[Plugin]$ Keyframe Animation
-
There is an interesting mannequin model, by Chris Glasier, posted on his [plug-in] Skel_animation topic. This looks like a very useful model for testing out plugins capable of human figure animation. So, I thought I would see what Keyframe Animation could do with it. I made several key frames, and exported a movie of the animation. Here it is.
[flash=640,505:25hp8sz8]http://www.youtube.com/v/eS4QUrALcrE?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0[/flash:25hp8sz8]
The SketchUp model is attached, if you want to experiment with your own animations.
mannequin.skpI did change the way the components in the mannequin are grouped. I made the hand a sub-group of the forearm, because it moves relative to the forearm. Likewise, the forearm is sub-group of the upper-arm. And the lower-leg is a sub-group of the upper-leg. It is not absolutely necessary to group objects like this, it just makes things a lot easier. It also proves that Keyframe Animation can animate sub-groups -- in this case they are three levels deep.
The Keyframe Animation 1.0 page has more demos, documentation, a video tutorial, and the latest version to download.
-
I can see how a code-based approach would be useful in certain situations. My approach is pretty much the opposite. I am trying to give non-programmers an intuitive way to define an animation. Basically, the animation relies on the change in the orientation of the component between two key frames. It is both a math problem and programming problem, which made it extra fun to work on.
@chrisglasier said:
I'm not in the plug-in competition but otherwise would be very happy to collaborate in some way.
I am not in a plugin competition either. Am I overzealous about communicating this plugin’s functionality? That is possible.
-
@regular polygon said:
There is an interesting mannequin model, by Chris Glasier, posted on his [plug-in] Skel_animation topic.
Actually, the model was made by ArqDirk not me - all I did was "straighten" one of his out to make it easier for testing. There are many in the warehouse by him and others.
By the way, my purpose was not to create yet another animation plug-in but to expose the difference between a code-based set up as Matt used in his Automatic Sketchup and a more layman's wysiwyg approach that relies on specific information - in this case physical data (hidden in component definitions and transformations), functionality (e.g. lower limb always follows upper limb), and most importantly a specific set of recognisable names that are used for control and could be used to search for alternative parts of the same type.
This integration of information could be referred to as Object Oriented Information Technology in that physical objects have classes and methods similarly to OOPS. With this a diverse range of non-creative tasks might be automated. This is my real interest so please be aware I'm not in the plug-in competition but otherwise would be very happy to collaborate in some way.
And good luck with your plug-in.
-
@regular polygon said:
... if you want to experiment with your own animations...
I did, ... with my own model
http://vimeo.com/19417552 -
@regular polygon said:
I am not in a plugin competition either.
Well you are because it is commercial (which in itself is just fine).
@unknownuser said:
Am I overzealous about communicating this plugin’s functionality?
You are not.
@unknownuser said:
I can see how a code-based approach would be useful in certain situations.
Totally misconstrued. Code-based approach is good for specific tasks that are commissioned by those that can afford them - e.g. banks, airlines and stock markets. Code-based approach is also good for paperwork type applications like Word and Excel that are essentially blank. What you and I have been doing with animation plugins is to mix code and information to offer something that can be manipulated by anyone ... and that points the way to escape the subliminal stranglehold of software "total solutions". Don't you think?
-
I think $19 is more than fair... and I wonder if 3rd world citizens are charging 3rd world prices for their 3D renderings?
-
@mariocha
Wow!
Now that is what I call a professional demo. 
-
@chrisglasier said:
Totally misconstrued. Code-based approach is good for specific tasks that are commissioned by those that can afford them - e.g. banks, airlines and stock markets. Code-based approach is also good for paperwork type applications like Word and Excel that are essentially blank. What you and I have been doing with animation plugins is to mix code and information to offer something that can be manipulated by anyone ... and that points the way to escape the subliminal stranglehold of software "total solutions". Don't you think?
I guess I am still not clear on the distinction. Why would Excel belong to the code-based camp? It is not limited to specific tasks; anyone can configure a spreadsheet to compute what they want. Is this basically a distinction between programs that rely on text-based input as opposed to applications that use a GUI?
-
@regular polygon said:
@chrisglasier said:
Totally misconstrued. Code-based approach is good for specific tasks that are commissioned by those that can afford them - e.g. banks, airlines and stock markets. Code-based approach is also good for paperwork type applications like Word and Excel that are essentially blank. What you and I have been doing with animation plugins is to mix code and information to offer something that can be manipulated by anyone ... and that points the way to escape the subliminal stranglehold of software "total solutions". Don't you think?
I guess I am still not clear on the distinction. Why would Excel belong to the code-based camp? It is not limited to specific tasks; anyone can configure a spreadsheet to compute what they want. Is this basically a distinction between programs that rely on text-based input as opposed to applications that use a GUI?
Yes - more precisely selection.
