[PD] A question...

[Simon Ball]

Hi Ed, thanks for that. I have played around with using text files to write
co-ordinates to an array. However, what I need is more control of the
co-ordinates. In your example, whenever I bang the message to start the
animation, the 3D ball jumps back to the start and then replays the
animation (obviously!). But is it possible to have each animation start from
where the last one finished? Or better still, is it possible to manipulate
the co-ordinates dynamically? For example, if I record movement which gives
me three 'points' within the frame, can I write this to a table then apply
it to an animation?

I can see how the table arrays work (roughly!), but I want to be able to
manipulate the arrays based on user input (mouse, motion sensor etc). Does
this make sense?

Thanks again for all your time, the PD community in generally has been
really helpful, I think I'm just a few steps from being able to achieve what
I need, but when you're new to something, every hurdle's a big one!

Regards
Simon


On Fri, May 1, 2009 at 4:13 PM, <morph_2016 at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

> Hi Simon,
>
> To be honest, I didn't really understand your question at first. It pays to
> be clear - but I sometimes don't get an answer from the list either. If you
> make it clear early on that your question is about a specific object -
> perhaps in the subject line of your email, it may get a better response.
>
> You must realise that everything is just a way of storing and transmitting
> data - numbers and symbols. The co-ordinates you store in the array for
> splinepath are (floating point number) co-ordinates in the three-dimensional
> space of the gemwin. So the start and endpoints for your animations are
> specified by the first set of 3 co-ordinates and the last set of 3
> co-ordinates.
> The co-ordinates in GEM are relative to the centre of the space, so X=0,
> Y=0, Z=0 sent into a translateXYZ object will send another object (sphere,
> cube, rectangle etc) to the centre of the gem window. This is why the ball
> is always at the right-top-front corner of the example I sent you - because
> the numbers sent into the translateXYZ object are all positive. Change the
> 40 to -40 in the attached PD patch.
>
> A word about arrays: an array is just a list of numbers really. Although it
> is displayed as a graph in PD, the input to [splinepath 3] takes three
> numbers from the array at a time, so the one-dimensional graph view in PD is
> quite useless for visualizing this. If the first set of co-ordinates is set
> to -1, -1, -1, the graph of the array will display this as a straight line,
> whereas in fact it is a single point in three dimensional space. So whereas
> a graph or a list of the array contents might show:
> -1,-1,-1,0,1,-0.5,2,2,0
> the actual structure being read by the [spline_path] object is:
> Point A: X=-1, Y=-1, Z=-1
> Point B: X=0,  Y=1, Z=-0.5
> Point C: X=2,  Y=2, Z=0
>
> Best of luck with it,
> Ed
>
> --- On Fri, 1/5/09, Simon Ball <sballmada at googlemail.com> wrote:
>
> > From: Simon Ball <sballmada at googlemail.com>
> > Subject: Re: A question...
> > To: "Ed Kelly" <morph_2016 at yahoo.co.uk>
> > Date: Friday, 1 May, 2009, 10:12 AM
> > Thanks Ed, that's definitely given
> > me a clearer view of what spline path does, I certainly have
> > more control now than I did previously. Is there a way to
> > get more precise information to the table arrays, such as
> > defining start and end points for the animation?
> >
> >
> > I have put the question to the list, but I haven't had
> > a response. Perhaps my e-mails are not getting through, but
> > I imagine its either because people are bored of my
> > questions or there is some obvious documentation that
> > I'm missing. Are there any walk through's/tutorials
> > on this kind of animation in GEM?
> >
> >
> > Thanks again for your help, I think Andy is planning to get
> > you in for another workshop at some point, which would be
> > really useful. I've been getting more into PD so have a
> > vast array of questions and should have a better
> > understanding of the answers of the answers you give!
> >
> >
> > Thanks again mate
> > Simon
> >
> > On Thu, Apr 30, 2009 at 5:15 PM,
> > Ed Kelly <morph_2016 at yahoo.co.uk>
> > wrote:
