Turntable - Animating object

[Jeff Prince]

2 hours ago, VIRTUALENVIRONS said:

Most users don't consider Vectorworks to be a good 3D modelling package, when it is one of the best available.

 

Paul, this thread is about animation, not modeling...

I think we can all agree that Vectorworks is not an animation tool and just includes a few amateur tools that serve mostly to aggravate.

In terms of modeling, it is very good for AEC modeling.

However, it's never going to be the go to tool for real industrial design.

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

Hi Jeff,

I appreciate your point of view and the others.  Yes, in terms of animation, it has the basics only.

I quickly ran through the Animation tools in 2022, good improvements.  Have an idea on the wobbling.  

 

So, just a question, no heat on this.  What do you or any others (that want to chime in) see as an Industrial design software.....and if you have a "why" to go with your thoughts, please do.

 

[Jeff Prince]

@DiggleDesigns based on what I think you described, I threw an example together.

Is this what you are trying to achieve?

 

 

 

If so, the steps were pretty easy.

 

Model it all in Vectorworks

Export pieces you want grouped together in Blender as separate .DAE files, this makes turning things on and off really easy.

 

Import into Blender

Position camera

Keyframe the scenery rotation.

 

Done.  I hadn't tried this prior to today and my Blender skills aren't much beyond knowing how to launch the program...

Figured it out during lunch by watching a few tutorials...

 

Positioning the camera:  https://youtu.be/0sDZ0zRVn1M

Rotate around different axis: https://youtu.be/2RADeCcafCI

 

For future times when you just need a SMOOTH spinning turntable animation of a object: https://youtu.be/6oXkRIN_t0Y

 

 

 

Hope it helps.

Edited April 14, 2023 by jeff prince

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

Very well done and describe.  A picture is worth a thousand words.....but an animation is exponential.

 

 

regards....

[michaelk]

With apologies to @James Russell…

 

Here is a simple script that will rotate an object within VW.  Not saying that this is the best way to accomplish this, but it's fun to tinker.  

 

To use it you have to have name the object "Spin Me".  The object can be a group.

 

Symbols spin nicely.  

 

Not good for spinning:  2D geometry, 3D geometry, parametric objects.

Good news:  a symbol containing any of the above, spins fine.

 

Things that VW has to redraw (2D geometry, 3D geometry, parametric objects, even generic solids) will flicker in and out of another dimension depending on speed (and probably your computer's specs).  Turn them into symbols.

 

To use this script name an object or group Spin Me.  (Name it at the bottom of the OIP)

 

Run the script.  

 

It will ask for a speed greater than 0 and lest than or equal to 100.  The actual speed depends on your computer and what you are spinning.  In reality it's spinning the object that value in degrees every compute cycle.

 

Most importantly:  To stop the script hit space bar or any other key on the keyboard except a modifier. (Shift, control, alt, option, command, etc).

 

{April 2023
Badly scripted by Michael Klaers
This script will spin the object named "Spin Me" around the center of that object.
Hitting any non modified key will stop the spin.}


Procedure TEST;

	VAR
		Spinner
		: HANDLE;
		
		Speed,XCtr,YCtr
		: REAL;
		
		KeyHit
		: LONGINT;
		
BEGIN {Main}
	Spinner := GetObject('Spin Me');
	
	IF Spinner <> NIL 
		THEN
			BEGIN 
				Speed := RealDialog('Speed (.00001-100): ','1');
				IF Speed <= 0 	THEN Speed := 1;
				IF Speed > 100 	THEN Speed := 100;

				HCenter(Spinner,XCtr,YCtr);
	
				REPEAT 
					HRotate(Spinner, XCtr, YCtr, Speed);
					HMoveBackward(Spinner,FALSE);
					HMoveForward(Spinner,FALSE);
					ResetObject(Spinner);
					ReDrawAll;
				UNTIL KeyDown(KeyHit);
			END {Spin Me exists}
		ELSE
			BEGIN
				AlrtDialog(CONCAT(	'Please name the object you want to spin "Spin Me".',CHR(13),
									'You can also group objects and name the group "Spin Me"'));
			END;					
END;	
	
Run (TEST);	

 

1229864685_rotatetest.vwx

[Peter Neufeld.]

That's brilliant Michael and so easy thanks!

Is there anyway to specify the degrees eg 180º or 360º etc, and/or specify the number of revolutions?. It seemed to finish with my file with the revolve facing upstage. Is there a way to reset it to the start position?

Also, odd things are happening in the Shaded render in my file with the walls 'flashing' and disappearing. Is there anyway for the render to hold? It's not the lights or Renderworks background.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

Peter

865910821_SpinMerevolve.vwx

[michaelk]

It's flashing because VW has to redraw the walls, extrudes, windows, doors, etc every increment of the rotation.

 

Make everything inside the group a symbol and it will spin smoothly.

 

Yes.  Defining the rotation is probably possible.  I'm actually working on a way to have multiple objects spinning at different rates in different directions.

 

I wonder if this is how @Julian Carr got started with animation works --  Sitting in his kitchen making things spin and laughing his butt off.

 

[michaelk]

Here's a new version that allows multiple objects to spin at different rates in different directions.  Even objects inside of other objects can spin independently.

 

Attach the record 'roundNround' to an object and it is eligible to spin when using the Multi Spin script.  The values of the record determine if it spins, what direction, and at what relative speed.