-
Sorry RP that was somewhat curt - I had to rush off to a Chinese New Year dinner. And selection is probably not quite the right word, but what I meant might be explained by comparing writing a cash cheque and using an ATM. Much of the non-creative processes are allocated to the machine (pressing buttons being creative!). But we cannot get a similar advantage with tasks that are too diverse to interest software companies, so the easiest option is to emulate paperwork. This is a terrible denial of the potential of a proper marriage of information and technology - which I think these animation plug-ins go some way to illustrate.
-
updated post above with bigger/better animation example.
[flash=600,360:46s1ixag]http://www.youtube.com/v/fHXGUjAY8SM?fs=1&hl=en_US[/flash:46s1ixag] -
I downloaded the demo, and tested things out, and it turns out that VRay is not compatible after all. The problem is that VRay doesn’t export the layer visibility properties for each scene when it renders the scenes in batch.
I wrote customer support at V-Ray about this issue. They confirmed my suspicion, and said they plan to fix this in the future. Here is the ticket.
So, there is no work-around for this problem, Keyframe Animation requires layers to create the animation. Each layer has objects on it at a different point the animation. Each tween has a different layer that is visible. The effect is that the objects appear to move as you flip through the tweens.
VRay will render each tween individually OK -- just not in batch -- but that would be too tedious.
-
Thanks RP - looking forward to giving it a try.
-
I think this could have some greatpossibilities!! I look forward to trying it out.
Thanks R P
Has anyone tried it yet? -
Hi! I need to start off by saying this is just fantastic work man. The hard work of persistent developers like yourself is what keeps my interest and use of SketchUp going every day.
Are you aware of or encountered any file size limitations when generating the tween scenes? I have this model that I previously animated with Proper and then rendered with Twilight. It's not complex at all really, but it's just over 20MB with all components included. I downloaded Keyframe and recreated what I did with Proper; ended up being 7 scenes. When I went to create the tweens I never got the dialog that asks for confirmation to create x number of scenes. However, the 'model.tweens.skp' file was created, just without any scenes included. At first I suspected there might be a limitation on the number of scenes SketchUp can create so I dialed the frame rate down from 24 to 10 and retried but got the same result. Then I tried creating a fraction of the animation with only two scenes and again got the same result. The next obvious thing to do was to try and strip the model down so I deleted the majority of the components and got rid of 15 of 20MB. The next attempt at creating the tweens was successful, as you can see in the video below, yet the focus of the animation is missing (items inside of case).
[flash=400,300:20oxahao]http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=22483626&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0[/flash:20oxahao]
I would have said "oh well' but I really really want to use your plugin to get object/camera animations out of SU and into Kerkythea. Twilight is awesome but it's painfully slow due to what I'm guessing is the 32-bit architecture it relies on.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
- Chris
-
I have the exact same problem. I tried it with a model that is over 10MB. The tween file was created with no tweens?
Is the file size the problem?
thanks
s
-
@tfdesign said:
@regular polygon said:
@tfdesign said:
A great plugin, but I think your price is a little on the steep side.
Well, I guess the market will ultimately decide this issue. But, compared to other commercial animation plugins, I thought the price was a bargain.
SketchUp was offered by Google to be a non-elitist app for everyone- why I imagine, it was offered for free, but for someone living in a 3rd-world country, or someone on unemployment benefit (and there is a lot of it about these days) $20 is a lot of money. Compared to say the SDS plugin, which IMO does something a lot more complex, and costs $2 more. Or how about even FredoScale, which is a dynamite plugin, but donationware. Please, don't get me wrong, and I'm sure your plugin will do very well, but again it will be richer countries like America who will be able to afford the more basic, yet essential payware plugins, leaving many in poorer nations, out (again).
Tom
I'm in the worst position - living in the poorest country member of the EU, with almost European prices but with 3rd-world salaries! Average salary here 300 euro, 1 liter gasoline - 1.25 euro! But this plugin is well worth the money! Great work!
-
Thanks for fixing it! I will give it another go.
Update: It works great now!
Update: I got it to work in kerkythea.
Stuart
-
youdaman!
Sketchup stock just jumped 10 points! Here's a quick one exported from Sketchup, animating 4 levels deep. I'll post a rendered version later on. Thanks again![flash=400,225:2kxqbjh1]http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=22511394&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0[/flash:2kxqbjh1]
-
Hello tfdesign
On the price please.
We are all conditioned to the generousity of our friends here on the Forum and perhaps just expect everything to be for free.
Keyframe Animation is offered as a commercial plugin and if it is to be used as tool for professional work and profit the price seems more than fair.
It the use is just for fun then one must just accept that it is a pay to play deal and affordability is moot.
Perhaps a fair rule for use is to either pay if asked for or at least thank the authors for those plugins that one actually uses.
There really is no such thing as the proverbial free lunch.
What a treasure this SuperForum is.My most personal thanks from to all who share their creative skills and generous good help here on this Forum.
We all know who you are.dtr
Advertisement