[Plugin] Animator - v4.5a - 22 Jul 25

junphuc17945

in version 2.1, i cant generate video

fredo6

@junphuc17945 said:

in version 2.1, i cant generate video

Small bug coming from LibFredo6.

Fixed in LibFredo6 v8.4f, just published.

Fredo

fredo6

New Release: Animator - v2.2a - 13 July 18

Requirement: LibFredo6 v8.5a

Minor release

Extension of validity
Prompt for sequence names can now be configured from the Default Parameter Dialog box. If you set at NO PROMPT, then a default name will be used. You can change it later.
Note also that there is fast way to insert the current view camera in the timeline, by clicking on the small button in the Insert palette.

See plugin home page of Animator for Download of RBZ from the PluginStore.

See Main Post of the Animator thread for more information.

fredo6

New Release: Animator - v2.2b - 14 July 18

Requirement: LibFredo6 v8.5b

Minor release

Full screen option: All Sketchup toolbars, native and extensions are automatically hidden when starting Animator. They are restored in their original position when exiting Animator, either temporarily or fully.
This option can be activated in the Default Parameters dialog box.

The idea is indeed to give you more space on the screen when designing animations.

Animator - Full Screen option.png

Here is a short video illustrating the Full Screen option.

See plugin home page of Animator for Download of RBZ from the PluginStore.

See Main Post of the Animator thread for more information.

pilou

Tricky!

fredo6

@pilou said:

Tricky!

Don't know if it works on Mac!

Takkegek

Hello,

I was doing some tests today with Animator (just discovered the plugin and looks very promising!) and Thea Render for Sketchup v2 (recent version).
This is a very basic quick animation in sketchup I made with Animator:

I would like to render it in thea but thea can not find the clip when I push the button 'render Animation' ( like shown in printscreen )

printscreen animator and thea.jpg

Anyone an idea why Thea doesn't find the clip I made? Or has this something to do with the fact that Thea is a demo version? It is possible to render it in Animator itself but I want to render in thea because I think I will have more control over the network rendering settings.

Thank you!

Takkegek

fredo6

@takkegek said:

Anyone an idea why Thea doesn't find the clip I made? Or has this something to do with the fact that Thea is a demo version? It is possible to render it in Animator itself but I want to render in thea because I think I will have more control over the network rendering settings.

I think the external rendering from Thea requires that you have the licensed version installed.

Fredo

Takkegek

Thanks Fredo for answering! I have almost the licensed version, bought it but still waiting for the serials to come from Thea render. I can't wait to test this plugin any further.

I was wondering something. Is it possible to import a whole animation of one sketchup-file into a other sketchup-file? For example; I make a animation of a car driving. Can I import this car+animation into a other sketchup-file?
Or is it only possible the other way around: to import the second sketchup-file in the one where I have allready made all the animations that I would like to use?

fredo6

@takkegek said:

I was wondering something. Is it possible to import a whole animation of one sketchup-file into a other sketchup-file? For example; I make a animation of a car driving. Can I import this car+animation into a other sketchup-file?
Or is it only possible the other way around: to import the second sketchup-file in the one where I have allready made all the animations that I would like to use?

Animator does not allow this, because you would need to import exactly the same objects and contexts (layers, etc...).
However, if you do a Save-as of a file with animations inside, the new file also include the animation, since all animation data are stored within the model.
You can also create several animations in the same model. All elements of animations (i.e. sequences, clips, films) can be re-used.

Fredo

Takkegek

Actually it does not take much time to do the setup for a driving a car or for some flying birds. It is not really necessary to import it from one file to another because the workflow in Animator is pretty quick. Below a quick test with some flying birds.
This plugin can make a walkthrough for a project much more interesting (like opening a door in a interior walktrough).
Great plugin so far Fredo, if this all works well with Thea4SU v2 (have not yet the serials so can not test everything) than it should be a paying plugin!

Floorguy

Disappearing group? When I choose the Translation movement and then go Selection of Objects, I select my group to move and it disappears, never to return. Even when I quit Animator and return to Sketchup, the group is gone. If I go back and purge all sequences, it comes back. Any ideas? (I'm pretty new to Sketchup and Animator)

Disappearing Group.mov

fredo6

@floorguy

Strange, indeed.

Could you post the model so that I have a look.

Many thanks

Fredo

Floorguy

@fredo6 said:

@floorguy

Strange, indeed.

Could you post the model so that I have a look.

Many thanks

Fredo

Here's a link to the Sketchup file Fredo. Thanks for looking.

(drive.google.com)

solo

Is Animator and Thea 1.5 still working? I cannot get them to work together, I tried both from Animator dialog and from the Thea window to render an animation to no avail.

fredo6

@solo said:

Is Animator and Thea 1.5 still working? I cannot get them to work together, I tried both from Animator dialog and from the Thea window to render an animation to no avail.

Good you signal it.

Something has changed in Thea 1.5, and the method for rendering does not work as it used to (you can see it in the Ruby console). This simply prevents the rendering from Animator with Thea. is ennoying and there is little I can do on my side.

Fredo

solo

I have informed Tomasz about this issue, hopefully, he will fix it. I hear that Animator works with Vray now, I did not see Vray in the options, Is there a tutorial for Animator and Vray? I may need to use this if Thea is not working anymore.

fredo6

@solo said:

I have informed Tomasz about this issue, hopefully, he will fix it. I hear that Animator works with Vray now, I did not see Vray in the options, Is there a tutorial for Animator and Vray? I may need to use this if Thea is not working anymore.

I sent a message to Tomas too.
VRay is supported, but same thing happens with the most recent version (v1.6), where the API is less stable and can hang.

More generally, there is not a lot of attention from rendering software companies to provide a stable and flexible API to use rendering from an external program (like Animator).

Fredo

solo

@fredo6 said:

More generally, there is not a lot of attention from rendering software companies to provide a stable and flexible API to use rendering from an external program (like Animator).

Fredo

That is too bad, so what do I do?

Here are the options I have available, SU native or Thea, now that we know Thea no longer works (sad news) when I install Vray it will show up as an option? but the newest version does not work? so I have to somehow find an earlier version?

Is there any other render engines that work with Animator?

animator dialogue.JPG

fredo6

Solo,

Twilight is also supported.

By the way, you really need to install ffmpeg in order to get the video files (mp4, mov, ...). Otherwise, you'll only get a sequence of png image files).

Fredo