Anim8or Community

The object's pivot is accessible from scripts.  It would be possible to select points of a mesh and run a script to move an object's pivot to the center of the selected points so that any rotation or scaling of those points would be around the new pivot. Unfortunately, the script would have to be a command script since parametric scripts must return a shape.  That means that you would have to select your points, then run the script from the menu, then rotate or scale your selected points.

If there is any real interest, I will post a script (in the ASL section of the forum) to do that in the next couple of days.

Steve,
I cannot get the PrinttoString file function to work.  The following test script:
string $fname;
file $output;
$fname="$console";

$output.open($fname,"w");

string $tostring;
int $i;

$i=10;

$output.PrintToString($tostring,"test: %d",$i);
$output.print("%s\n",$tostring);

$output.close;

Gives "undefined member reference 'PrintToString'" error.  Interestingly, the line:
PrintToString($tostring,"test: %d",$i);does not give an error, but returns an empty string.

Your thoughts?

It is extremely unlikely that the drive is damaged.  I have been in the computer repair business since the late '80s.  Here is my suggestion: I would go to the computer store (circuit city, best buy, etc.) and buy a external USB connector (or enclosure) for the laptop drive.  You can plug it into another computer yourself and read off the important files.  The external USB connectors are about $5 on Ebay, enclosures are about $12 on Ebay.  Enclosures or external cables are $20-$40 at stores like circuit city:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/NexxTech-2-5-Hard-Drive-Enclosure-NHDE25/sem/rpsm/oid/150788/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

Even cheaper if you can wait for it to ship:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1472797&CatId=3770

The transferring of the target's material at the point of the copy to the copy of the mesh is possible and I will work at putting out an updated script for that.  Keep in mind, though, that textures and UV coordinates will likely not transfer to the mesh copies predictably.

I have posted a tutorial on how to animate tank treads using morph targets.  The concepts and scripts used can be applied to other projects as well.

The tutorial can be found at:

http://www.tranceportsoftware.com/anim8orstuff/treads.htm

Please let me know your feedback.

I've actually already been thinking about that problem.  The main difficulty is that you cannot place objects in scene mode with a script.
 
One possibility:  Place each link of the track manually (or ex-program the way Terranim8or does), use a controller script to follow a path for the first link, then use controller expressions to calculate the position of the other links indexed off the first.  A lot of manual setup work or having to write an external program.

Another possibility:  Draw (using the copy_mesh_to_path) several complete tracks each offset such that the traversing of a single link is indexed until it is coincident with the next link.  Then animate using visibility controller scripts like is mentioned above.

Yet another:  write a new script to be run in the morph targets that takes a tread (made with the command version of the copy_mesh_to_path so that each link is a separate shape) and moves each link a bit to generate the several morph targets needed to move a single link distance (width) smoothly.  Then use morphing to create the animation.

There may be others, but I am going to look into the third possibility since it seems the most user friendly.

Your thought would be appreciated.

Yes, I guessed that was what kreator meant by roll, but I guess I didn't explain myself very well either.  Do you want to be able to specify a static roll (z-axis rotation) that stays the same throughout the traverse of the path, or do you want to be able to set a continuous rolling "tumble" at some rate relative to the traverse of the path, or both, or something else entirely?

BTW, this is fun, conferring about script functionality.

In response to a request from Kreator:

This script outputs to the console two controller scripts - one for position and the other for orientation - generated from reading the position and orientation components of a path.
   
This script requires Anim8or 0.97b or later.
   
The generated controller scripts must be cut and pasted from the console window (debug window) into the "Expression" areas of the controller of the scene element you wish to control.  NOTE:  this is necessary because Anim8or 0.97b broke the file export abilities.  Normally one would export these generated scripts to a text file, but the console is the only output currently available.  It is recommended that the properties of the console window be altered to allow more lines to be buffered.  Do do this:
1) Right-click on the title bar of the "Anim8or Debug Output" window, select "Properties"
2) On the "Layout" tab, increase the "Screen Buffer Size" to some large value (like 1000)
   
The number of frames that it should take to traverse the path must be placed into an integer attribute called "framesperpath" created in the object that contains the path.  If you want the path repeated continuously during the entire length of the the scene, an integer attribute called "repeat" must be created and set to 1 (set to 0 for no repeating).
   
Detailed instructions on usage:
1) Draw the path in a new object that you want followed
2) Go to Object->Attributes...
3) Select "New"
4) Type the name "framesperpath"
5) Select "Int" type
6) Type the number of frames for the path traversal
7) Select "New" again
Type the name "repeat"
9) Select "Int" type
10) Type either "1" for repeat or "0" for no repeat
11) Be sure the path is selected
12) Scripts->Run Scripts->path_to_controller.txt

The two scripts will be shown in the console window ready to be cut-and-pasted into the controller expression areas of the element you wish to follow the path.


Please let me know your feedback.