To John and TinCanMan,
Thanks for the help guys. Now I just have to work out the positions for 
the different frames.
Les

Les Patterson wrote:

> When writing the .INI file for an animation, and you want to tell Pov to
> save each rendered image in the animation as a different file name, the
> tutorial in v3.5 is not very clear on how to do this.
> 
>  Would the line read something like;
> 
> Initial_Output_File_Name = "Frame1.pov"
> Final_Output_File_Name = "Frame50.pov"
> 
> and does this tell pov to save all the files in between in numerical order?
> 
> Also is the line for the output path something like this;
> 
> Output_File_Path = C:\My Documents\Animations?
> 
> Any help is appreciated,
> 
> Les

Post a reply to this message

"Les Patterson" <les### [at] txcybercom> wrote in message
news:3C5### [at] txcybercom...
> To John and TinCanMan,
> Thanks for the help guys. Now I just have to work out the positions for
> the different frames.

Hopefully you're not making it out to be more difficult than it really is,
or barring that not thinking more can be done from the INI file than can
actually be.

The most basic way of animating in POV-Ray is fairly straightforward once
you have a INI with the keywords for Final_Clock=Number and
Final_Frame=Number (frames are integer) in the file (or +kfNumber and
+kffNumber on command line).  And of course a few other options possible
too.
The rest is all about using the 'clock' keyword in your scene file as a
variable which is based on the number of frames (and Intitial_Clock,
Final_Clock values if different from defaults of 0 to 1).  That way all you
do is imagine it is a changing number going from start to finish that you
can apply to other things within the scene.  You won't get differing prefix
names, only a frame count.  The prefix defaults to the scene file being
rendered, if you only specify a path otherwise it will take the filename you
give as Output_File_Name=.  Like I am trying to clarify here, you cannot
change that during animation unless you change the INI file prior to each
successive render.

Maybe I'm oversimplifying and going off the track of your question, just
wanted to be sure.

bob h

Post a reply to this message

Bob,
  This is the file I plan to use;

Antialias=Off

Antialias_Threshold=0.1
Antialias_Depth=2
Input_File_Name=Fly.pov


Output_File_Path=C:\My Documents\PovAnimation

Initial_Frame=1
Final_Frame=50
Initial_Clock=0
Final_Clock=1

Cyclic_Animation=on
Pause_when_Done=off

Will this work?
Les

This animation will be an aircraft flying around in the scene, but so 
far I haven't been able to get the object rotation values to work right.

bob h wrote:

> "Les Patterson" <les### [at] txcybercom> wrote in message
> news:3C5### [at] txcybercom...
> 
>> To John and TinCanMan,
>> Thanks for the help guys. Now I just have to work out the positions for
>> the different frames.
> 
> 
> Hopefully you're not making it out to be more difficult than it really is,
> or barring that not thinking more can be done from the INI file than can
> actually be.
> 
> The most basic way of animating in POV-Ray is fairly straightforward once
> you have a INI with the keywords for Final_Clock=Number and
> Final_Frame=Number (frames are integer) in the file (or +kfNumber and
> +kffNumber on command line).  And of course a few other options possible
> too.
> The rest is all about using the 'clock' keyword in your scene file as a
> variable which is based on the number of frames (and Intitial_Clock,
> Final_Clock values if different from defaults of 0 to 1).  That way all you
> do is imagine it is a changing number going from start to finish that you
> can apply to other things within the scene.  You won't get differing prefix
> names, only a frame count.  The prefix defaults to the scene file being
> rendered, if you only specify a path otherwise it will take the filename you
> give as Output_File_Name=.  Like I am trying to clarify here, you cannot
> change that during animation unless you change the INI file prior to each
> successive render.
> 
> Maybe I'm oversimplifying and going off the track of your question, just
> wanted to be sure.
> 
> bob h

Post a reply to this message

That should work. Sometimes I'll set up the clock
and frames so that it's easier to figure out.

I might do something like this:
Initial_Frame=0
Final_Frame=49
Initial_Clock=0
Final_Clock=0.49

This way there's still 50 frames and the clock is
set equal(well, sort of)to each frame.

