CompuServe Thread

#Saving ASC

9 messages in this thread
#37583From: Mitchell WaiteMar 16, 1993 9:25 PM
When I save a 3ds editor file as Ascii I can convert it to another ray tracer. But suppose I use the keyframer to warp some geometry…like move the fingers of a hand. Can I save that keyframe info, e.g. can I save a certain frame of my keyframer in an ASCII file? If not that means I would have to make all my manipulations in the editor, which means no hierarchy and pivoting of joints that I am doing in the keyframer, right? Thanks, Mitch
#37605From: MARTIN G FOSTERMar 17, 1993 3:05 AM
Mitchell, no you cannot export keyframes, so you'd have to do the pseudo-keyframing in the editor and save an ascii file for each "pseudo-keyframe" – sounds like a sure way to get a big headache <g>.
#37643From: Yost GroupMar 17, 1993 11:15 AM
There is a way to copy the positions of a single frame of the Keyframer into the Editor–as long as you don't have any instances in the Keyframer. (Caution: This is a special-case procedure, and it messes up your Keyframe and Editor setup, so make sure you save your .3ds file under a different name after performing this.) Move to the frame in the Keyframer that contains the positions that you want in the Editor. Right-click on the Track Info button to display the Track Info dialog box in World mode. Use the Add button to add keys for all tracks of the frame that you're on. Use the Copy button to copy those keys to frame 0, and then delete all the remaining key dots in the animation. (You might not need to do the key-dot deletion, I'm not sure.) Now, unlink all of the objects in the Keyframer. When you go to the Editor, the objects should be in the same position as you just left them in the Keyframer. – Jack
#37948From: Mitchell WaiteMar 19, 1993 11:20 PM
Thanks Jack. I will get brave and try that soon. I have actually mucked up somehow using the keyframer and discovered my geometry all twisted in some bizarre way, so I figure I have some experience now 🙂 Mitch
#37992From: Yost GroupMar 20, 1993 10:43 AM
Try it with something small first, to build up your confidence. <g> – J
#37679From: Steve AngerMar 17, 1993 7:14 PM
I assume that you're talking about 3ds2pov. If you get the latest version from GRAPHDEV (v1.6) you can export both the geometry and the keyframer data and have 3ds2pov generate the animation. Morphing isn't in 1.6 but it is in the 1.7 beta.
#37950From: Mitchell WaiteMar 19, 1993 11:21 PM
Thanks Steve! Are you saying that I can now tell 3ds2pov to render just a particlar frame to a POV file? If that is what it does that would be wonderful. Mitch
#37971From: Steve AngerMar 20, 1993 2:49 AM
Yes, you can generate a POV file for a single frame or you can generate a whole animation. Just a warning, the animation support works with 3DS r1.0 and r2.0 but not with r2.01. It looks like I'll have to do the conversion directly from the .3ds files to get it working with r2.01.
#38181From: Mitchell WaiteMar 22, 1993 10:29 PM
Oh boy that is a great solution compared to what I would have to do to fix it in 3DS. Thanks! Gosh I have 2.01 I believe.