Hi,

To all who are interested, UK mag DIGIT is giving away the full version of
Life Forms 3.5 character animation software, as used in Jurassic Park etc. I
have just installed it, but have yet to delve deeper than looking at a few
of the demo files (of which there are lots).

I mention this here, as I feel that such a tool would open up the
possibility of character animation within POV-Ray to those of us who are
less mathematically gifted.

What's needed, I think, is software to convert .bvh motion files (or
whatever other format it outputs) into a text file that POV can deal with.
Then instead of having to deal with POV-code IK systems, just use a macro to
build your character from it's joint coordinates (you could have figures
dancing around built from strings of shifting blobs etc)

This is all theoretical at the moment.. I'll try to come up with animations
soon, but it all rests on hacking the .bvh files into a POV-friendly format.
Anyone care to write a utility? Please..... ;-)

Comments? Anyone else interested in this?

All the best,

Andy Cocker

Post a reply to this message

Sounds interesting. I personally am trying to dig up the issue with Poser on the cover
CD (I found Digit and Computer Arts from
information from a Curious Labs ref), but they still haven't replied. Do you have any
idea how to get a back-order? Their website is
about as clear as "rgbt 0" ;)

"Andrew Cocker" <big### [at] mariner9fsnetcouk> wrote in message
news:3cb60ed9$1@news.povray.org...
> Hi,
>
> To all who are interested, UK mag DIGIT is giving away the full version of
> Life Forms 3.5 character animation software, as used in Jurassic Park etc. I
> have just installed it, but have yet to delve deeper than looking at a few
> of the demo files (of which there are lots).
>
> I mention this here, as I feel that such a tool would open up the
> possibility of character animation within POV-Ray to those of us who are
> less mathematically gifted.
>
> What's needed, I think, is software to convert .bvh motion files (or
> whatever other format it outputs) into a text file that POV can deal with.
> Then instead of having to deal with POV-code IK systems, just use a macro to
> build your character from it's joint coordinates (you could have figures
> dancing around built from strings of shifting blobs etc)
>
> This is all theoretical at the moment.. I'll try to come up with animations
> soon, but it all rests on hacking the .bvh files into a POV-friendly format.
> Anyone care to write a utility? Please..... ;-)
>
> Comments? Anyone else interested in this?
>
> All the best,
>
> Andy Cocker
>
>

Post a reply to this message

Andrew Cocker wrote:
> 
> This is all theoretical at the moment.. I'll try to come up with animations
> soon, but it all rests on hacking the .bvh files into a POV-friendly format.
> Anyone care to write a utility? Please..... ;-)

Well, I could take a look at the problem, but I don't have Life Forms, and
am not in the UK, so can't go pick it up.  If you feel like answering some
questions and sending me some .bvh files, drop me an email.  This sounds
interesting.

Deaken

Post a reply to this message

"Mahalis" <don### [at] fakeycom> wrote in message
news:3cb62f03$1@news.povray.org...
> Sounds interesting. I personally am trying to dig up the issue with Poser
on the cover CD (I found Digit and Computer Arts from
> information from a Curious Labs ref), but they still haven't replied. Do
you have any idea how to get a back-order?

I certainly do :-)

Call 01458 271108  (from the UK.. I think you need to prefix that with 44
for international calls)
or
ca.### [at] futurenetcouk

Quote code : COAP67

www.computerarts.co.uk/backissues

I hope that helps. If not, and it's sold out, I may be able to send you a
copy of the cover CD.

All the best,

Andy Cocker

Post a reply to this message

Thanks!
Yes, I tried to back-order from Computer Arts, but the rep said they were sold out.

Post a reply to this message

"Mahalis" <don### [at] fakeycom> wrote in message
news:3cb6bf7b@news.povray.org...
> Thanks!
> Yes, I tried to back-order from Computer Arts, but the rep said they were
sold out.

Ok, mail me your address direct, and I'll see what I can do.

Andy

Post a reply to this message

"Deaken" <dwy### [at] sw-techcom> wrote in message
news:3CB6AA32.87496587@sw-tech.com...
> Well, I could take a look at the problem, but I don't have Life Forms, and
> am not in the UK, so can't go pick it up.  If you feel like answering some
> questions and sending me some .bvh files, drop me an email.  This sounds
> interesting.

Sounds good. I'll get back to you shortly when I've taken a better look at
the problem.

Andy

Post a reply to this message

"Andrew Cocker" <big### [at] mariner9fsnetcouk> wrote in message
news:3cb6c198$1@news.povray.org...
>
> "Deaken" <dwy### [at] sw-techcom> wrote in message
> news:3CB6AA32.87496587@sw-tech.com...
> > Well, I could take a look at the problem, but I don't have Life Forms,
and
> > am not in the UK, so can't go pick it up.  If you feel like answering
some
> > questions and sending me some .bvh files, drop me an email.  This sounds
> > interesting.
>
> Sounds good. I'll get back to you shortly when I've taken a better look at
> the problem.

Update: The software crashes repeatedly on XP, rendering it unusable. I
haven't got the time to try and find out why, so I may have to go back to
using POSER to output these .bvh files (which was plan 1 anyway). Watch this
space.

Andy

Post a reply to this message

You can also get a 20 day fully functional trial of version 3.9.
They will send you a CD for free, but it will only work for
20 days. Version 4.0 will soon be released.

http://www.credo-interactive.com/trial/demoform.html

So you can check it out.

Harolddd


"Andrew Cocker" <big### [at] mariner9fsnetcouk> wrote in message
news:3cb60ed9$1@news.povray.org...
> Hi,
>
> To all who are interested, UK mag DIGIT is giving away the full version of
> Life Forms 3.5 character animation software, as used in Jurassic Park etc.
I
> have just installed it, but have yet to delve deeper than looking at a few
> of the demo files (of which there are lots).
>
> I mention this here, as I feel that such a tool would open up the
> possibility of character animation within POV-Ray to those of us who are
> less mathematically gifted.
>
> What's needed, I think, is software to convert .bvh motion files (or
> whatever other format it outputs) into a text file that POV can deal with.
> Then instead of having to deal with POV-code IK systems, just use a macro
to
> build your character from it's joint coordinates (you could have figures
> dancing around built from strings of shifting blobs etc)
>
> This is all theoretical at the moment.. I'll try to come up with
animations
> soon, but it all rests on hacking the .bvh files into a POV-friendly
format.
> Anyone care to write a utility? Please..... ;-)
>
> Comments? Anyone else interested in this?
>
> All the best,
>
> Andy Cocker
>
>

Post a reply to this message

Andrew Cocker wrote:
> 
> I mention this here, as I feel that such a tool would open up the
> possibility of character animation within POV-Ray to those of us who
> are less mathematically gifted.
> 
> What's needed, I think, is software to convert .bvh motion files (or
> whatever other format it outputs) into a text file that POV can deal
> with. Then instead of having to deal with POV-code IK systems, just
> use a macro to build your character from it's joint coordinates (you
> could have figures dancing around built from strings of shifting blobs
> etc)
> Comments? Anyone else interested in this?

When I'm not busy with Rusty, I'm working on a modeler that handles
posable models, subdivision surfaces, and uv-mapping.

It's not done yet.

-- 
Rusty is rendering!

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