Turntable - Animating object

[DiggleDesigns]

I want to create an animation where I have a turntable in my scenic design revolve around while my camera stays in place rather than the camera moving around my 3D model

 

can anyone help !?

 

thanks

[michaelk]

@James Russellgot this working about 8 years ago.

 

I wonder if he's improved it since then?

 

 

[DiggleDesigns]

Is there any step by step any one can send - that thread is a little hard to follow - apparently Im reading you can animate objects with AnimationWorks but does that no longer exist?

 

[Pat Stanford]

What you are trying to do is not something that VW really does. You might be able to force it, but it will probably be easier to export the data and do the rotating animation in a different program.

[michaelk]

I don't know if Animationworks still exists.  OzCad, the company who made it, was acquired by Vectorworks. @Peter Neufeld?

 

@James Russell did it with a script.  (It's the first script posted in the thread)

 

It will make the object named Rev3 spin and the object named C1 go up and down.

 

I just tried it and it actually ran!  This was his proof of concept script. (there is still a debugging message in there) So it's not ready for production work.

 

@Pat Stanford is correct.  You can probably do this better in something else.  Maybe TwinMotion?  

 

[Peter Neufeld.]

Hi Michael,

I believe Animationworks is being retired after this version and isn't sold separately anymore. However Vectorworks can do what the user is asking. Have a look at the movie I did in this thread here. It's a Spin Animation.

 

Cheers,

Peter

[DiggleDesigns]

however, the spin animation has the camera moving around the object, and I want the camera to stay in one spot and have the object spin. I am using a revolve or turn table (whatever you want to call it) in my scenic design that has scenery attached to it. The turn table spins around moving the scenery around in a circle. My goal was to show the director the turn table movement as it would be in real life from an audience perspective 

[Peter Neufeld.]

This is a spin animation. Edit the path to make it horizontal, delete points in plan upstage, use the camera view to centre the model for each keyframe. This is a quick rough attempt.

 

 

 

Good luck!,

Peter

[michaelk]

That's much more accessible than writing a script!

 

But you couldn't have any stationary geometry.  Right?

[Peter Neufeld.]

The camera moves around the model but it gives the effect of the model being static. Please see the enclosed file with a more simple set to reduce file size. The hardest thing once the user has mastered getting the animation path level and shortened, is to set the camera view for each frame to be the same location in the centre of the page. So in my quick example above the camera wobbles.

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

PS Also if you don't already know from I think SP3, Renderworks Spotlight lights can have any texture applied and thus projected. Try projecting bricks - it works!

 

Spin Revolve.vwx

 

 

[Peter Neufeld.]

Here's a Orbit with the same file. Much easier to edit because it's not on a slant like the Spin path. I'm thoroughly confused because maybe the orbit is the way to go?

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only difference I can see is that the spin path is angled. Vectorworks file enc.

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

 

 

Spin Revolve orbit instead.vwx

[Claes Lundstrom]

It used to be very easy to do in earlier versions of VW, but for some reason it was removed for some enigmatic reason, and was replaced by something way more complicated. A simple spin, and a basic back and forth motion should be a pre-defined settings in my opinion. It's by far he most used presentation I use. 

[line-weight]

@DiggleDesigns my advice would be don't waste any of your life trying to animate things in Vectorworks. That includes the built in tool for creating walkthrough animations - it's truly awful. Even the spin/orbit type animations are horrible - it's very difficult to get smooth animation without lurching and jerking. The two examples posted above demonstrate this.

 

There are a few threads detailing the many bugs and shortcomings of the animation tool, and no sign that there is any interest in fixing them.

[Elite Exhibits]

Peter Neufeld

 

Now if we could only quickly / easily create animations without the inherant up / down & in out wobble that both of the above animations exhibit. The old Saved View, look at Named item was idea for this.

 

Peter

[Elite Exhibits]

 

 

[Jeff Prince]

17 hours ago, DiggleDesigns said:

I want to create an animation where I have a turntable in my scenic design revolve around while my camera stays in place rather than the camera moving around my 3D model

 

can anyone help !?

 

thanks

Once again, the answer is Blender.

