Animation by importing rotation values from text file?
- Thread starter beroe
- Start date
Rene66
0
It may seem like such a feature is easy, but there are complexities in how such variables get imported which will dictate the formatting of the imported text document. As such, you would have to manually key in (or adjust) the data for each entry in the text file to be imported (there is no standard export for such data so a standard would be created which you would have to match). If this doesn't make sense, trust me, manually creating a properly formatted text (or comma) delimited file for a large data set is work. It is easily equal to the amount of work it will take for you to manually input the individual keyframes into the animation. If your data is in time code (hh:mm:ss:fr), then you will have to convert to frames and that process will vary depending on the frame rate you choose (frames per second). I can explain more if needed.
Basically what I am saying is that such an automated feature sounds like a time saver, but in reality it is equal effort to just committing to doing manual keyframes in my opinion. And inputting manual keyframes is way more satisfying because you get to preview as you input where as creating the properly formatted file you kind of cross your fingers that you've input it all correctly and have to debug your data set if it's not working; very frustrating.
If it's a huge list, stay focused on how satisfying it will feel to see your work go from a paper list to an awesome animation!
Basically what I am saying is that such an automated feature sounds like a time saver, but in reality it is equal effort to just committing to doing manual keyframes in my opinion. And inputting manual keyframes is way more satisfying because you get to preview as you input where as creating the properly formatted file you kind of cross your fingers that you've input it all correctly and have to debug your data set if it's not working; very frustrating.
If it's a huge list, stay focused on how satisfying it will feel to see your work go from a paper list to an awesome animation!
beroe
0
Thanks...
I am sure there must be a straightforward scripting solution, since this is only uniformly spaced (in time) Rotation parameters applying to the only object in the scene.
Something like `for value in list, set keyframe n rotation to value, n+=1, next`
I tried manually keying in a few values and exporting as .dae file to see if I could find the parameters in the XML, but didn't find it.
I am sure there must be a straightforward scripting solution, since this is only uniformly spaced (in time) Rotation parameters applying to the only object in the scene.
Something like `for value in list, set keyframe n rotation to value, n+=1, next`
I tried manually keying in a few values and exporting as .dae file to see if I could find the parameters in the XML, but didn't find it.
Rene66
0
I get how it sounds easy and straightforward. It's the same with a basic 3D object. Just XYZ vertex information and how each vertex relates to other vertices. Simple. But each software has a FORMAT in how the information is packaged. It would be the same with a script or export. As you discovered, the raw format of the data is not always intuitive to discern where the data is. I'm sure with research and experimentation you could discover how another file format (.dae, .fbx, etc.) would package the data you wish to import and then create a file to successfully import into Cheetah. That takes time. Sometimes it is quicker to just input the data manually even if it appears tedious or unexciting. Hope you find your solution. Cheers!
Hi beroe
I second Rene66's opinion, especially as he already pointed out that you could translate your existing data into a known format like fbx or dae outside of Cheetah. If you're used to such tasks, you have the tools, the skills and the only thing would be to get the knowledge about the new format. This solution would have the advantage that you could use the resulting file in (almost) any 3d app, not only Cheetah. And you could do it anytime again.
It would be time consuming, though. So even with 1550 keys (the 'time points') it really could be that you're faster doing it by hand instead. It sounds horrible, is tedious and like you I'd do almost anything to avoid such work (even if it would take slightly longer, only for the advantage of being not that boring). If it's only remotely possible that such a need will arise again in the future, I certainly would go for doing the script.
Nobody here around has something ready that you could use (even if somebody had such a script, you still would have to change it to your needs). So, you have to do it yourself from scratch, be that keying manually or scripting.
But what I ask myself, is simply where you get your data from. Isn't it possible to export the data into some other file format – not necessarily one Cheetah can read, but something that could be 'translated' in another app? Or it could simply be possible that someone else using that app had the same problem and has a solution? So you could ask in their forum or simply ask the developers. What app doesn't have such export functions? Or is it so darn old that formats with camera data are not supported?
I second Rene66's opinion, especially as he already pointed out that you could translate your existing data into a known format like fbx or dae outside of Cheetah. If you're used to such tasks, you have the tools, the skills and the only thing would be to get the knowledge about the new format. This solution would have the advantage that you could use the resulting file in (almost) any 3d app, not only Cheetah. And you could do it anytime again.
It would be time consuming, though. So even with 1550 keys (the 'time points') it really could be that you're faster doing it by hand instead. It sounds horrible, is tedious and like you I'd do almost anything to avoid such work (even if it would take slightly longer, only for the advantage of being not that boring). If it's only remotely possible that such a need will arise again in the future, I certainly would go for doing the script.
Nobody here around has something ready that you could use (even if somebody had such a script, you still would have to change it to your needs). So, you have to do it yourself from scratch, be that keying manually or scripting.
But what I ask myself, is simply where you get your data from. Isn't it possible to export the data into some other file format – not necessarily one Cheetah can read, but something that could be 'translated' in another app? Or it could simply be possible that someone else using that app had the same problem and has a solution? So you could ask in their forum or simply ask the developers. What app doesn't have such export functions? Or is it so darn old that formats with camera data are not supported?