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truePlay viewpoint problem
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truePlay viewpoint problem // truePlay
Post by razzaq1 // May 4, 2006, 2:03pm
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razzaq1
Total Posts: 60
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Hi truePlayers!,
I have made a record (baytmahmouranim1.rcd) 8 megs so not attached...and the link to where it is on the net fails - even for save-as :-(....
In the scene, the 'eye point' is MEANT TO BE from a camera which circumambulates the scene
BUT
When loaded into truePlay, the view defaults to perspective view, spoiling the effect of the scene.
Is there any way to FORCE the eyepoint in truePlay to be the from the floating camera? (it's brown-ish and passes by occasionally......turns grey if you happen to select it on-the-fly)
Also, I can't pause the animation to select the camera as a viewpoint.
PS If you are patient enough you can click on the camera to select it as it goes by, and then you can change the view to be from the camera.....as it should be!
PPS Plays smoother on my machine if BLOOM is turned on.
I zipped the file and the link is here
www.suficinema.com/video/baytmahmouranim1.zip
Thanks for any help. :jumpy: |
Post by Délé // May 4, 2006, 6:05pm
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Délé
Total Posts: 1374
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Hey razzaq1,
If you swap out the camera for an "EntryPoint" object it should work. The EntryPoint object can be found in the "DX components" library, in the "view" tab as shown in the image below. If you use the look at tool to make the EntryPoint object look at something, the "target matrix" input should show up on it. Then you can just unhook the links from the camera and plug them right into the EntryPoint. I believe you also need to have the 3d view set from the EntryPoint camera when recording for it to work.
I noticed that the "motion lightball" and "motion camera catsuit" objects are giving errors when started and stopped in TS. Those must be from the 7.0 RomanHouse. I think something was changed in 7.1 that made it necessary to adjust the scripting for those buttons. If you right click on the top of those objects, and then right click on the start/stop button, select the properties tab and delete the script %THIS_PANEL% in both the "Script on Up" and "Script-Down" sections, and then right click the top again and select "replace", it should no longer give those errors. Or you can just swap those objects out with the new ones in the 7.1 Romans House scene.
You may already know this but if you select the upper left corner of an object and select "Show automatically", the node will show up in truePlay. So you could for instance have a start and stop button show up automatically when the file is opened.
hth |
Post by Emmanuel // May 5, 2006, 12:08am
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Emmanuel
Total Posts: 439
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Thank you Dele. I was also looking for that :) |
Post by razzaq1 // May 5, 2006, 10:00am
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razzaq1
Total Posts: 60
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Thanks Dele (excuse lack of accents)
I'll try and follow your instructions and get it working.
I was wondering about why it 'errored out' when reloading the scene into tS7.1
I could only press the 'motion camera catsuit' START button OR the 'motion lightball' START button and start motion on one (not both) objects when the scene was loaded into 7.1.
It played ok when launched as an imported .rcd though!
Thanks for explaining to me how to fix the scene file.
I'll probably change the script as you described above.
It sounds easier than rebuilding the whole scene from 7.1 romanhouse!
About using the EntryPoint object......
I'll try and get my head around doing it, but, I like the way the camera dives and swoops. Will making the EntryPoint object 'look at' an object - probably the spinning Bism'illah (er...catsuit object) - destroy the camera motion?
Also, I notice that when the scene is loaded in tS, I don't see an object for the camera in the LE.
If I highlight the camera in the scene nothing turns blue in the LE.
Ultimately, i'd like to put a link to this animation on a webpage and have it play in all its DX9 beauty (when I learn to tweak it better)
I can't save animation from PLAYER and I didn't find out how to make it look as good in MODELER and I don't have a DVD recorder hooked up to my TV out - to save an .avi or .wmv (oh yes...when i tried saving frames to the KFE it would only save .flc. If I tried .avi the program crashed...any thoughts?)
(see your previous reply to Romanhouse Render in the Tech forum)
So...I'll have to put a link to truePlay and have them d/l the .rcd.
