Guild of Writers

I try to figure out how this is made , now I get confused. All the scripting is done in the Text Editor from Blender. There is no .pak file. The age is working, so what is the difference between this age and an age with an .pak file?

There is also an AlcScript.txt file in there, I think that that file does not belong there or does it?

Regards,
Frits

Animations have changed in the latest release of the plugin (1.5.0)- they are now easier to make. In the past, animations required python to work. All of the things that changed to do with the animation, like location, size, rotation had to be coded by hand, which was very tedious (as you can probably imagine). However, with 1.5.0, you can create an animation very easily with much less code. All you have to do now is add an object, keyframe it, name the animation and change two or three things in AlcScript- all of these things can be done within blender (and some make use of the text editor).

The only differnce between the old and new way of doing things was whether they were all done in python ( ) or used AlcScript and IPO curves. The latter is the preferred option, and will create a file called AlcScript.txt. The file houses all your AlcScript, which can be used for animations, wavesets, sounds... lots of interesting things. Both ways will get you the same result, but one is much more difficult.

Good luck with animations! Once you get to grips with keyframing, you'll have no problems, I'm sure.

Well for a starter, these animations that everyone talks about don't have any associated python code.
Plasma understands what Ipo Curves are and can animate an object based on that.

I will have to take a look for myself as i'm interested in how Nadnerb managed to get 4 objects to animate and sync with each other.
As well as the Matrix Reloaded flashback on the lift.

Though to change the camera with the avatar would need a change to the plugin to do so.


At some point Python will be neeeded if you want your animations persistant when you next arrive, and need to be sync'd with SDL variables

the AlcScript.txt file (not to be confused with the AlcScript file) is an extra, vestigial file, left over from the method I used to write portions of the script outside of blender. You can ignore it.

Cause I take it that you use Notepad++ or something similar to better write the script with?

Yes, generally I use jedit, which I've listed on the wiki as a useful text editor in whatever section it is that lists that sort of thing. However, the point is that I often use the method of opening files in blender as a way to copy large chunks of code in without typing it out in blender.

I often use the method of opening files in blender as a way to copy large chunks of code in without typing it out in blender.

Nadnerb, is there any advantage to using an external (non-blender, that is) text editor? If blender has a built in editor, surely you could just write the files in there and there would be no need to import? I'm starting to learn python etc. so I'd be interested to hear your reasons.

EDIT: made the post a little clearer

Biggest reason I can think of and is what I do, is syntax highlighting, nothing is more frustrating than to write your code and miss a typo or declaration.

Though I keep trying to find a YAML plugin for Notepad++, xml seems to be the closest.


Edit: Nope, the latest version of Notepad++ does support YAML, downloading it now. Whoopee

Thanks guys for the clarification. So I can put the, lets say, the book template files also in the AlcScript file and I don't have to use Phyton for that?

Regards,
Frits

Hmmm... I don't think so, Frits. For journals etc. you still need to make all the changes to the python files, compile them into a .pak and place that into the python folder of your Uru directory. I don't think the dev's will be able to add a journal section to AlcScript, but you never know. They do have magic and a little bit of ninja training on their side, after all .

@grogyan, nadnerb- ah, I see. I'm using IDLE to write python code currently, and it's syntax highlighting is a little strange, as it often turns itself off leaving me with unhighlighted, plain text after I run the proggram for the first time. Would you advise a move from IDLE to anything else when I get into 'serious' programming?