CompuServe Thread

#keyscript not nodefetch

9 messages in this thread
#182610From: JEFF RIETERJul 28, 1995 11:31 AM
Jonas, Sorry to bother you again today- Martin (writer of Keyscript) had suggested that to accomplish what you proposed will require a 10 -20 line script vs your "couple of lines". Is the INSIDE 3ds4 the only reference you can suggest for creating the script that I seek? I fully realize that I may be in over my head here. I thought I was in over my head back in Feb too. I guess I kind of wished I'd come out of that experience knowing what I need to know now instead of how to substituted for nodefetch output only. Any suggestions that don't involve instruments of violence would be helpful. Thanks Jeff
#182614From: Jonas Ruikis [ADESK]Jul 28, 1995 12:00 PM
Hi Jeff, <<.. I guess I kind of wished I'd come out of that experience knowing what I need to know now instead of how to substituted for nodefetch output only…>> Nodefetch really is a good place to start. It reads an ascii file containing all possible TrackInfo data. Your data may only require a small portion of this scripts capabilities. Your challenge may be to either modify Nodefetch to match the format of your data in the ascii file or to modify your ascii data to match the expectations of nodefetch. One of the initial challenges that all programmers must face is a formal review of the problem that you are trying to solve through a program and the data structures and control flow options available with different languages that you can choose from. In this case, the laguage is basic like. Since you are not a programmer, you may want to pick up a book on Basic Programming so that you can learn some programming fundamentals. In addition, you should review the scripts that shipped with R4 and slowly review them line by line with the manual. If you still are at a loss, then you may want to hire one of the many individuals that have uploaded scripts to the script section of the library to write the script for you. jonas[adesk]
#182615From: JEFF RIETERJul 28, 1995 12:09 PM
Jonas >>modify your ascii data to match the expectations of nodefetch. << Is this not what I did last time by putting my ascii file data in a move, node,x,z,y,frames format and executing nodehold ? I appreciate your patience with my inexperience. I will consult some basic resources as I have the time. Unfortunately I am under a deadline and I thought I could get by on what I learned the last time I ( Quasi)-used keyscript. That animation helped this client avert a multimillion dollar settlement for his client. Tell me if what I described above is not a modification to the ascii data so that nodefetch will accept it. Ah, but this still creates a nodefetch situation that is over 10000 lines which invariably will crash 3ds according to Martin D. Who might I contact about hiring to prepare the simple script that I need this time? Much thanks Jeff
#182625From: Jonas Ruikis [ADESK]Jul 28, 1995 12:50 PM
Hi Jeff, <<..a nodefetch situation that is over 10000 lines which invariably will crash 3ds according to Martin D..>> I believe Martin was stating that the problem was a *.k3d that was greater than 10,000 lines and not a 10,000 line ascii file. << Who might I contact about hiring to prepare the simple script that I need this time? >> Just post a request right here in this section and see who answers or send e-mail to the individuals that have posted scripts into the script sections. jonas[adesk]
#182628From: JEFF RIETERJul 28, 1995 1:28 PM
Thanks Jonas, I think we may have been talking around my problem after all. So you are saying that I will be able to edit a 10000+ line ascii file so as to make it consistent with what nodefetch reads.- essentially what I did before! As it is I am putting together an ascii file the is formatted move, node, x,z,y,frame to be read by nodefetch .k3d.. This .asc will be over 10000lines long- you say this will work. Next question- if this works and I generate a path over 10K frames, what problems will I encounter if I try to use said path to extrude a shape along it to create a static object for use in the 10K+ frame animation? Do I need to worry about exceeding the polygon limit for what is basically a 2d presentation of the required data? Thanks again – Jeff
#182639From: CSA/CAJul 28, 1995 3:45 PM
Jeff, Aren't you really trying to take an object and show it's movement over time (through the 10,000 frames) along the path? This would not increase the polygon count. If you need other objects to appear relatively motionless with respect to the moving objects, they could be hierarchly linked to the moving object(s). Kevin Krell – Computer Support Associates
#182648From: JEFF RIETERJul 28, 1995 4:29 PM
kevin let me ammend my last reply: I mean the road will have a high number of vertices and faces not polygons. Because of the length of the animation approx 10800frames (6 minutes) I am naturally concerned about rendering time. The whole presentation has to be on tape in less than eight days. Naturally I don't want an object that 3ds has trouble with because of sheer # of faces. I need rendering times to be under 20 sec/frame. Do you follow? Any suggestions or alternatives to extruding a polygon along the path would be appreciated. Thanks again for your interest. Jeff
#182653From: Jonas Ruikis [ADESK]Jul 28, 1995 4:56 PM
Jeff, << Do I need to worry about exceeding the polygon limit for what is basically a 2d presentation of the required data? >> You are limited by 64K vertices and 64K faces. <<..anything else..>> You may want to break up your task into several project files that represent a smaller frame count. The fewer keys keyscript creates and saves back into the scene, the faster your productivity. << 8 days left >> Best of luck! jonas[adesk]
#182654From: JEFF RIETERJul 28, 1995 4:58 PM
Jonas, Thanks for keeping up today. Jeff