[Plugin] Animator - v4.6a - 18 Dec 25

fredo6

@ntxdave
Could you leave the Ruby console open when generating the video.

There might be an error worth reporting.

ntxdave

@fredo6 That is what I had in mind this morning. I will go do it now and see what happens and if there is anything in the Ruby Concols.

ntxdave

OK, when it got to the point like I posted before, the Ruby Console suddenly filled up and here is what was in the console:

#<TypeError: nil can't be coerced into Float>
c:/users/doppy/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/body_lib6camerainterpolator.rbe:192:in *' c:/users/doppy/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/body_lib6camerainterpolator.rbe:192:in create_final_camera'
c:/users/doppy/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/body_lib6camerainterpolator.rbe:342:in interpolate' c:/users/doppy/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/body_lib6camerainterpolator.rbe:56:in sucamera_interpolate'
c:/users/doppy/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/body_lib6viewpoint.rbe:372:in sucamera_interpolate' c:/users/doppy/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/body_lib6viewpoint.rbe:283:in blend'
c:/users/doppy/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_animator/animatoranimal.rbe:1582:in animal_post_processing_visual_interpolation' c:/users/doppy/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_animator/animatoranimal.rbe:1530:in animal_post_processing_visual'
c:/users/doppy/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_animator/animatoranimal.rbe:1602:in animal_animate_finalize_execution' c:/users/doppy/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_animator/animatoranimal.rbe:578:in animal_animate_film'
c:/users/doppy/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_animator/animatorclipmanager.rbe:1359:in clip_animate' c:/users/doppy/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_animator/animatorclipmanager.rbe:1537:in notify_from_clip_animation'
c:/users/doppy/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/body_lib6animationengine.rbe:243:in call' c:/users/doppy/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/body_lib6animationengine.rbe:243:in notify_event'
c:/users/doppy/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/body_lib6animationengine.rbe:451:in perform' c:/users/doppy/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_animator/animatorvideomanager.rbe:2183:in movie_robot'
c:/users/doppy/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_animator/animatorvideomanager.rbe:2241:in `block in movie_continue_after_frame'

I am trying to create a link on Drop Box to share the file with you so that you can see what is going on.

BTW: A silly question is, where are the images stored while it is generating the video?

Never mind, I clicked on the Folder link and see where they are stored.

ntxdave

Here is a Drop Box link to the file so you can look at it and see what I am dong wrong that will not allow me to generate the video. Jesus Plaque SKP file

Rich O Brien

You need to provide more info. Does clicking the Generate Video button open the dialog?

If it does screenshot that dialog so we can see the settings.

Is FFmpeg properly linked?

ntxdave

@Rich-O-Brien If you look earlier in this thread you will see the screen shot of the dialog box when I am trying to create the video. You will also see that I posted the Ruby Console that popped up when the generation of the video stalled.

Did you download the skp file I posted a link to yesterday? If so, have you tried to generate a video? If you did, did you have any problem (i.e. did it stall for you)?

I was holping to hear something from Fredo6 today but have not heard anything so far.

I really would like to understand if I am doing something wrong, and if so, what it is.

Rich O Brien

It fails at frame 252 with the following in the console

#<TypeError: nil can't be coerced into Float>
c:/users/rclub/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/body_lib6camerainterpolator.rbe:192:in `*'
c:/users/rclub/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/body_lib6camerainterpolator.rbe:192:in `create_final_camera'
c:/users/rclub/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/body_lib6camerainterpolator.rbe:342:in `interpolate'
c:/users/rclub/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/body_lib6camerainterpolator.rbe:56:in `sucamera_interpolate'
c:/users/rclub/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/body_lib6viewpoint.rbe:372:in `sucamera_interpolate'
c:/users/rclub/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/body_lib6viewpoint.rbe:283:in `blend'
c:/users/rclub/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_animator/animatoranimal.rbe:1582:in `animal_post_processing_visual_interpolation'
c:/users/rclub/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_animator/animatoranimal.rbe:1530:in `animal_post_processing_visual'
c:/users/rclub/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_animator/animatoranimal.rbe:1602:in `animal_animate_finalize_execution'
c:/users/rclub/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_animator/animatoranimal.rbe:578:in `animal_animate_film'
c:/users/rclub/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_animator/animatorclipmanager.rbe:1359:in `clip_animate'
c:/users/rclub/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_animator/animatorclipmanager.rbe:1537:in `notify_from_clip_animation'
c:/users/rclub/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/body_lib6animationengine.rbe:243:in `call'
c:/users/rclub/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/body_lib6animationengine.rbe:243:in `notify_event'
c:/users/rclub/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/body_lib6animationengine.rbe:451:in `perform'
c:/users/rclub/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_animator/animatorvideomanager.rbe:2183:in `movie_robot'
c:/users/rclub/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2026/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_animator/animatorvideomanager.rbe:2241:in `block in movie_continue_after_frame'

fredo6

Do you have a camera in Parallel Projection mode?

