Record

The Save->Record command in the Motion module saves the geometry of animated models to disk at user-selected frames, regardless of which tools are used to animate the model.

This effect is useful when used in conjunction with the Get->EffectsKeys effect to allow complex animations that have been created with several SOFTIMAGE custom effects to be converted to shape animations.

Procedure

1. Animate a model (the model can be a polygon mesh, a patch, or a NURBS surface).
2. Choose the Save->Record command.
   
   The Record dialogue box is displayed.
   
3. Set the parameters as desired.
4. Pick the model.
5. The Record icon appears. To complete the effect, play back the animation.
6. Once the animation has finished playing, the frames have been recorded to disk and the custom effect is complete. At this point, the Record icon is no longer needed and may be deleted.

A list of .hrc files are saved to disk, which can then be reloaded into SOFTIMAGE 3D as shape animation using the custom effect Get->EffectsKeys.

Parameters

Shape-Key Root

Allows you to set the full path name of the file in which to save the shape animation. Case is important for the file name (upper or lower-case text). Your home directory is probably the best place to save them for predictable results. For example, if the Shape-Key root path and file name is /usr/elmo/foo, then the models are saved in files named /usr/elmo/foo.1.hrc, /usr/elmo/foo.2.hrc, etc.

Frame Selection Method

Allows you to specify which frames to record. 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 recorded as shape keys. 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 recorded.
• List of Frames lets you define specific frames as shape keys. Simply type the frame numbers you want to record in the text box. Make sure the numbers are separated by spaces, such as 1 5 9 13 18 27.

Note:

When the shape keys are being written to disk during the final playback, be sure that the animation is being computed at least at every frame requested for recording. For example, if you are using the Start, Step, and End method, and you are recording from frames 1 to 100 with a step of 3, make sure that the animation in SOFTIMAGE 3D starts at frame 1, ends at frame 100, and has a step of 1 or 3.

Last updated 02-apr-1998