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

As many have pointed out, animation in Vectorworks is not easy, but learning Rhino, C4D, etc.,is not either and there is cost with most.  Vectorworks is not cheap and if it can do it, then do it in Vectorworks.  Having some history with Vectorworks and the animation module, I don't understand why some are experiencing the "Wobbldygook" thing.

 

 Elite Exhibits post above was very smooth.

 

The animations below were done in Vectorworks.  Nothing external, all modelled with 2015.

I could have ported to CINEMA 4D, but this is what I needed only, so less work staying in Vectorworks.  

 

Orbit

 

Path

 

 

[line-weight]

 

 

 

the main problems are discussed on this thread

Edited April 14, 2023 by line-weight

[Jeff Prince]

@VIRTUALENVIRONS if it is so easy in Vectorworks, tell @DiggleDesigns how to do what he is trying to achieve 🙂

 

18 minutes ago, VIRTUALENVIRONS said:

I don't understand why some are experiencing the "Wobbldygook" thing.

 

 Elite Exhibits post above was very smooth.

Please explain how to achieve this in 2020+.  Apparently, some tools no longer work like they used to.

 

Blender is free, youtube tutorials plentiful, and it’s unlikely they will break such basic functionality.  A few hours of learning and you have something that will probably serve you for years.

 

 

Edited April 14, 2023 by jeff prince

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

1 minute ago, jeff prince said:

A few hours of learning and you have something that will probably serve you for years.

Yes Jeff, for you and a few others, but some struggle with the most basic concepts of 3D.  Simply moving objects around is a big deal.  

 

Although I have 2022, I just know how to open it and look at the pretty pictures.  I still work in 2018.  I received a permanent 2022 to write the tutorial(s), one of which, will be posted tomorrow.  It is quite challenging, perhaps you will take it on.

 

regards.....Virtual

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

7 minutes ago, jeff prince said:

if it is so easy in Vectorworks, tell @DiggleDesigns how to do what he is trying to achieve

Hi Jeff,

I missed that part and I have no idea.  Have not animated or rendered in Vectorworks in eight years.  I guess I could go look at it, but why not just have DiggleDesigs tell us.

 

regards....Virtual

[Jeff Prince]

1 minute ago, VIRTUALENVIRONS said:

Yes Jeff, for you and a few others, but some struggle with the most basic concepts of 3D.  Simply moving objects around is a big deal.  

 

Although I have 2022, I just know how to open it and look at the pretty pictures.  I still work in 2018.  I received a permanent 2022 to write the tutorial(s), one of which, will be posted tomorrow.  It is quite challenging, perhaps you will take it on.

 

regards.....Virtual

 

This is a hilarious response.  You come into a thread, offer no solution to the problem at hand, suggest that learning 3D is too hard for most….

and then promote another of your “tutorials” claiming its super hard.

 

Yawn.

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

6 minutes ago, jeff prince said:

This is a hilarious response.  You come into a thread, offer no solution to the problem at hand, suggest that learning 3D is too hard for most….

and then promote another of your “tutorials” claiming its super hard.

HI Jeff,  The tutorial being posted tomorrow is one of two.  The next one is more challenging.  They were made in an effort to get Vectorworks users to understand what Vectorworks is truly capable of.  Most users don't consider Vectorworks to be a good 3D modelling package, when it is one of the best available.

 

Vectorworks can work in Solid modelling, Surface modelling, planar object modelling and mix them all.  I don't really know of another package that can do that.

 

Challenging vs Super Hard.  I looked backed and did not see the Super Hard part.

The jet movies are not tutorials, just examples of why you don't need to buy more software....and let users know what can be done in Vectorworks.

[line-weight]

@VIRTUALENVIRONS the orbit animation of the jet you posted, made in an earlier version of Vectorworks, the point you seem to be missing is that since then, VW has changed how this tool works and it is no longer possible to make an orbit animation in the same way. If you were to read in full the thread I posted a link to, this would become clear.

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

14 minutes ago, line-weight said:

@VIRTUALENVIRONS the orbit animation of the jet you posted, made in an earlier version of Vectorworks, the point you seem to be missing is that since then, VW has changed how this tool works and it is no longer possible to make an orbit animation in the same way. If you were to read in full the thread I posted a link to, this would become clear.

Thank you for this.  Did not know and I appreciate being schooled in polite manner.  May have to have a look at the new tools.