Are you using Chris Colefax's "Clock Modifier"? It
really makes animating easier IMHO.

http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/1434/clockmod.html

-- 
Phil
Behold, for I am the keeper of the sacred coffee brewing method.

Post a reply to this message

Phil,
  Thanks for the info and the code. I have read a little about Chris 
Colefax's "Clock Modifier" a short time ago, but haven't tried it yet. I 
will check it out today.
Thanks again,
Les

Phil Clute wrote:

> That should work. Sometimes I'll set up the clock
> and frames so that it's easier to figure out.
> 
> I might do something like this:
> Initial_Frame=0
> Final_Frame=49
> Initial_Clock=0
> Final_Clock=0.49
> 
> This way there's still 50 frames and the clock is
> set equal(well, sort of)to each frame.
> 
> Are you using Chris Colefax's "Clock Modifier"? It
> really makes animating easier IMHO.
> 
> http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/1434/clockmod.html

Post a reply to this message

"Les Patterson" <les### [at] txcybercom> wrote in message
news:3C5### [at] txcybercom...
>
> Antialias=Off
>
> Antialias_Threshold=0.1
> Antialias_Depth=2
> Input_File_Name=Fly.pov
>
>
> Output_File_Path=C:\My Documents\PovAnimation
>
> Initial_Frame=1
> Final_Frame=50
> Initial_Clock=0
> Final_Clock=1
>
> Cyclic_Animation=on
> Pause_when_Done=off
>
> Will this work?
> Les
>
> This animation will be an aircraft flying around in the scene, but so
> far I haven't been able to get the object rotation values to work right.

A bit delayed response from me but there isn't a Output_File_Path= (unless
someone added it without me realizing it. No, I checked the v3.5 docs, there
isn't).  You use Output_File_Name= for the path and leave off the file name
if you just want the scene file name to prefix onto the frame files.  Or you
can use the full path plus name different from your scenes name too.

Output_File_Name=C:\My Documents\PovAnimation\

or

Output_File_Name=C:\My Documents\PovAnimation\fly.pov

is what you want to be using.

bob h

Post a reply to this message

Most important thing to remember is that when the keyword clock is used as a
variable in your scene it is just the number incrementing as set in INI as
Intitial_Clock=0 to Final_Clock=1 (or by default 0 to 1 if not set).
Cyclic_Animation=On will truncate that so the start and end is not repeated
and is only one frame for both.

Your airplane, if going in a circle for example, might be like:

object
{
    Airplane
        // do any reorienting here first, scales, rotates, translates
        // then do the following things
        translate 10*x // offset from center
        rotate clock*360*y // 360 degrees
}

And of course you need the nose/tail pointing -/+ z to begin with for this
example to work right.
I might as well point out now rather than later that getting all the
orientations done ahead of the final motion is paramount to things going the
way you expect; otherwise, if you try reorienting the wing tilt after the
circle rotation move you'll end up with a airplane going up and/or down
instead of a level orbit with tilting wings.

As Phil suggested that Clock Modifier really helps with non-uniform motion
too, just got to get the animation basics figured right.

bob h

Post a reply to this message

Bob,
  Thanks for your help in both replies.
Here are the object and camera coordinates that I'm working with right now.

camera location <0, 15, -6>
        look_at < 0, 15, 0>

object position #1 <8, 12, -8>//starting position
        position #2 <-45, 12, 50>//crossing from right to left in front 
of camera as it travels into the distance.
        position #3 < 0, 50, 60>
        position #4 <45, 12, 50>//pos#2, #3 & #4 should make an arch 
going across from left to right.
        position #5 <-8, 12, -8>//ending the path just outside of camera 
view on left.

I understand how to use (From, Using, & To) for the movements, but the 
spline/path is giving me problems now. Also, if I can figure out the 
spline coordinates, I might just close the end of the path closest to 
camera and have a full figure8, keeping everything in front of the 
camera. I can get straight lines and curved lines but now crisscrossing 
lines or figure 8 yet.

