I have uploaded bones.inc to:

http://www.magicalrobotics.com/bones.zip

This include file allows the user to declare bones (with a POVray object
attached to a bone) and build them up into skeletons, which can then be posed
and animated by interpolation between poses.  There is also a feature that
allows a POVray object (such as a blob) to be attached to two or more bones.  It
is missing a true inverse kinematics or motion-capture capability, but the basis
is there to add that in the future, and as it is posing a character is pretty
easy.  The zip file includes bones.inc, a readme file with full documentation on
how to use it, two example files using bones.inc, and the GNU licenses.

sample animations using bones.inc:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7OWtzCIERI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U617Us7gfNM

I'm hoping that someone besides just me will find this useful.

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Hello Ed,


we both looked at the real world and applied the bones of a skeleton as our
framework for animating objects that make up our characters. I like to think of
the attached objects as the muscles.

You are ahead of me on a couple of things. Your InterpolatePose is on my to do
list. I currently have to create an action to smoothly transition between two

automating that.

I also like your IndirectBoneLabel with the example of the webbing between
fingers. When I first posted something about Alive! a person with the web name

that would tie two objects created by another utility. As the bones of the
separate objects moved the mesh would flex and make them appear as a single
body. It looks like your IndirectBoneLabel would allow that.

So if I may ask, where to next? I started writing Alive! when I wanted to do



TRP
www.ImagicProductions.com
the home of
Alive! for POV

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"trp" <trp### [at] imagicproductionscom> wrote:
> Hello Ed,
>

> we both looked at the real world and applied the bones of a skeleton as our
> framework for animating objects that make up our characters. I like to think of
> the attached objects as the muscles.

Using bones and skeletons is so logical I figure everybody starts there.  The
attached figures definitely could be considered muscles, and there may be a way
to use this idea to have the muscles flex and extend the bones (joints).  That
would lead to more realistic characters, with muscles bulging and relaxing under
their skin.

>
> You are ahead of me on a couple of things. Your InterpolatePose is on my to do
> list. I currently have to create an action to smoothly transition between two

> automating that.
>

I made a slight modification to the interpolatePose and interpolateMovement
macros a few days after I first uploaded bones.zip.  These macros can now be
passed empty strings as skeleton names (parsed as working on the current
skeleton), thus allowing some serious nesting of interpolations.  By creating
four running poses, an animation of running is easy.  However, by interpolating
between a standing pose and the running movement the character can go any speed
from a slow shuffle to a normal walk to a slow trot to a sprint.  It actually
worked smoother and easier than I first expected.

> I also like your IndirectBoneLabel with the example of the webbing between
> fingers. When I first posted something about Alive! a person with the web name

> that would tie two objects created by another utility. As the bones of the
> separate objects moved the mesh would flex and make them appear as a single
> body. It looks like your IndirectBoneLabel would allow that.

It does.  A closeup look at the hand in the biped robot example is almost eerie,
particularly as it moves.  I used a blob object for the entire palm, and as the
bones move (particularly the thumb) the blob bulges as if there are muscles
underneath.  The back of the hand almost looks like it has tendons, which was a
surprise.

>
> So if I may ask, where to next? I started writing Alive! when I wanted to do


>
> TRP
> www.ImagicProductions.com
> the home of
> Alive! for POV

Well the goal was originally to turn an old webcomic of mine into 3d animation.
I realized early on that there would be much broader applicability (and greater
utility for me personally) if I made it a much more general solution.

Next up I will be generating more poses for my two existing skeletons and then
generating more skeletons.  A true inverse kinematics addition might be nice,
but given sufficient poses and the ease of interpolation IK might not even be
strictly necessary.

Right now I only have my characters in empty scenes.  I want to make up some
sets and have the characters move around and interact with objects and each
other - issues are bound to come up with characters sinking into the floor or
walking through walls, and I want to sort through those issues.

Ed

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Keep us posted on changes and the animations that you create. I understand what
you mean about flexing muscles and the appearance of tendons and bones under the
skin. When I started Alive! I wanted to be able to easily change the radius of a
blob component as a joint angle changed to simulate the contraction of a muscle.

have done it. I would have taken Blobman and your macros and just worked on the
animation I wanted to do.



existing Blobman example, and create an animation of Blobman kicking his right

structure. But, if someone wanted to deconstruct Blobman and reconstruct it with

reusable interpolations for easy character animations. That is where I am going
with my Alive! program.)

You have done a good job, Ed. Stay in touch.



a lot of free time. But I will post examples when I get there.

Thanks for sharing.
TRP
www.ImagicProductions.com
the home of
Alive! for POV

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"trp" <trp### [at] imagicproductionscom> wrote:
> Keep us posted on changes and the animations that you create. I understand what
> you mean about flexing muscles and the appearance of tendons and bones under the
> skin. When I started Alive! I wanted to be able to easily change the radius of a
> blob component as a joint angle changed to simulate the contraction of a muscle.

> have done it. I would have taken Blobman and your macros and just worked on the
> animation I wanted to do.
>


> existing Blobman example, and create an animation of Blobman kicking his right

> structure. But, if someone wanted to deconstruct Blobman and reconstruct it with

> reusable interpolations for easy character animations. That is where I am going
> with my Alive! program.)
>

I didn't even know about Blobman when I started working on bones.inc.  Now that
I have downloaded Blobman and stared reading through it, I can see some real
potential for combining the two.

So, yeah, my next big POVray project will be deconstructing Blobman and
reconstructing it in bones.inc syntax.  It is certainly worthwhile doing, as the
result would be easy-to-create and easy-to-animate characters.  Unfortunately my
to-do list is rather long, and that is a project that could take several months
all by itself.  It might be a while before I get around to it.

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"robotguy" <ske### [at] magicalroboticscom> wrote:
> I didn't even know about Blobman when I started working on bones.inc.  Now that
> I have downloaded Blobman and stared reading through it, I can see some real
> potential for combining the two.
>
> So, yeah, my next big POVray project will be deconstructing Blobman and
> reconstructing it in bones.inc syntax.  It is certainly worthwhile doing, as the
> result would be easy-to-create and easy-to-animate characters.  Unfortunately my
> to-do list is rather long, and that is a project that could take several months
> all by itself.  It might be a while before I get around to it.






http://www.telinco.co.uk/c_bartlett/povperson/head/index.htm

He has created more detailed head models that attach to the Blobman 4.2 bodies.

I understand the constraints of time. But, do let us know what you come up with
when you do. If I can be of any help, contact me directly: <trp [at]
imagicproductions com>

TRP
www.ImagicProductions.com
the home of Alive! for POV

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