EffectsKeys

The Get->EffectsKeys command in the Model module creates shape animations from a list of .hrc files on disk. This effect is useful when used in conjunction with the Record effect to allow complex animations that have been created with several SOFTIMAGE effects to be converted to shape animations. For more information, see the Save->Record (Motion Module) effect.

Note:

The EffectsKeys effect does not work in conjunction with the Save->HrcRecord effect.

Procedure

1. Animate a model (the model can be a polygon mesh, a patch, or a NURBS surface).
2. Choose the Save->Record (Motion Module) command.
3. In the Record dialogue box, enter the path of your home directory and name of the model. Case is important for the file name (upper or lower-case text).
4. Click Ok and pick the model.
5. Play back the scene using the arrows in the playback area to create the .hrc files.
6. Choose the Get->EffectsKeys command in the Model module. The Keys dialogue box is displayed.
7. Type the full path name corresponding to the shape key files on disk in the Shape-Key Root text box, or use the browser (click the Browser button) to select files with an .hrc extension.
8. Set the parameters as desired and click Ok.

When the shape animation appears in SOFTIMAGE 3D, the effect is complete.

Parameters

Shape-Key Root

Allows you to set the full path name corresponding to the shape key files on disk. For example, if the files named foo.1.hrc, foo.2.hrc, etc. are located in the /usr/tmp directory, then the Shape-Key Root would be /usr/tmp/foo. Make sure to remove numerical and file format extensions.

File Selection Method

Allows you to specify which frames to select from disk. You can choose between two methods:

• Start, Step, and End lets you choose the starting frame, the frame step value, and the end frame to be selected from disk. For example, if Start Frame is set to 1, Frame Step is set to 5, and the End Frame is set to 50, then the frames 1, 6, 11, 16, 21, 26, 31, 36, 41, and 46 are selected.
• List of File Numbers lets you define specific frames as shape keys. Simply type the frame numbers you want to select in the text box. Make sure the numbers are separated by spaces, such as: 1 5 9 13 18 27.

File Number to Frame Conversion

• Addend: This number is added to the file number extension to create the frame number for that shape key.
• Multiplier: This number multiplies the file number extension to create the frame number for that shape key.

For example, assume you used the list of frames selection method to choose frames 1, 5, and 9 as shape keys. If you set the Addend to 10 and the Multiplier to 2, the animation loaded from disk has keyframes at frame 12 (2 multiplied by the frame number which is 1, equals 2, and 2 plus 10 equals 12), frame 20 (2 multiplied by 5 equals 10, 10 plus 10 equals 20), and frame 28 (2 multiplied by the 9 equals 18, plus 10 equals 28).

Last updated 02-apr-1998