Dave R

The scenes called "Animation" and "Csonclusion" [sic] are set to Parallel Projection.

ntxdave

Yes, I see that now and the Introduction scene is set to Perspective. I made sure all scenes were set to Parallel Projection and was now able to generate the video. So the camera setting turned out to be the issue. Hope others can learn from this.

Jesus Plaque.gif

Yes, there are a couple of issue I need to clean up but as I said, I hope this will help others.

Edited update
OK, I am having a little problem. I have created a second version of the file that has all 3 scenes with the camera set to perspective. However, I cannot seem to get things so work correctly. Regardless of how I capture the camera the presentation of all 3 scenes winds up in the same perspective. I like for the plaque animation to be at an angle and the introduction and conclusion screens to be presented straight forward but I cannot get it to come out that way.

Any advice/hints as to how to make that work and should we take this discussion to the Scene animation with Animator thread?

fredo6

I will look into the bug, which seems to concern camera interpolation when in parallel projection.

I'll advise then.

ntxdave

@fredo6 thanks a ton for the reply. As you saw in my “edit”, I an also having a problem with the “view” position when I have all scenes in perspective. In this particular situation, I would like to have the “introduction” and “conclusion” scenes in parallel and the “animation”scene in perspective. Maybe this is an odd situation but I look forward to your resolution. I have another project in mind but will wait for your response. Again, thanks a ton for your response.

I hope I am not being a PITA with this.

ntxdave

Just to clarify (I hope) here is a video of the way I would like to present my model, but this one does not include the Animator animations I would like to include (as presented in my other post).Jesus Plaque Mixed.mp4

This video was created by just showing the 3 scenes in the model and using SketchUp's animation creating tool.

I hope this example contributes to the discussion about where I would like to see Animator go (only with the Animator features included).

BTW: I do not know why it goes back to the starting scene at the end. That is not what I would want though.

ntxdave

@fredo6 said in [Plugin] Animator - v4.6a - 18 Dec 25:

I will look into the bug, which seems to concern camera interpolation when in parallel projection.

I'll advise then.

Any update on this issue?

fredo6

It's because you transition between a camera in perspective (Introduction) and a camera in parallel projection.

There is no simple way to interpolate between both, eacept than to switch at a given time (beginning, end or middle).

Considering your animation, I think all views should be in parallel projection.

fredo6

Here is the video if you change the first Scene 'Introduction' to Parallel Projection.

Model Animation.mp4

ntxdave

OK, I need to go back and figure out which file you used because I change all of my scenes to parallel and everything worked fine. However, in the "version" I was working with I got it all to work but I need to make some adjustments (as you will see in my video). Model Animation.gif

So, bottom line for me, what I have learned ls:

The camera setting "parallel" vs. "perspective" needs to be the same in every scene.
The position of the camera needs to be the same in every scene. At least what I have seem is that if I turn on the axis, it needs to be in pretty much the same position for each scene or things will not present correctly. I guess what I was trying to say here is the Field Of View.
Depending on the type of video/presentation you want to create, you need to evaluate very carefully what you want to achieve with each scene. As you can see in this presentation, I may have to give in and reevaluate if you should use Animator for the full project or do you do the animations with Animator and the other things, like my introduction and thank you scenes with another video generation tool.

However, let me say that I am still a big fan of Animator and want to keep working on the best way to achieve things. I do plan on going back and making some changes in this project and really appreciate the support and feedback I have gotten here.

fredo6

I test with a model Jesus Palque.skp which had the Introduction Scene in Perspective and 2 other scenes in Parallel Projection.

The egenration of the video was showing the error you got too, which is due to the transition between camera in Perspective and camera in Parallel Projection

I will fix the problem, but if all scenes are in Parallel Projection, you can generate the video.

ntxdave

OK, I do not know if this is the thread where we should be discussing this rather than the Scene animation with Animator thread, but I changed the "introduction" scene to Parallel Project and things are working now the way I wanted (although I did make a couple more edits).

Now for a real DUH on my part. When I was discussing what I thought were FOV issues turned out to be a DUH by me. When I was looking at the clips, if I did not select the same scene as the clip I thought things were not being presented with the correct FOV. When I woke up, I realized that if I had different scene selected than the one I was viewing the clip for, it would show me thing in the FOV of the selected scene and not the one I was viewing the clip of. Again DUH

Here is the latest version of my video (but I plan on maybe making some more "edits" to make some things a little fancier.

Jesus Plaque.gif

@fredo6 I apologize to you and hope I have not take this thread to far off topic.

ntxdave

OK, I think I finally figured some things out so here are my latest videos. I hope you enjoy them and they can be used to see how Animator can be used to generate animated presentationsl

GIF version:
Jesus Plaque - Fancy.gif

MP4 sersion
Jesus Plaque - Fancy.mp4

I am also posting this in the Scene animation with Animator thread. The main point of that thread was to discuss how Animator can be used in multiple scenes for presentation purpose.