> >
> > Hi Simon...
> >
> >
> >
> > Apologies for the late reply. It is my understanding that
> > [spline_path] interpolates between points in a table. These
> > are read out in multiples, when a number between 0 and 1 is
> > sent into the first inlet corresponding to the position in
> > the table.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > These are at this stage just numbers. If they are sent to a
> > translateXYZ object then they become position co-ordinates,
> > or if they are sent to a rotateXYZ object they become
> > rotation values in degrees.
> >
> >
> >
> > Since spline_path reads from a table, the values should be
> > stored as triples: x, y and z co-ordinate values can be
> > manipulated by tabwrite objects as long as they are input to
> > the table in series (for each point x, then y, then z). Or
> > if you just want to work in two dimensions, x and y
> > co-ordinates stored as pairs will work. The table size must
> > be divisible by the dimensions, so a multiple of 3 for xyz
> > co-ords etc. The output is a smoothed (spline) curve - a
> > spline path through n-dimensions.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Have a look at this example. one of the spline_path objects
> > controls a sphere's position, whereas the other controls
> > its rotation.
> >
> >
> >
> > Hope this helps!
> >
> > Ed
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Lone Shark: Synchromatic: Out December 1st 2008
> >
> > http://www.pyramidtransmissions.com/store
> >
> > Also available through the iTunes store
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --- On Tue, 21/4/09, Simon Ball <sballmada at googlemail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > > From: Simon Ball <sballmada at googlemail.com>
> >
> > > Subject: A question...
> >
> > > To: "Ed Kelly" <morph_2016 at yahoo.co.uk>
> >
> > > Date: Tuesday, 21 April, 2009, 12:45 PM
> >
> > > Hi Ed
> >
> > >
> >
> > > Simon from digital arts here, I was hoping you might
> > be
> >
> > > able to help with a question that I put to the list
> > but
> >
> > > received no answer for. I think they might be getting
> > bored
> >
> > > of my inability to keep up with their answers! Or
> > more
> >
> > > likely, the answers are easy to find but I'm not
> > finding them...
>
> Hi list
>
> > > I'm trying to understand how tables/arrays work
> > with
> >
> > > animations. As far as I can see, I can place a set of
> >
> > > coordinates in
> >
> > > text file and then use an array to apply this to
> > elements
> >
> > > in a scene. I
> >
> > > have been looking at various examples, notably
> >
> > > [splinepath], which uses
> >
> > > [line] to govern the length and speed of the
> > movement.
> >
> > > However, I'm
> >
> > > struggling to understand the exact relationship
> > between the
> >
> > > co-ordinates written in the text file and what
> > actually
> >
> > > happens to an
> >
> > > image when rendered. Sometimes I change the numbers
> > and the
> >
> > > animation
> >
> > > stays the same, other times it appears erratic.
> >
> > >
> >
> > >
> >
> > > I'm trying to trigger animations so that they
> > float and
> >
> > > rotate into
> >
> > > place. If anyone has any ideas on the best way to
> > approach
> >
> > > this, or can
> >
> > > direct me to some useful help files, I would really
> >
> > > appreciate it. I
> >
> > > was looking at a pdf that was packaged with
> > PD-extended
> >
> > > called
> >
> > > 'GemPrimer'. The documentation was clear and
> >
> > > insightful for someone of
> >
> > > my level (beginner!) and hoping there might more files
> > like
> >
> > > this one...
> >
> > >
> >
> > >
> >
> > > Mac OSX Intel Core Duo 10.4.11. PD-Extended 0.40.3.
> >
> > >
> >
> > > Thanks
> >
> > > Simon
> >
> > >
> >
> > > Basically, I'm trying to acheive this...
> >
> > > http://simonthebold.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/prototype/
> >
> > >
> >
> > >
> >
> > > Where the silouettes represent people moving in front
> > of
> >
> > > the screen, the animations kind of mimic their
> > movement. Any
> >
> > > suggestions would be most useful.
> >
> > >
> >
> > > Hope this isn't too much trouble.
> >
> > > Regards
> >
> > >Simon
> >
> > >
> >
> > > MA Digital Art
>
>
>
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