How to SP 3.4 and KerkyThea

Anton_S

Before you get going, ensure that you have Kerkythea and SU2KT plugin installed.

Here is a little tutorial on how to export SP3.4 animation to Kerkythea.

Open SP model you want to export.
Enable recording.
Start simulation, and run it for desired time.
Reset simulation. It will ask you to save animation, press YES.
Optional: Open Ruby console. It will show you export statistics after you complete all the steps below.
Select Menu (Plugins) > Sketchy Replay > Export to Kerkythea
Go through options. Two options dialogs will show up. Once you adjust the first options, press OK, the next options dialog will show up. Adjust resolution, rate, and other stuff. Set 'Replay Camera?' to YES if you want to replay camera positions recorded during simulation. Note: If it's your first time using Kerkythea for SU, a window will show up asking you to locate Kerkythea. Simply locate Kerkythea.exe, which is most likely in C:\Program Files\Kerkythea Rendering System\Kerkythea.exe. Such window will show up after the first options dialog.
When it gets to exporting, please wait as there is no way you can stop it other than terminating SketchUp application. It may appear frozen, but it's still responding.
After it finishes it will ask you whether to start rendering. You may press YES to do so, or NO if you want to adjust animation settings.
To adjust animation colors, materials, sky, and other properties open (model).xml and make you changes. Once you're complete, save scene, i.e overwrite (model).xml, go to menu (Menu) File > Run Script... and select (model).kst to render.
Now, once all rendering is complete, you may use an animation tool to combine all rendered images into one video. I suggest using MakeAVI. Add all images, and press the Begin! button. An options dialog will show up to adjust Compressor. Set it to Full Frames (Uncompressed) for good quality. Your animation will be ready once the MakeAVI finishes creating the avi file.
Here is a little Demo. Of course it could have been better than that.

Here are more professional videos created by Sang Hun Lee:

tallbridgeguy

Looking good!

Thanks!

s

Oxer

Thanks for the info!!
The instructions have worked fine too with Thea Render, but I have a question:
Is it possible export the movement of the camera while simulation is running?

Anton_S

@oxer said:

Thanks for the info!!
The instructions have worked fine too with Thea Render, but I have a question:
Is it possible export the movement of the camera while simulation is running?

Camera positions are recorded automatically, but it will be up to you to decide whether to export with camera positions. Set 'Replay Camera?' to YES when going through export options.

Oxer

Yes, that is correct . I tried the same with Thea Render but when I execute the .kst file the positions of the camera are deleted, always it render the same fixed position of the camera, like a isometric view with the origin of model in the center of the image.

Anton_S

Oh, you're speaking of running (model).kst in Thea Render not Kerkythea. I will look into it.

Oxer

Yes, the problem is with Thea Render and the position of the Camera (## Current View ##).

tomasz

Very good work Anton! I am impressed.
I think many of us were waiting for this to come. Thank you!
I will add support for 3.4 in 'Thea for SketchUp'.

tomasz

Do you mind sharing the sample model?

Anton_S

@tomasz said:

Do you mind sharing the sample model?

tank threads.skp
Here are the steps I did:

Enable recording
Play simulation
Right click on front wheel, and select camera follow.
Hold the 'w' key to drive the chain.
Run simulation for desired time
Proceed from first post, step 4.

@tomasz said:

Very good work Anton! I am impressed.
I think many of us were waiting for this to come. Thank you!
I will add support for 3.4 in 'Thea for SketchUp'.

Thank you!

As Oxer stated exported camera positions don't change when run (model).kst in Thea Render, but do change when run it in Kerkythea Render. Maybe certain merge options have to be added? Well, I'm not an expert. I hope you look into it. Good luck, thea is an amazing tool!

Oxer

@unknownuser said:

Very good work Anton! I am impressed.
I think many of us were waiting for this to come. Thank you!
I will add support for 3.4 in 'Thea for SketchUp'.

Good news for Thea's users!!

aviv

hi Anton
unfortunately it didnt work for me.
i downloud kerkythea for skt and follow your steaps from 1-4 it was ok
step 5- i opend the ruby console it was empty
i followed step 6
on step 7 i got an > exporting option< geometry,light, ....
nothing about resolution , rate , or "replay camera"
and no exportin

a few weeks ago i followed your advice and used exporting by "make avi" it wasn't good enough

your help
please
aviv

Anton_S

For step 5, the export statistics will be shown after you finish with the rest of steps.
For step 7, you get two setting dialogs. One dialog is for export options, then once you click OK, the other dialog with animation export options will show up. I.E there are two options dialogs that will show up in the process. I will update instructions in first post, so they sound clear.

When using MakeAVI, set compressor option to Full Frames (Uncompressed) for good quality. It will show up after you click the Begin! button and set export path.

aviv

to be more specific - after the first dialog <export option> <ok> i get an open file <locate kerkythea program, please>

no second dialog.

Anton_S

Oh, that's because you also have to install Kerkythea. Once you do so, upon the first try you have to locate Kerkythea.exe, which is most likely in C:\Program Files\Kerkythea Rendering System\Kerkythea.exe

aviv

of course i dowloded the kerkythea and it is on program files (x86) (and working

i succeed exporting a modle) .but where should i locate it?

thnks for your help

Anton_S

@aviv said:

of course i dowloded the kerkythea and it is on program files (x86) (and working

i succeed exporting a modle) .but where should i locate it?

thnks for your help

You locate it there where you saved it. After you adjust settings in two dialogs (Step 7), you get another window, asking where to save the script and animation files...

aviv

nothing new it the same. maybee i missing a file i see "kerkythea rendering system" but no "kerkythea exe"?????

Anton_S

@aviv said:

nothing new it the same. maybee i missing a file i see "kerkythea rendering system" but no "kerkythea exe"?????

I don't know what you doing wrong, nor I understand what's the problem.

Lets go back to initial steps:

Do you have SketchyPhysics 3.5.x installed?
Do you have KerkyThea Application installed?
Do you have SU2KT 3.17+ Plugin installed?

aviv

once again i want to thank you for your help.

i uninstall kerkythea and install it again and now it is locate and working

i made a simple polygon a cube moving across the frame rendring 4 frame just to see if i am doing ok

it is rendring for more then an hour. how do i now when it finished?

what is the next step ?

iam planing upgrade to pro 2015 is physics get along with it?

THANKS
aviv