Workshop 11 notes, Week of November 7, 2005

SIMPLE ANIMATION

For further animation reference consult the ARCH 545 website for additional 3D animation techniques and links:
http://www.arch.virginia.edu/~ejm9k/arch545/handouts.html

ANIMATION

• In the workshop we built a still life of a surface plane and three objects (slab, sphere and cone – from tools > 3d main) in iso view.
• Change your model view to front elevation.
• Change to perspective (quick and dirty from tools > view control ).
• Move the mouse to the lower left to get the perspective.
• Begin to save views (Keep in mind that as you set up your views (keyframes) you will be able to apply different motion descriptors: such as constant, accelerate, or decelerate.
• Go to: utilities / saved views. Enter name (view 1: start view)
• Next: rotate view slightly and zoom in slightly.
• Return to utilities / saved views. Enter name (view2: middle view)
• Then: zoom view again, and save again. Enter name (view3: end view) And so on for as many views you want incorporated into the animation.
• Once you have the saved views you desire, you can begin to assemble the views into your animation.
• Go to: tools / visualization / animation.
• Select the animation producer icon , and then:
  settings / saved views view1 – frame 0, spline, constant
  settings / saved views view2 – frame 20, spline, constant
  settings / saved views view3 – frame 40, spline, constant
  And so on for all your saved views “spline” refers to the interpolation between your views in the model space and “constant” refers to the velocity at which views are moved between. Both can be varied, notice the options available.
• Next, save script (your view sequence) under the animation producer dialog box.
• Then create a subdirectory (a folder) for stored images and the animation; keep everything together.
• Return to: tools / visualization / animation / file
• Record animation as a single jpg, res. 320 x 200; raytrace – anitalias; name walk000.jpg
• To play your movie, go to utilities / image / movie.
• File save as options (fli, avi, or not).
• Save to name1.avi
• You can view the movie in quicktime pro as a sequence of .jpgs. Here you can save as a .mov. This is a pseudo 24-bit color whereas the .avi is only 16 bit.
• Go to: settings / rendering / global lighting to setup global lights (Turn sun light.) (Be sure “real world lighting is off).
• In order to test solar conditions, go to:
  settings / animate / general settings
  solar-time, frame 0, 8 a.m.
  solar-time, frame 50, 6 p.m.
  make velocity constant
• Record the animation as a .jpg, res. 320 x 200; raytrace – anitalias; save to name walk2.avi
• To play the movie, go to: utilities / image / movie
  

ANIMATING OBJECTS

• Go to: animation / actors / create actor to animate the slab into a “box” (or whatever object you want to animate).
• Create name of actor; define degrees of freedom; define origin point of actor.
• Animation producer: dialog / settings / keyframes.
• Define the keyframe for the actor in the start position; define frame number and velocity.
• Take the manipulate actor tool [third icon in create actor sub-pallette ]
• Define the desired motion; move the object in the appropriate construction plane.
• Animation producer dialog / settings / keyframes . Define keyframe for actor in start position; define frame number and velocity.
• Double click on the camera position script items and disable each.
• Right click on the script line representing the end position of the cube.
• Select "take to velocity graph" from the menu. Here you can manipulate the velocity as desired.
• Create an actor of the ball with 6 degrees of freedom; select the origin.
• Script the actor . Here you can define the motion of the ball algebraically. The available degrees of motion are lighted up. Define script: Begin frame 0, end frame 60: Z postion 10* frame/maxframe…or define by sine/cosine fabx(10 * sin(frame*360/maxframe))

SOLAR ANIMATION

• Go to: Utilities / render / solarstudy.
• Select a start time and total time.
• Pick the number of frames.
• Save (AVI 16 bit) in desired drive / directory.
• Use the above steps for viewing.

FLY BY / THROUGH

• Go to a plan / top view, zoom out, and create a separate level on which to place your path.
• Use a bspline curve to set your path by drawing the curve towards your model from across the screen.
• Go to a side view to move the curve up in space.
• Then: Utilities / render / flythrough
• Fixed target position; define angle of view and focal length; speed ticks per frame (5)
• Output view 2; Raytrace; 50 frames
• Define the start point and the end point, then the target of camera.
• Reestablish lighting for midday.
• Go to flythrough producer /Tools / record.

Animations saved as AVI can be viewed though Quicktime which can be found in Start/multimedia/quicktime.