On Fri, 19 Sep 2003 09:03:17 -0500, "Steve Shelby" <ssh### [at] rexnetnet> wrote:

>This is something I've been working on for quite a while, and I finally got
>it down. A lot of details to work out yet, but the hard parts are done. I
>used Moray 3.5 mesh editor to make the snake parts, 243 body sections plus
>the head, animated along a spline, using Chris Colefax's Spline Macro. I
>will gladly provide more details, if anyone is interested.

That's neat Steve. Did you make the Snake parts from scratch? It's time Moray's
download section had a few new models. Although I suppose it would be politic to
wait until it is released first.



Regards
        Stephen

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Steve Shelby wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> This is something I've been working on for quite a while, and I finally got
> it down. A lot of details to work out yet, but the hard parts are done. I
> used Moray 3.5 mesh editor to make the snake parts, 243 body sections plus
> the head, animated along a spline, using Chris Colefax's Spline Macro. I
> will gladly provide more details, if anyone is interested.
> Steve Shelby
> 
>                  Name: Snake1.mpg
>    Snake1.mpg    Type: WMPLAYER File (video/mpg)
>              Encoding: x-uuencode

Looks great except that snakes don't move this way. Don't ask me how
exactly they do, but their forward motion is caused by bending and
curving (excuse my English). Mind you: I would fall for this :)
I'm curious about where this is going.

Remco

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Yes, all the parts are made from scratch. The head took several weeks; it
stretched the capabilities of the mesh editor to the limit.
Steve

"Stephen McAvoy" <McA### [at] aolcom> wrote in message
news:sr4mmvs90v9g0v44qvebq1rs6ucb5rj2l1@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 19 Sep 2003 09:03:17 -0500, "Steve Shelby" <ssh### [at] rexnetnet>
wrote:
>
> >This is something I've been working on for quite a while, and I finally
got
> >it down. A lot of details to work out yet, but the hard parts are done. I
> >used Moray 3.5 mesh editor to make the snake parts, 243 body sections
plus
> >the head, animated along a spline, using Chris Colefax's Spline Macro. I
> >will gladly provide more details, if anyone is interested.
>
> That's neat Steve. Did you make the Snake parts from scratch? It's time
Moray's
> download section had a few new models. Although I suppose it would be
politic to
> wait until it is released first.
>
>
>
> Regards
>         Stephen

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In article <3f6b0d08@news.povray.org>, ssh### [at] rexnetnet says...
> Hi,
> This is something I've been working on for quite a while, and I finally got
> it down. A lot of details to work out yet, but the hard parts are done. I
> used Moray 3.5 mesh editor to make the snake parts, 243 body sections plus
> the head, animated along a spline, using Chris Colefax's Spline Macro. I
> will gladly provide more details, if anyone is interested.
> Steve Shelby

Try to keep the head pointing in the direction of travel if possible.  I 
don't know of any snakes whose heads move like that while they're 
travelling.

Otherwise - Ooh, Pretty :)

Jamie.

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That bothers me a little bit too. I think I can fix it, but it will require
a lot of work. The problem is that I made the head include a little of the
neck, making the pivot point back so far that while the axis is tangent to
the spline at the back of the head, the front of the head is pointing
somewhere else. If I make a few neck sections that can rotate the same as
the other body sections, moving the pivot point for the head as far forward
as possible, it should look better.
Steve

"Jamie Davison" <jam### [at] ntlworldcom> wrote in message
news:MPG.19d56d3eea49aa4d989cbd@news.povray.org...
> In article <3f6b0d08@news.povray.org>, ssh### [at] rexnetnet says...
> > Hi,
> > This is something I've been working on for quite a while, and I finally
got
> > it down. A lot of details to work out yet, but the hard parts are done.
I
> > used Moray 3.5 mesh editor to make the snake parts, 243 body sections
plus
> > the head, animated along a spline, using Chris Colefax's Spline Macro. I
> > will gladly provide more details, if anyone is interested.
> > Steve Shelby
>
> Try to keep the head pointing in the direction of travel if possible.  I
> don't know of any snakes whose heads move like that while they're
> travelling.
>
> Otherwise - Ooh, Pretty :)
>
> Jamie.
>

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Steve Shelby wrote:

> Hi,
> This is something I've been working on for quite a while, and I
> finally got it down. A lot of details to work out yet, but the
> hard parts are done. I used Moray 3.5 mesh editor to make the
> snake parts, 243 body sections plus the head, animated along a
> spline, using Chris Colefax's Spline Macro. I will gladly
> provide more details, if anyone is interested. Steve Shelby

Really cool! My suggestion: Try to keep the head in the middle of
the movement... and only let the body make the waves.. 