 

@Peter Neufeld. I haven't implemented a stop point.  Let me know if that's important.

 

I'll also post this in an older version of VW.  Just having the script won't work without the record format so you need a file with both.

842250788_MultipleRotate.vwx 1235070565_MultipleRotatev2020.vwx

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

That is so cool.  Is this playing in real time or is this a rendered out animation.  Either way, it's impressive.

 

 

[michaelk]

Real time.  In my tests it works in real time in Wireframe, Shaded, and Hidden Line.  It doesn't work in Renderworks.  Too slow.

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

Just now, michaelk said:

Real time.  In my tests it works in real time in Wireframe, Shaded, and Hidden Line.  It doesn't work in Renderworks.  Too slow.

How do you activate it or start the animation.  The play button, etc.

[michaelk]

Run the script.  

 

There is a script palette called "Adventures in Spinning".

Inside that there are two scripts.  

1. Multi Spin w/ Record will look for objects with an attached record called "roundNround".  The settings in the record determines how it spins.
2. Spin This will spin any object named "Spin Me"

To run the script just double click on the script in the script palette.

 

Hit the space bar or any key except a modifier key to make it stop.

[michaelk]

A play button would have been a cool idea!

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

Thank you.  I never thought I would see Vectorworks animate in real time.  I don't know anything about scripting, marionette, etc.  I animate in C4D.

This is a great stride forward though.  Do you think there is a way to "ease in" and "ease out".

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

Sorry, my question may have ben unclear.  To start the animation slowly and come to a stop slowly.

 

 

[michaelk]

🙂 

 

I knew exactly what you meant!

 

I'm sure it's possible.  

 

Maybe if I revisit this I'll add Peter's suggestion for a stopping point and your suggestion for acceleration and deceleration.

 

But there is no guarantee.  I'm just messing around with this.  This is trickier than I expected it to be.  To trick VW into doing this you have to rotate every object by however many degrees then force a redraw of the entire drawing.  I haven't tested it, but I suspect that 2023 SP4 would run this script MUCH better than VW 2020 or 2021.  And for reasons I don't totally understand, the procedure that calculates the revolve increments and forces the redraw doesn't like logical tests.  (IF a thing has a specific value THEN do this).  My scripts are often littered with IF/THEN statements and iterative procedures called FOR loops (which also don't play well in the central procedure).  So it's been a fun little brain teaser for me to write in a way I don't normally write.

 

Maybe Julian will fix it for us 🙂 

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

You are doing an amazing job testing and probably having a lot of fun doing it.  It is probably the first thing I have seen in years that is new or ground breaking in Vectorworks.

 

Kudos to you Michailk.

[michaelk]

I am having fun with it. 
 

Just sitting in my kitchen laughing at spinning chickens and wheelbarrows and ignoring the work I should be doing. 
 

You have to acknowledge how cool it is that VW allows anyone with little more than high school computer science class programming to hack it like this. 
 

[Peter Neufeld.]

Wow, this is the first time I've been able to fake a mirror ball. An Array of Renderworks Spotlights at 90º with a dot gobo texture in all 6 of them, coupled with a sphere with a mirror surface as a symbol spinning! All due to SP3  amazingly allowing any texture be applied to a Renderworks Spotlight plus then Michael's spinning script!

 

Plus it's going in the opposite direction of the revolve! I'd still like the following:

 

• Being able to bring it back somehow to it's original start position otherwise it's trial and error and hitting the space bar to stop
• It would be great to choose the degrees up to 360º. Maybe if 360º is chosen it just keeps spinning and that is the default?
• Somehow be able to couple it up with the animation export so users can control the number of frames and size?

Either way in a seemingly short period of time Michael you've created a really easy to use and very useful script that answers @DiggleDesigns original question so much better than my feeble attempt!

Spin Me Revolve 2.vwx

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

Peter

[michaelk]

Just curious, Peter, what are your computer specs?
 

When I ran your file on my computer, it was much much smoother.

[Peter Neufeld.]

M1 64GB UM MBP macOS 13.3.1 No external screen.

 

?!

[michaelk]

Interesting.  I just went back and checked again.  

 

It's smoother on my computer.  But not that much.

 

I have a 16" MBP M2 Max with 96 GB.  4K external monitor.

 

Tell your boss you need a new computer 🙂

[Peter Neufeld.]

Even if I have Shaded settings set to Low the same thing?!

[James Russell]

@michaelk : It's not often I awaken from my forum slumber - however I'm impressed and you deserve to know it.

 

However, I'm a marinonette man now, and as such the challenge has been reset.

I'm off to explore this for a bit.

 

One day we'll know the Animation works secrets... one day.

[James Russell]

Additionally, let's not forget how crazy this little animation concept can become 

 

[See attached Pacman project from 2015]

Controls:

W : Up

A : Left

S : Down

D : Right

Space: Stop

Esc: Quit

 

I still strongly believe this deserved to be in the included sample files of VW by default, perhaps @Peter Neufeld. the AU/NZ VW2023 needs to be rebundled. 😅 

 

 

@michaelk - Pacman definitely requires your tagline of "Badly scripted by James Russell" 

JRussell - PacMan 2015.vwx

Edited April 19, 2023 by James Russell
Controls kept turning into Emojis