[Plugin] Camera Recorder v1.7.2 UPDATED May 23, 2013

KXI System

Can you have anyway for this plugin to export as a movie file too?
If you can thanks! but I know its gonna be hard.

Chris Fullmer

@Rod - ok, I think I know a surefire way to fix your problem. I'll try to get a script out tonight or tomorrow. But I am going to disable the script's ability to remember a location to save the image files, since that is what seems to be causing the problems.

@KXI - I agree that would be cool. If I implement it will probably cost something.

Anyone out there know a free ruby library that compiles sequence images into a video? Would I be able to do it with the command line mplayer? Or doies imagemagik support anything beyond animated .gifs?

Chris

rod1233

Chris
I am waiting for what will be the solution
And thank you

rod

Chris Fullmer

OK Rod, try this one now. overwrite the clf_camera_recorder.rb file that is inside the clf_camera_recoreder folder.

Also, it should pop up a little message while loading. I would like to know what it says on your system. Thanks!

Chris

KXI System

ok, but Chris can you at least tell me a free program that acts like Quick time pro (the feature that this plugin uses)?

Chris Fullmer

Yes, a few pages ( http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=23517&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=60#p208742 ) back Charly mentioned a free program. I meant to ad it to the first post, and never did. It is called Imagen:

This Page Does Not Exist

Oops, looks like the page is lost.

(gromada.com)

Try that one!

rod1233

Chris
We have succeeded, my friend
Thank you for all the efforts
You are truly wonderful
Thank you again

rod

Chris Fullmer

Great, now I need to clean up the scripts for you again so they stop popping up windows everytime you open SketchUp with messages to relay back to me.

Also, what does the pop up window say in it?

And check back here hopefully today for an update on the scripts for you

Chris

Chris Fullmer

OK, well I cleaned it up very quickly and here are the 2 new scripts. There should both work on your system. And you should get no more pop up windows. Thanks for being patient with me as I de-bugged this for you. I am going to go back and remove all other test files I uploaded now too since I don't need other people to download them. But I will leave these up in case someone in the future has a system with your same needs.

Chris

clf_camera_recorder_loader.rb

clf_camera_recorder.rb

Chris Fullmer

@pixero said:

Chris, have you tried LightUp? Could you implement a flyaround mode with inertia like in LightUp?
It would be so great to fly around smoothly and record scenes and then use that for both SU lines and LightUp.
Pleeeeaaase?

I need to look into this. I do not have LightUp. If his flythrough is just a flythrough tool, then you should be able to activate the camera recorder, then use his flythrough and then stop recording when done. Maybe?

Chris

Pixero

I've tried that way but it would be much easier to do it in Su's ordinary view and then use that as a animation in LightUp to get a perfect match between SU lines and LightUps render.

KXI System

I would like to ask a very interesting question.

For renderer's like Twilight that can be used in SU simple scene animation, can your plugin tool adapt too?
This would benefit me before I decide to get a renderer.

Thanks,
KXI System

Chris Fullmer

I'm not quite sure I follow. Are you asking if outside renderer's can use the flightpath created by this plugin?

If so, I think the answer is yes, since my flightpath can be exported as a series of scenes - 1 scene per frame of camera path. So as long as a renderer can be set to render one frame per SU scene, then it should be able to take advantage of the camera recorder path.

I asked if anyone would be interested in testing this back a while ago when I released the most recent version, so far no one has tested it to see if it works though....

Chris

KXI System

@chris fullmer said:

I'm not quite sure I follow. Are you asking if outside renderer's can use the flightpath created by this plugin?

If so, I think the answer is yes, since my flightpath can be exported as a series of scenes - 1 scene per frame of camera path. So as long as a renderer can be set to render one frame per SU scene, then it should be able to take advantage of the camera recorder path.

I asked if anyone would be interested in testing this back a while ago when I released the most recent version, so far no one has tested it to see if it works though....

Chris

No you got it wrong, Twilight is inside sketchup renderer. I won't mind being the first one to step my foot out to do so.

plot-paris

@kxi system said:

Twilight is inside sketchup renderer. I won't mind being the first one to step my foot out to do so.

well, then it should most definitely work. for if it runs inside SketchUp, Twilight surely can use SketchUp scenes...

carlosxela

can you render the videos created here with vray for sketchup???

Chris Fullmer

I believe the answer is yes. What this script can do is write a scene for EACH camera frame. So you would set it to record at say 30 frames per second. Then when its done recording, you press a button and it will make a scne for each frame. Then V-Ray should be able to render one image per SketchUp scene.

So far no one has posted a test video that shows it, but I'm pretty sure its possible. I'd like to see a test video of it if someone has done it.

Also, this script has an update sitting around that I just need to review and get posted. So if you download it now, check back until I get the new version posted (hopefully this weekend).

Chris

bentleykfrog

Hi Chris,

This plugin is beautiful, especially the scene creation and curve creation as these make it possible for integration with other animation plugins like flightpath. However I think I noticed that on my first export that the field of view changes from what is currently set in sketchup to Sketchups default 30 degree FOV? Is it possible to conserve the field of view, as I prefer to have a more natural 55-70 degree FOV.

thanks again

-niall

drew

Chris
I’ve been trying to download and install your Camera Recorder Plugin… firstly, how do I know that I have the latest version? Secondly, how do I download and install? I’m not sure whether to extract the whole zip file into the C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Google SketchUp 8\Plugins directory or not… sorry, I’m just a little confused because it has a sub-directory within it.
Thanks for all your talent and your help. I can’t wait to try it out.
Drew

Chris Fullmer

Hi Drew, once plugins start getting to the point where they make their own toolbars, they often have dubfolders to help keep them organized a bit. So that is why there is a subfolder. You should just be able to extract it exactly as it is into your plugins folder.

You can tell that you are downloading the most current version because you are downloading it here or at http://www.smustard.com. I never deouble release plugins, so they are downloadable either there or here. (There are a few plugins that are translated into other languages that you can download on foreign language forums too. It is up to the translator to keep them current).

Also though, with this particular plugin, Jan has done some nice re-working of it to make the camera path more editable. What do we think, should I remove this version and just link over to Jan's? I think his has all the same functionality as mine, plus all the awesome features he added. So it is really like an upgrade.

So I suppose if you download and install the one at the beginning of this thread, you will have my most recent version, though Jan did add to it. So I might recommend downloading that one. I'll see if I can find a link.

Chris