Maybe something like this:
  ___
 /   \      ___._
/     \____/



Just my 0.02 swiss francs ;)


Greets

Dave

-- 
Dave "tPassive" Vogt| ruby -e "n=gets.to_i;a=(2..n).to_a;a.each{
Linux  user  #225040| |x|puts x;(x*2).step(n,x){|j|a.delete j}}"
____________________|_____________________________             |
PGP Key: http://control-alt-del.ch/public_key.asc \____________/

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Remco,
Your message prompted me to look up "snake locomotion". It turns out that
there are several different methods of movement employed by snakes.
See http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~bxm5101/locomotn.htm
or http://reptilis.net/serpentes/moving.html
Unfortunately, I can't find any good videos of snakes in motion. I think the
main problem mine has is the way the  head appears to move from side to
side.
As to where this is going...Idon't really know yet. Any suggestions?
Steve

"Remco de Korte" <rem### [at] onwijscom> wrote in message
news:3F6B1B36.56291DE3@onwijs.com...
> Looks great except that snakes don't move this way. Don't ask me how
> exactly they do, but their forward motion is caused by bending and
> curving (excuse my English). Mind you: I would fall for this :)
> I'm curious about where this is going.
>
> Remco

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Dave,
Thank you. Your suggestion is a good one, but a very difficult (for me)
problem. It will take me a while to come up with a solution.
Steve

"Dave Vogt" <dav### [at] control-alt-delch> wrote in message
news:hka### [at] control-alt-delch...
> Really cool! My suggestion: Try to keep the head in the middle of
> the movement... and only let the body make the waves..
>
> Maybe something like this:
>   ___
>  /   \      ___._
> /     \____/
>
>
>
> Just my 0.02 swiss francs ;)
>
>
> Greets
>
> Dave
>
> -- 
> Dave "tPassive" Vogt| ruby -e "n=gets.to_i;a=(2..n).to_a;a.each{
> Linux  user  #225040| |x|puts x;(x*2).step(n,x){|j|a.delete j}}"
> ____________________|_____________________________             |
> PGP Key: http://control-alt-del.ch/public_key.asc \____________/

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Steve Shelby wrote:
> 
> Remco,
> Your message prompted me to look up "snake locomotion". It turns out that
> there are several different methods of movement employed by snakes.
> See http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~bxm5101/locomotn.htm
> or http://reptilis.net/serpentes/moving.html
> Unfortunately, I can't find any good videos of snakes in motion. I think the
> main problem mine has is the way the  head appears to move from side to
> side.
> As to where this is going...Idon't really know yet. Any suggestions?
> Steve
> 

Since I started it... No, I'm not an expert on snakes, but it just
seemed wrong (and right in a different way: I liked the motion, I just
thought snakes wouldn't move forward that way).
I think if you keep the head in a fixed location on the snake's path the
body should "wave" behind it.
So, assuming you use a sort of sine way, I'd set the amplitude (?) at
zero for the head and increase it up to some point down the body (maybe
at 1/4th).
Maybe that looks silly (as opposed to now), I don't know. Some
experimenting might help.

Good luck,

Remco

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Steve Shelby wrote:

> Dave,
> Thank you. Your suggestion is a good one, but a very difficult
> (for me) problem. It will take me a while to come up with a
> solution. Steve

I hacked something together which might be a solution for this.
Far from being perfect, but it shows the way I think snakes move.


Greets

Dave


-- 
Dave "tPassive" Vogt| ruby -e "n=gets.to_i;a=(2..n).to_a;a.each{
Linux  user  #225040| |x|puts x;(x*2).step(n,x){|j|a.delete j}}"
____________________|_____________________________             |
PGP Key: http://control-alt-del.ch/public_key.asc \____________/

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