
are included in MegaPOV.
Here is the URL for MegaPOV:
http://nathan.kopp.com/patched.htm
I don't know the URL for Colfax's include files, but I am sure Ken does. 
:-)

-- 
Chris Huff
e-mail: chr### [at] yahoocom
Web page: http://chrishuff.dhs.org/

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Chris Huff wrote:

> I don't know the URL for Colfax's include files, but I am sure Ken does.

Probably better than Colefax himself :)
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/1434/

-- 
Wishing you Seasons Greetings and A Happy New Millennium !
Ken Tyler -  1300+ Povray, Graphics, 3D Rendering, and Raytracing Links:
http://home.pacbell.net/tylereng/index.html http://www.povray.org/links/

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Wow, thanks guys - there's a ton of good stuff on that page.

-Slime

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I have also written a bezier macro that makes 3d splines. It can handle joining
splines together and there is a simple trick to
making the timing work out. I can send it to you, but I'm afraid I haven't finished
the documentation for it.

msk### [at] msncom wrote:

> Can someone tell me how to create a 3D (cubic) spline from a list of points in it? 
Specificaly, I want to be able to animate the
> camera's position in a smooth manner by giving a list of points that it should
travel through in order.  Points that are closer
> together should make it travel more slowly.  Does my question even make sense?  If
anyone can help here, thanks in advance.
>
> -Slime

--

Josh English
eng### [at] spiritonecom
ICQ: 1946299
"Stress is when you wake up screaming and realize you haven't fallen asleep yet."

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Well, would a kid in Pre-Calculus be able to understand it if he tried hard enough?

-Slime


Josh English <eng### [at] spiritonecom> wrote in message
news:386B9C65.6C1DFAB4@spiritone.com...
> I have also written a bezier macro that makes 3d splines. It can handle joining
splines together and there is a simple trick to
> making the timing work out. I can send it to you, but I'm afraid I haven't finished
the documentation for it.
>
> msk### [at] msncom wrote:
>
> > Can someone tell me how to create a 3D (cubic) spline from a list of points in it?
 Specificaly, I want to be able to animate
the
> > camera's position in a smooth manner by giving a list of points that it should
travel through in order.  Points that are closer
> > together should make it travel more slowly.  Does my question even make sense?  If
anyone can help here, thanks in advance.
> >
> > -Slime
>
> --
>
> Josh English
> eng### [at] spiritonecom
> ICQ: 1946299
> "Stress is when you wake up screaming and realize you haven't fallen asleep yet."
>
>

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You should be able to. I'm only in Calculus myself. I have a lot of Math to catch up
on. I'll forward it to you.

msk### [at] msncom wrote:

> Well, would a kid in Pre-Calculus be able to understand it if he tried hard enough?
>
> -Slime
>
> Josh English <eng### [at] spiritonecom> wrote in message
news:386B9C65.6C1DFAB4@spiritone.com...
> > I have also written a bezier macro that makes 3d splines. It can handle joining
splines together and there is a simple trick to
> > making the timing work out. I can send it to you, but I'm afraid I haven't
finished the documentation for it.
> >
> > msk### [at] msncom wrote:
> >
> > > Can someone tell me how to create a 3D (cubic) spline from a list of points in
it?  Specificaly, I want to be able to animate
> the
> > > camera's position in a smooth manner by giving a list of points that it should
travel through in order.  Points that are closer
> > > together should make it travel more slowly.  Does my question even make sense? 
If anyone can help here, thanks in advance.
> > >
> > > -Slime
> >
> > --
> >
> > Josh English
> > eng### [at] spiritonecom
> > ICQ: 1946299
> > "Stress is when you wake up screaming and realize you haven't fallen asleep yet."
> >
> >

--

Josh English
eng### [at] spiritonecom
ICQ: 1946299
"Stress is when you wake up screaming and realize you haven't fallen asleep yet."

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In article <386E60DB.2A3EE776@spiritone.com>, Josh English 
<eng### [at] spiritonecom> wrote:

> You should be able to. I'm only in Calculus myself. I have a lot of Math 
> to catch up on. I'll forward it to you.

Both of you are lucky, I am stuck with Algebra II(which is way below my 
level of ability).
However, I have been looking around for some good Trig/Calculus books, 
any suggestions? On second thought, better post replies to this message 
to povray.off-topic. :-)

-- 
Chris Huff
e-mail: chr### [at] yahoocom
Web page: http://chrishuff.dhs.org/

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msk### [at] msncom wrote:

> Can someone tell me how to create a 3D (cubic) spline from a list of points in it? 
Specificaly, I want to be able to animate the
> camera's position in a smooth manner by giving a list of points that it should
travel through in order.  Points that are closer
> together should make it travel more slowly.  Does my question even make sense?  If
anyone can help here, thanks in advance.

    I have seen some of the other responses.

    No. If you do not understand it, you find and follow the recipe. If that does not
work you find the theory and learn it. That is
the only solution.

    I have more math behind me than I would like to be reminded of. I'd find the right
equation, render about three to six errors
before figuring out how to make it run right. It would also take me about ten times
longer to relearn the math and then try to make
it run right so I don't bother. So I live on the gut feel memory.

    Sorry but there is no substitution for you time in hell learning the math.

    But the good side is that you can fake camera location and look_at and probably
get it right in the same six errors tries that it
takes me.

    If you do not understand the basic representation of the math then you have a
problem that only education will repair. It is not
hard really. Rather it is more like learning the language. Its nothing secret, not
magic, just a language. Once you learn to think in
it you are home free.

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I got your forward, thanks!  Haven't had time to look at it yet... been kind of busy.

-Slime

(Yeah... it says msk### [at] msncom... ignore that...)

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