Do you know if there are plans for a truePlay browser plug-in?
My system is Athlon 64 and ATI Radeon X800GT and 1 gig ram
Thanks for letting me know about the "Show automatically" option.
I'll try it and understand what you mean.
Cheers!
Abdul Razzaq |
Post by Délé // May 5, 2006, 1:35pm
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Délé
Total Posts: 1374
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Here's an image that might help. It doesn't matter what you make the EntryPoint "look at". When you make it look at something, an input gets added to the node called "target matrix" and a link is made into the object that it's looking at. You can disconnect this link. All we are looking to do here is get that "target matrix" input to show up on the EntryPoint node. Then you can just drag the links from the camera into the same inputs on the EntryPoint and delete the old camera. You might want to set the EntryPoint FOV to 0.700 like it is on the camera too.
This way the EntryPoint will "look at" and animate exactly like the camera did. This is because the "Target Matrix" link is what makes an object look at another object and the animation is being fed into the camera through the "Matrix" input. hth :) |
Post by razzaq1 // May 7, 2006, 10:00am
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razzaq1
Total Posts: 60
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Dear Dele,
I've corrected the scripts as you described above. (works fine now)
I've loaded an EntryPoint item into the LE, and as the image attached shows, I have selected VIEW to be FROM the EntryPoint object then selected the CATSUIT object that the CAMERA was looking at...
however, I'm missing something because i cannot get a TARGET MATRIX line to show up on the EntryPoint object EVEN THOUGH I have selected LOOK AT to be the same object as the camera was/is looking at!
(even if I disconnect the camera it won't work...although i believe that i shouldn't HAVE TO disconnect the camera)
I hope you can set me straight,
thanks
razzaq1 |
Post by Délé // May 7, 2006, 10:38am
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Délé
Total Posts: 1374
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hmmm... Are you selecting the object you want to look at in the LE or the 3d workspace? I think that it only works if you select the object you want to look at in the 3d workspace. That's about the only thing I can think of that might be happening. |
Post by razzaq1 // May 7, 2006, 12:51pm
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razzaq1
Total Posts: 60
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Sorry Dele,
I tried all combinations of selecting EntryPoint and object in 3D space or LE but nothing gives the EntryPoint a Target Matrix.
I even tried loading a new scene and putting a sphere and an EntryPoint object into it and having the EntryPoint LOOK AT the sphere, but still no Target Matrix.
Exactly HOW did you get the EntryPoint in your image above to have a Target Matrix?
Perhaps if I can replicate that, I can make it work in my scene. |
Post by Délé // May 7, 2006, 1:06pm
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Délé
Total Posts: 1374
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That's strange. Ok, here's what I do:
- Drag the EntryPoint into the LE.
- Select the "Exp" tab in the EntryPoint object in the LE.
- Select the "look at" tool.
- Select any object in the 3d window.
At this point the "Target Matrix" shows up and a link is formed from the "WldMatrix" output of the target object to the "Target Matrix" input of the EntryPoint.
In case that doesn't work, I'll upload an EntryPoint object with the Target Matrix already exposed. Just right click in the same library as the original EntryPoint and select "import object" to load it into the library. Then you can just pull this out instead.
hth |
Post by razzaq1 // May 7, 2006, 3:20pm
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razzaq1
Total Posts: 60
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Thanks for the reply.
Summink's goin on that's a bit odd.
I made a scene as you described above
(fresh scene......drag EntryPoint into LE.....drag sphere into 3D.....
make EntryPoint the 'view from' by clicking the 'view from' icon (camera thing)at top of the 3D window on the views pull-down........select sphere in 3D window.....click 'look at' icon in top of 3D window)
I tested in Modeler and in Player and FUNCTIONALLY it works (ie able to circumambulate the 'looked at' object in all cases.......entrypoint at sphere, sphere at camera, camera at sphere etc
BUT, in the LE, NO LINKS ARE FORMED.
Do I have something switched off?
I'll try your attached file tomorrow (its 2am now) but I'd rather fix my system if it's not working right!
