Animations - Creating a Curve2IPO wizard

[teedyo]

NameError: name 'myIpoCurve' is not defined

You need to define myIpoCurve to let it know that is to be a list. Just before your loop, add the line:

myIpoCurve = []

Note that I know squat about python and I'm assuming from your code that myIpoCurve is intended to be a list of BezTriples.

[Grogyan]

Nope, thanks for the thought
I have this without declaring it a list

Code: Select all

   myIPOCurveX = ((H1_X, 0, 0, P_X, 0, 0, H2_X, 0, 0)) # currently redundant
   myIPOCurveY = ((0, H1_Y, 0, 0, P_Y, 0, 0, H2_Y, 0)) # currently redundant
   myIPOCurveZ = ((0, 0, H1_Z, 0, 0, P_Z, 0, 0, H2_Z)) # currently redundant

But after days of scouring I found it, hidden in an obscure piece of documentation

Code: Select all

def setBeztriple(curvepos,pointpos,newbeztriple):
 """ 
 Sets the beztriple of the Ipo (B{deprecated}). B{Note}: use 
 L{IpoCurve.bezierPoints<IpoCurve.IpoCurve.bezierPoints>} to get a 
 BezTriple point, then use the 
 L{BezTriple} API to set the point's attributes. 
 @type curvepos: int 
 @param curvepos: the position of the curve in the Ipo. 
 @type pointpos: int 
 @param pointpos: the position of the point in the curve. 
 @type newbeztriple: list of 9 floats 
 @param newbeztriple: the new value for the point 
 @rtype: None 
 @return: None 
 """ 

Its one of those areas that you always skip over because ots either no longer maintained or is due to be removed entirely

Yet it leaves me with another problem, deciphering

L{IpoCurve.bezierPoints<IpoCurve.IpoCurve.bezierPoints>} to get a
BezTriple point, then use the
L{BezTriple} API to set the point's attributes

to work with my needs

[Grogyan]

Well the code still does the same thing and I still cannot apply the example in the documentation.

So while this script does indeed create a set of ipo curves, the only way to see how close an object follows it is to make all the handles AUTO.
Nor is there any rotation of the object in any axis

I'm going to upload the .blend file into the first post in hopes that someone can help me.

or

Upload it to the subversion repository

Have to Ask Nadnerb or Lontahv if I can do this


Oh and if anyone can help, please do, my head is hurting, after reading about bezier curves and b-splines over the past week as well as making sense of the Blender API

[Lontahv]

The subversion repository... is this very separate from PyPrp (I mean, do you want this to be distributed with PyPrp). I think keeping PyPrp slim and then having add-ons would be great. And, couldn't your tool help non-age-writers as well?

I think your best bet is having your own host (you could get a free hosting service--google-pages is good).

Then what you can do is add your tool to many wikis when you feel like it (say, blender-plugin list). But for now, until most of the bugs are swashed I think It's best to keep it in the GoW. You can just have a tutorial entry with a link on the GoW.

[Grogyan]

Ok

is this very separate from PyPrp

Yes and no. My reason for doing this is for the GoW because that functionality doesn't exist in that way in Blender

And, couldn't your tool help non-age-writers as well?

Yeah it will help with virtually every way to do animation in Blender requiring path following, including possibly using it in a couple of robotics projects I have lined up

So you might be onto something by just having a link on the wiki about it and store a version on the Blender plugin repository

But also realise this, if I do that then I probably wont be able to finish it as i'm not entirely sure I can even do it entirely on my own, and its getting to the point where i'll need to do some fancy algorithms that are beyond me

[Lontahv]

Ah, I see.

SVN's are a great way to have others help on it. You could PM Zrax about setting up a new folder in the SVN for your project. It could be: http://svn.guildofwriters.com/Curve2IPO/

[Grogyan]

Ok, cool, so Zrax is the one I need to talk to then

Thanks much Lontahv, pal

In the mean time i've done
- fixed a few bugs
- added a couple of checks in
- adding code in place for continuous curves

Still stymied for applying the bezier handle data

[Jojon]

Just a random thought: maybe using a birail approach would be intuitive (in some ways, clumsy in others), for the banking thing.

[Lontahv]

Ok, here's the way that PyPrp reads the handle info:

Code: Select all

            
            # We need to get the list of BezCurves
            # Then get the value for each and create a matrix
            # Then store that in a frame and store than in the list
            xcurve = ipo[Ipo.MA_OFSX].bezierPoints
            for frm in range(len(xcurve)):
                frame = prp_AnimClasses.hsMatrix44Key()
                num = xcurve[frm].pt[0] - 1
                frame.fFrameNum = int(num)
                frame.fFrameTime = num/30.0

                matx = hsMatrix44()
                matx.translate((xcurve[frm].pt[1], ipo[Ipo.MA_OFSY].bezierPoints[frm].pt[1], ipo[Ipo.MA_OFSZ].bezierPoints[frm].pt[1]))

                frame.fValue = matx
                KeyList.append(frame)

Ok, now I think I remember someone saying something about getting the various handle points from the index. We just used the central point. I'm really not sure about this but you should play with the index-num.

Try something like:

Code: Select all

xcurve = ipo[Blender.Ipo.OB_LOCX].bezierPoints

handle_1 = xcurve[frame_num].pt[0]
middle = xcurve[frame_num].pt[1]
handle_2 = xcurve[frame_num].pt[2]

And of course I'm sure you know how to feed data now that you know how to read it (I really hope I have that right with the code).

That code won't run but in some combination with:

Code: Select all

   # Here set the current frame
   # myIpo = myCurveIPO.__setitem__ (myCurrentPathLen, nCurvePoints)
   # Here Append current frame with BezTriple nCurvePoints
   # myIPOCurves = myIPOCurveSet.IpoCurve.
   # myIPOCurves = myIPOCurveSet.__setitem__(myCurrentPathLen, nCurvePoints)
   #myIPOCurves = Blender.Ipo.addCurve([Blender.Ipo.OB_LOCX])  # retrieves an Ipo object
   #ipo.name = 'ipo1'                              # change the Ipo's name
   #icu = ipo[Blender.Ipo.OB_LOCX] # request X Location Ipo curve object
   #if icu != None and len(icu.bezierPoints) > 0: # if curve exists and has BezTriple points
   #   val = icu[2.5]              # get the curve's value at time 2.5

That part of your code it should work well.

[Grogyan]

Zrax was kind enough to allow this project to be part of a seperate thread on subversion here at the Guild of Writers
http://svn.guildofwriters.com/Curve2IPO/Trunk

Anyone is welcome to help finish it, just ask Zrax for an account


Well Lontahv, i've managed to add the bezierPoints postfix on something that the compiler won't complain about, but it aslo removes the Ipo from the graph

I'll load up what I have into a folder called contrib on that svn thread before I head to bed.

The example didn't work, probably my fault somewhere
Also my thoughts of what, could work, failed also

On some upside, i'll be moving into my new role at work probably tomorrow as an electronics technician


Doh, I nearly forgot, need to remind the RAD contestants that they only have 1 week left of build time, and another pm to the judges on something @Lontahv