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Hi Tore,
I gave your program a spin. I'd say we are not that far away in conceptual
terms.
"My aim is to let the program I'm currently working on take on the grunt work."
Is pretty much what I'm thinking. And the whole "march.exe" idea is right on
target too. By "automatic", I don't necessarily mean "hard-wired". I mean
"library-based", in the same sense as Ldraw. A user can either build the model
(a relatively "easy" task) and/or make the parts (much harder -in this case, the
animation presets files; in Ldraw's case the parts that make the library); but
not necessarily both.
Couple of comments:
- L3P can take the main file and use the "clock" from povray to batch-process
the files (I know it's not ideal for your system, but at least you can create
loops to check how it looks). And LPUB might make it even simpler to do. When
Kevin was writing the early versions of the program, I remember discussing
briefly with him its animation possibilities, which he seemed aware of and very
open to. But the main objective for the program is to create instruction steps,
so that is where he's put most of the effort into. (Thanks again, Kevin)
- All this talk (and coding) has left me with quite a few ideas and a lot of
prototype material lying around. I'm definitely adding a large Lego CGI section
to my site. I've got several things ready to go, but I'd rather give them a
decent home before I introduce them in society.
In any event, let's all the animators keep pushing now there's momentum
building!
PS: Can you please write a minifig tutorial for your program? Pretty please?
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In lugnet.cad, Miguel Agullo wrote:
>
> PS: Can you please write a minifig tutorial for your program? Pretty please?
My program was written a couple of years ago. The primary idea was not the
program itself, but to create a syntax that could cover all needs for animation.
There are many programmers at Lugnet much more skilled than me, so I thought
that if this syntax could be accetpted, other developers could make much better
user interfaces much faster than me.
But because animation is so complicated, I wanted it to be automized, so I
created to shell program to take care of the coding, and the user just had to
add parameters.
Before I make a brief tutorial, I also want to say that this program uses the
old minifig parts and if my memory serves me well, there is some minor bug with
one hand or arm.
1. Don't start LDA2001 yet! The model in step 2 can be created with Notepad, or
ML-Cad, or any other LDraw modeller. Or you can use any model file already
created. But you can not use LDA2001 to create the scene file itself.
2. Create a static SCENE MODEL. Nothing in this model will be moving. All thing
that will move must be lifted out and saved as separate models. The scene can be
named anything, but LDA2001 defaults scene.dat. Save the file in
<LDrawBaseDir>\Models (Remember, this is a prototype program, and I don't think
saving in any other folder is a good idea). A scene can be anything from just a
10.dat baseplate, a 700.dat brickplate, to Datsville's town.ldr.
3. (The LDA2001 program requires that C:\Windows\LDraw.ini exists. If you are
not certain, check that)
4. Launch the LDA2001.exe program. Click on "New" button to create a NEW
PROJECT. Just click on the defaults or change your name if you wish. You should
now have five lines in the upper window. (This window is editable at any time.)
5. Create a MINIFIG. Click on "Create..." button, click "No" to create a
minifig. Minifig stands by default. Do NOT click on the "Stand" button - there
is a harmless but funny little bug that makes the hands misplaced in that
function.
6. If you wish to change minifigs object name, click on "Hip" radio-button
inside Member panel. Edit inside "Name" box in Change panel and the OK button to
the right of that box.
7. If you want to change minifig's position or rotation, do it in the first line
at the larger edit box. (The hip part "is" the minifig and the other members are
just child objects to it.)
8. If you want another torso patten, just change the file name reference
accordingly. Operations like this can be done anytime before compiling. I
strongly suggest you use Anders Isaksson's LDList to find the file name.
http://user.tninet.se/~hbh828t/ldlist.htm
9. Click on the larger "OK" button to the right. If you haven't picked "Sit"
mode, you will be prompted if you want the minifig to walk. just click "Yes" if
you want it to, or else it will be standing still.
10. SHOOT FRAME(s) by clicking on the "Shoot Frame" button. If you want more
than one frame, you can either click many times at that button or you can edit
the line. "Camera.Shoot 8" makes 8 frames and so on.
11. Now, all you have to do is click on the "Compile" button, and the program
will create as many frame files as you ordered it to Shoot Frame. (Plus one
Master file with STEPs and CLEARs that can be use by any LDraw renderer
supporting these meta-commands.)
12. Before quitting program, save script file if you wish.
Please ask me if there is something you want to know.
/Tore
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In lugnet.cad, Miguel Agullo wrote:
> Hi Tore,
>
> I gave your program a spin. I'd say we are not that far away in conceptual
> terms.
>
> "My aim is to let the program I'm currently working on take on the grunt work."
>
> Is pretty much what I'm thinking. And the whole "march.exe" idea is right on
> target too. By "automatic", I don't necessarily mean "hard-wired". I mean
> "library-based", in the same sense as Ldraw. A user can either build the model
> (a relatively "easy" task) and/or make the parts (much harder -in this case, the
> animation presets files; in Ldraw's case the parts that make the library); but
> not necessarily both.