PS THIS picture shows the CAMERA looking at the ENTRYPOINT.......if I rotate, the view moves around the ENTRYPOINT (at right of picture) |
Post by Délé // May 7, 2006, 4:12pm
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Délé
Total Posts: 1374
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ah, I see. It's just a case of the wrong button. The "look at selection" button at the top is just a quick way to temporarily set the 3d perspective view to look at the current object. The "Look at tool" is the one you want to use. That one locks the orientation of an object to constantly look at another object. You do not need to set the view to be from the EntryPoint camera to use the "look at tool". You only need to have the EntryPoint selected first.
hth |
Post by razzaq1 // May 9, 2006, 1:39pm
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razzaq1
Total Posts: 60
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Hi again,
I succesfully replaced the EntryPoint object you sent (with the Target Matrix)
and deleted the camera.
The scene works the same, but when played in truePlay, the effect is as before.
The viewpoint is NOT from ther EntryPoint object, even when it is selected before the 'recording'.
I am enclosing a link to a zip of the new .rcd file baytmahmouranim2 HERE (http://www.suficinema.com/video/baytmahmouranim2.zip)
PS I turned on the 'show automatically' options so we have control in truePlay.
Any further ideas how to make the viewpoint be from the EntryPoint object?
Thank you,
A R. |
Post by Délé // May 9, 2006, 2:16pm
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Délé
Total Posts: 1374
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hmmm...You're right. That's strange, it seems that the EntryPoint no longer works like it used to. I'll report it to the devs.
In the meantime, here is an old EntryPoint camera saved from one of my scenes. I tested it with your scene and it seems to work. I think that you must have the view set from the EntryPoint camera when recording for it to work.
hth |
Post by trueBlue // May 9, 2006, 3:16pm
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trueBlue
Total Posts: 1761
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I think the problem is that you renamed the EntryPoint to EntryPointTM. Rename it EntryPoint. |
Post by Délé // May 9, 2006, 4:03pm
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Délé
Total Posts: 1374
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ah, good catch trueBlue. Thanks. :) I remember trying the original and it didn't work, but now I see what was happening. When I dragged a new EntryPoint out, it would automatically name itself "EntryPoint, 1" because I already had one in the LE.
I renamed the EntryPoint in the post above to "EntryPoint". The reason I had changed it originally was because I was assuming it would be uploaded to the library where the original was located and thought it would be better to alter the name a bit to tell them apart. Now, the one posted above should be uploaded to a different library to avoid it being renamed "EntryPoint, 1" which will render it ineffective again.
The best option would probably be to just get the target matrix to show up on the original EntryPoint as described in the above post. :) |
Post by razzaq1 // May 13, 2006, 3:40pm
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razzaq1
Total Posts: 60
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Thank you :banana: SO:banana: much for helping me solve the problems!
All runs fine now.
Here's the link baytmahmouranim1 (http://www.suficinema.com/animation/baytmahmouranim1.zip)
It seems the viewer has to press STOP at top left, or else it plays jerkily in truePlay. If buttons not available it still plays jerkily (record was made whilst animated)
also, truePlay crashes when closing. Anyone know why? ...or is it just my machine?
thanks muchly! |
Post by razzaq1 // May 15, 2006, 2:04pm
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razzaq1
Total Posts: 60
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Not really sure if I should start another thread.....!
I decided that I'd like to use the animation as a web-portal (I want to make the photos web-links) so I decided to try and save out the scene as a .wrl and look at it using the Cortona VRML plug-in for IE. available HERE (http://www.parallelgraphics.com/products/cortona/)... the only VRML viewer I could find.
I get the message shown in the picture below. (the scene doesn't load either)
Any help for this?......or, any suggestions for a VRML plug-in that will read a .wrl file output from tS7
Is it possible using tS7 to make objects in 3D space be hyperlinks?
I tried exporting the scene as an iSpace file but couldn't figure out how I'd use it.
Cheers, dear trueSpacers. |
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