Anim8or Community

Steve,
With the 0.97b preview, you added the Attribute type to the Object Type.  What do you have planned for the Attribute type?  I have been using it in my scripts as a user input ability for command scripts, but I am hesitant to continue this practice if you have something else in mind.

If the attributes for objects is destined to become a user input ability, then would it be possible to add a "SetAttribute" method?  That way a script could preload the attributes and not require manual input, where typos are all too probable.

Are you also planning to add the Attribute type to Materials too? 

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.

Attached below are parametric and non-parametric versions of a script that maps copies a "source" mesh to a "target" mesh's points.  It is similar in capability to the Mongoose's awesome GrassGen application.

The parametric and command versions of the script are different in the following ways:
1)  The command version creates a separate mesh for each copy, while the parametric version is all one shape.
2)  The command version has one more parameter because parametric scripts are apparently limited to 10 parameters.

To use, you must have an object that contains a mesh named "source" and another mesh named "target".  If you are using the command (non-parametric) version, you must edit the script to adjust the parameters, then Scripts->Run Script File.  If you are using the parametric version, just click on the "Mesh Source to Target" icon, then click (or click-drag).

The parameters that can be changed are:

1) The fraction of target mesh points to use: 0 to 1
   Anything less than 1 uses a random distribution of points
2) Min and Max Copies per mesh point: 0 to 100
   In the parametric version, there is only the max parameter.  If max is greater than 1, it will produce a random number from 1 to max for each target mesh point.  In the command version, you can set the minimum.
3) Min and Max Scale: 0 to 100.
   If the min and max are not equal, it will produce a random distribution of scales between min and max.
4) Fixed rotation x,y,z:
   Rotates the copies a fixed amount
5) Variable rotation x,y,z
   This will produce a random rotation plus or minus half the amount entered added to the fixed rotation amount in (4).

The lowest y-point on the copy of "source" will correspond to the "target" mesh point.

Open up the scripts in a text editor to see further documentation.

If you are creating many copies, it may appear to be locked up.  The Debug Output console shows some stats during execution as well as dots showing progress.  You can look here to see if it is locked up or just bogged down with zillions of points and faces.

*** Remember to convert the parametric shape to a mesh before using it in any other objects, in figures, or scenes.  It is totally dependent on the original "source" and "target" objects while it remains a parametric shape.  As Steve stated: parametric scripts were never intended to work this way. ***

Attached are examples of the script in use.

Please let me know your feedback.

Back when I was going to enter the "Need for Speed" competition over on Animanon, I adapted Steve's spring script to produce pretty realistic snail shells.  Unfortunately, I ran out of time for the competition.  Here is a short clip starring a shell.

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Attached is the script, a sample render of two types of shells, and the parameters needed to reproduce those shells.  To produce the renders, I converted the parametric shape to a mesh, deleted the cap face, used the shell function to add thickness, and textured.