I think I have the same idea as you have. The function (method?)
"<Minifig01>.MFWalk = 40" is unfortunately hard-coded inside the exe file. I
don't want it that way. I want it to be an external, easy-to-make module from a
library, and the next step is to figure out that modular system.
>
> Couple of comments:
>
> - L3P can take the main file and use the "clock" from povray to batch-process
> the files (I know it's not ideal for your system, but at least you can create
> loops to check how it looks).
I didn't know that. How does L3P use POV's "clock"? This is really interesting!
If from STEP - [CLEAR] meta-statements, all that remains is some way to tell L3P
to change camera position, angle and look-at point from the LDraw dat code!!!
> And LPUB might make it even simpler to do.
> When Kevin was writing the early versions of the program, I remember discussing
> briefly with him its animation possibilities, which he seemed aware of and very
> open to. But the main objective for the program is to create instruction steps,
> so that is where he's put most of the effort into. (Thanks again, Kevin)
Sorry, I have never been very interested in publishing instructions, so I've
never given LPub a try.
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In lugnet.cad, Tore Eriksson wrote:
> In lugnet.cad, Miguel Agullo wrote:
> >
> > - L3P can take the main file and use the "clock" from povray to batch-process
> > the files (I know it's not ideal for your system, but at least you can create
> > loops to check how it looks).
>
> I didn't know that. How does L3P use POV's "clock"? This is really interesting!
Oh, almost there...
This is what L3P produces:
#declare _40_MyAn_dot_dat = union {
// "MyAn" - (MyAn)
// Name: @MyAn.dat
// Author: Tore Eriksson
// LDraw Animation Master File
// Frame 000
object { _40_myan000_dot_dat matrix <1,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,1,0,0,0> }
// STEP
#if (clock > 1)
// Frame 001
// CLEAR
object { _40_myan001_dot_dat matrix <1,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,1,0,0,0> }
#end
// STEP
#if (clock > 2)
// Frame 002
// CLEAR
object { _40_myan002_dot_dat matrix <1,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,1,0,0,0> }
#end
// STEP
#if (clock > 3)
// Frame 003
// CLEAR
object { _40_myan003_dot_dat matrix <1,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,1,0,0,0> }
#end
// STEP
#if (clock > 4)
#end // if clock
}
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
And this is how I wish the output looked like:
#declare _40_MyAn_dot_dat = union {
// "MyAn" - (MyAn)
// Name: @MyAn.dat
// Author: Tore Eriksson
// LDraw Animation Master File
#if (clock = 0)
// Frame 000
object { _40_myan000_dot_dat matrix <1,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,1,0,0,0> }
// STEP
#end
#if (clock = 1)
// Frame 001
// CLEAR
object { _40_myan001_dot_dat matrix <1,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,1,0,0,0> }
#end
// STEP
#if (clock = 2)
// Frame 002
// CLEAR
object { _40_myan002_dot_dat matrix <1,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,1,0,0,0> }
#end
// STEP
#if (clock = 3)
// Frame 003
// CLEAR
object { _40_myan003_dot_dat matrix <1,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,1,0,0,0> }
#end
// STEP
}
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The only problem is that L3P superimposes the new frame on old ones instead of
showing just the new.
Lars, is there any way we can work this out??? :)))
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In lugnet.cad, Tore Eriksson wrote:
> This is what L3P produces:
> #if (clock > 1)
> /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
>
> And this is how I wish the output looked like:
>
>
> #if (clock = 1)
> The only problem is that L3P superimposes the new frame on old ones instead of
> showing just the new.
>
> Lars, is there any way we can work this out??? :)))
Yep, I've encountered this before and "solved" it the same way.
LPUB will render this correctly, however. Place a CLEAR statement at the
beginning of each step, then load the master file in LPUB and ask it to generate
instruction steps without parts or bill of materials. This will create a
sequence of files, each containing one step of your animation.
You can also use the buffer exchange matecommand with LPUB to your advantage
when doing animations. Although in that case it is highly recommended that you
set the "graying" of parts from previous steps off.
OK, gotta run now. But if this isn't clear enough, please let me know. In any
event, there are other LPUB experts in this forum.
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In a mail to me, Rui Martins wrote:
> Forward this to Lugnet if you want, since my current E-mail is not setup to > be able to send to lugnet.
>
> Why don't you just do a Search&Replace for the time beeing.
>
> Like:
> Search: "#if (clock > "
> Replaceby: "#if (clock = "
>
> This limits the replaces hopefully to only these specific situations.
>
> See ya
>
> Rui Martins
---------------------------------------------------
Yes, that is quite a good solution. It misses frame #000, but that is easily
done by hand. Or, anybody familiar with JavaScript or VBS could make your
suggested Search&Replace combined with
Search: "// Frame 000"
Replaceby: "#if (clock = 0)&13&10// Frame 000"
(Of course, with that language's syntax instead...)
Oh, and there needs to be an "#end" inserted before next "// STEP" statement.
Well, well...
/Tore
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