Animator

The Animator tool can be used to create a QuickTime movie or sequence of image files from an interactive session with WebWinds. One or more controls can be linked into the Animator. The Animator itself is linked into one or more display applications. The Animator maintains a list of controller positions at user-specified "key times" and sends messages interpolated in time to the controlled applications.

Controls

The Clock
The clock is used to set the key times for the connected controls. The current time is displayed in a textfield below the clock. The "Min" and "Sec" buttons indicate which of the hands is active (green) and which is inactive (red). To change the time, select the minute or second hand and click or drag the mouse to the desired position to move the hand.

The frame rate may be selected in the "Frames/second" textfield. The Animator will compute a total number of frames based on the last key time and frame rate, and then send out messages to create these frames one immediately after another. The selected key times are only accurate when a QuickTime movie is created.

Buttons
The "Set" button sets a key time. The currently set key times are shown on the timeline in the status pad at the top of the Animator. Messages from all connected tools are saved at each key time. When running, the Animator sends out messages linearly interpolated between these times.

The "Prev" button moves the clock hands to the previous stored key time.

The "Next" button moves the clock hands to the next stored key time.

The "Clear" button clears all key times from the Animator.

The "Delete" button removes the currently selected key time from the list. If the hands are not on a key time, the clock hands will move to the last key time.

The "Play/Record/Pause" button starts the Animator running. When the Animator is running this button will change to "Pause". Pressing "Pause" starts the Animator running again. If the "Save" button, described below, is active (green) the "Play" button will change to "Record", in which case the Animator will write out image files when recording.

The "Stop" button stops the Animator.

If the "Loop" button is active (green), the Animator will start again at zero after passing the last key time.

The "Save" button allows the user to save the animation as a series of image files or as a QuickTime movie. Pressing it will pop up a SnapShot window which is slightly different than the standard SnapShot window. The "Format" menu now contains "MOV", or QuickTime, as a possible format and there is no "Save" button. If the user desires to create a QuickTime movie, a series of JPEG images is created and converted to a QuickTime movie using the JpegImagesToMovie application. The JPEG images are then deleted. In order to view the QuickTime movie, Windows or Macintosh users may use the free Apple QuickTime Viewer, and Unix users may use Xanim.

Controls to Link to This Application

The following controls may be linked into the Animator: the Combine Slider, the Three Slider, the RGB Slider, the Slider, the Pan Zoom, the Light Tool, the Three Axis Rotator, and the Two Axis Rotator. Any number of controls may be linked in.

Applications which may be linked to this application

Any tool which may be controlled by the controls listed above may be controlled by the Animator.

How to Use the Animator

Once the animator comes up, link one or more controls into it. Link the Animator to the tool(s) to be controlled, such as Image or Globe.

The first key time must always be zero. Set the controls to the desired starting positions and click the "Set" button. The first key time is now set. Set the controls to their desired starting position for the next key time and again use the "Set" button to save this configuration. Once you've set all of the desired key times, select "Play" to start the animation.

Tricks and Gotchas

On some platforms, an OpenGL application may not be covered by any other windows for the SnapShot tool to properly create a JPEG image.
WebWinds Home / Oct 5, 2001