Thanks again for the help,
Les




bob h wrote:

> "Les Patterson" <les### [at] txcybercom> wrote in message
> news:3C5### [at] txcybercom...
> 
>> Antialias=Off
>> 
>> Antialias_Threshold=0.1
>> Antialias_Depth=2
>> Input_File_Name=Fly.pov
>> 
>> 
>> Output_File_Path=C:\My Documents\PovAnimation
>> 
>> Initial_Frame=1
>> Final_Frame=50
>> Initial_Clock=0
>> Final_Clock=1
>> 
>> Cyclic_Animation=on
>> Pause_when_Done=off
>> 
>> Will this work?
>> Les
>> 
>> This animation will be an aircraft flying around in the scene, but so
>> far I haven't been able to get the object rotation values to work right.
> 
> 
> A bit delayed response from me but there isn't a Output_File_Path= (unless
> someone added it without me realizing it. No, I checked the v3.5 docs, there
> isn't).  You use Output_File_Name= for the path and leave off the file name
> if you just want the scene file name to prefix onto the frame files.  Or you
> can use the full path plus name different from your scenes name too.
> 
> Output_File_Name=C:\My Documents\PovAnimation\
> 
> or
> 
> Output_File_Name=C:\My Documents\PovAnimation\fly.pov
> 
> is what you want to be using.
> 
> bob h

Post a reply to this message

"Les Patterson" <les### [at] txcybercom> wrote in message
news:3C5### [at] txcybercom...
> Bob,
>   Thanks for your help in both replies.

Welcome to whatever I can manage to help with.

> I understand how to use (From, Using, & To) for the movements, but the
> spline/path is giving me problems now. Also, if I can figure out the
> spline coordinates, I might just close the end of the path closest to
> camera and have a full figure8, keeping everything in front of the
> camera. I can get straight lines and curved lines but no crisscrossing
> lines or figure 8 yet.

That movement you have set up is probably uneven.  The spline path will yank
the airplane around through it as though on the end of a snapping whip, well
what I mean is that the interploation of points between won't be very
steady.  Of course you would like acceleration and deceleration I'm sure but
you must be careful how you set the points up.  The spacing between them
should relate to speed, i.e. shorter spacings are slower and longer spacings
are faster.  There's been a lot done in the way splines are calculated
within POV-Ray but Chris Colefax's generator macro is external and I can't
remember how it goes about it.  Would be obvious once you've rendered out
the animation and viewed it.
3D graphing paper (nonexistant I guess :-)) would be perfect for planning
such things out.  A figure-8 wouldn't be a problem anyway, it shouldn't
tangle up.  ;-)

bob h

Post a reply to this message

Bob,
  I'm still pretty new at Pov and it takes time for some of these things 
to set in to the old brain. Old age I guess. I'm going to play with the 
spline points for a while till I get it all worked out.
  Thanks again for your help,
Les

bob h wrote:

> "Les Patterson" <les### [at] txcybercom> wrote in message
> news:3C5### [at] txcybercom...
> 
>> Bob,
>>   Thanks for your help in both replies.
> 
> 
> Welcome to whatever I can manage to help with.
> 
> 
>> I understand how to use (From, Using, & To) for the movements, but the
>> spline/path is giving me problems now. Also, if I can figure out the
>> spline coordinates, I might just close the end of the path closest to
>> camera and have a full figure8, keeping everything in front of the
>> camera. I can get straight lines and curved lines but no crisscrossing
>> lines or figure 8 yet.
> 
> 
> That movement you have set up is probably uneven.  The spline path will yank
> the airplane around through it as though on the end of a snapping whip, well
> what I mean is that the interploation of points between won't be very
> steady.  Of course you would like acceleration and deceleration I'm sure but
> you must be careful how you set the points up.  The spacing between them
> should relate to speed, i.e. shorter spacings are slower and longer spacings
> are faster.  There's been a lot done in the way splines are calculated
> within POV-Ray but Chris Colefax's generator macro is external and I can't
> remember how it goes about it.  Would be obvious once you've rendered out
> the animation and viewed it.
> 3D graphing paper (nonexistant I guess :-)) would be perfect for planning
> such things out.  A figure-8 wouldn't be a problem anyway, it shouldn't
> tangle up.  ;-)
> 
> bob h

Post a reply to this message