topic Re: Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR in Libraries & objects

Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR

Anonymous — Wed, 24 May 2023 09:56:44 GMT

I am having a problem getting the results of using the GLOB_FRAME_NR parameter to show up in an animation. What I am trying to do is get lights to flash.

I have thoroughly checked the script and am sure that it is working properly. The light does go on and off according to the conditions I set. The animation process (Create Fly-Through) IS recalculating the model for each frame. (I checked this in the report window.) BUT...

The lights are modeled (on or off) according to the setting of the first frame in the animation and do not change after that. They should be flashing according to parameters I have set in the script. I have tried this in LightWorks and the internal engine with the same results. It seems that the recalculation (though reported) isn't actually having any effect on the parts.

I'm pretty sure I have done everything possible to make this work. So I am guessing I have run into some sort of bug, but just want to throw this out there in case there's something I'm missing. Or even if someone knows if this is a bug and of what sort.

Re: Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR

Anonymous — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:07:05 GMT

How do you turn on / turn off the light in your script? With intensity level? Or with some on/off setting?

I'm not that familiar with lights in GDL, what parameters that could be set and so on. But in many other software where I need to turn off / turn on things, it won't work with on/off settings but if I change level it will work.

Re: Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR

Anonymous — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:43:00 GMT

This is in the Master Script:

period			= ML_strobe_rate*ML_frame_rate
flash			= ML_strobe_dur*ML_frame_rate

IF ML_strobe_rate > 0 THEN
	IF GLOB_FRAME_NR MOD period < period - flash THEN
		strobe_switch = 0
	ELSE
		strobe_switch = 1
	ENDIF
ELSE
	strobe_switch = 1
ENDIF

...and this is the 3D:

IF strobe_switch = 0 THEN
	strobe_color = ML_strobe_off_mat
ELSE
	LIGHT D, E, F, 0,
		0.1, 40, 80, 1.0,
		0.1, 8.0,
		1.0 
	strobe_color = ML_strobe_on_mat
ENDIF

Re: Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR

Anonymous — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:45:59 GMT

I normally use ( ) in code like IF (GLOB_FRAME_NR MOD period) < (period - flash) THEN but don't think that's the problem, even if it's the IF-row that often is the problem when I got bugs in my GDL-objects.

I'm a bit in a hurry so don't have time to check your code but have you tried to set a PRINT variable on each frame so you could check what value you got?

Matthew wrote:
This is in the Master Script:

period			= ML_strobe_rate*ML_frame_rate
flash			= ML_strobe_dur*ML_frame_rate

IF ML_strobe_rate > 0 THEN
	IF GLOB_FRAME_NR MOD period < period - flash THEN
		strobe_switch = 0
	ELSE
		strobe_switch = 1
	ENDIF
ELSE
	strobe_switch = 1
ENDIF

...and this is the 3D:

IF strobe_switch = 0 THEN
	strobe_color = ML_strobe_off_mat
ELSE
	LIGHT D, E, F, 0,
		0.1, 40, 80, 1.0,
		0.1, 8.0,
		1.0 
	strobe_color = ML_strobe_on_mat
ENDIF

Re: Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR

Anonymous — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:13:33 GMT

Hi Matthew,

Or... Have you checked the LIGHT definitions?...

I tested yours:

LIGHT D, E, F, 0, 
      0.1, 40, 80, 1.0, 
      0.1, 8.0, 
      1.0

And it has no effect on the render...

HTH.

Re: Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR

Anonymous — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:02:59 GMT

Matthew,

Attached a test on a lamp object.
In animation, blades turn, and light flashes.
You will have to calculate your own frequency for flashing.

I just added these lines to 3D script

!!! ---------- Flashing ----------
if bAnim and bFlash then
	if bittest (GLOB_FRAME_NR, 0) then 
		C = 1
	else
		C = 0
	endif
endif

Re: Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR

Anonymous — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:07:54 GMT

Thanks for the replies guys.

Olivier, I will take a look at your part to see if it works where mine does not. Thanks for the example.

Braza, I have checked and the light does work. Of course D, E, F & G have to have appropriate values.

Turbo, I have never used parentheses in my conditionals and have no problems with them. Seems like it would be a good way to keep things clear in more complex ones, but then I usually pull the calcs out of those and assign them to variables in advance.

The thing is I don't think the problem is in the code. It executes properly in the first frame of the animation (on or off depending on how I adjust the script) but then it fails to change for the remainder. The slip seems to be that the animation process thinks it is recalculating the scripts but the model is not being updated.

Thanks again for the suggestions. I is looking more and more like a hardware/software glitch, but I'll try your part when I get a chance Olivier.

In the meantime I have a crude workaround. Fortunately it is a simple animation. Basically a fire alarm system test with only one animated variable (the strobe) and the lights are all synchronized so I can render twice and assemble the final from the frames. A bit of a pain but it works.

Re: Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR

Karl Ottenstein — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:34:26 GMT

Hi Matthew,

Do you have your animation set to rebuild the model for each frame?

I believe that is the issue I ran into in 2001 or so with a fireplace object that generated a flickering glow into the room, and which DNC encountered around then as well. If not, I can dig through my files to see what the issue was. (The write-up was on the old e-scribe list, which I do not believe is archived anywhere.)

Cheers,
Karl

Re: Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR

Anonymous — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:32:53 GMT

Here is a quick and dirty animation. Small size.

Re: Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR

Karl Ottenstein — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:16:28 GMT

I found my notes from 2001- the bug that DNC and I found in 7.0 is not relevant. It was that if 'rebuild' was checked, that each frame generated took longer and longer to render. So, the key was just to have "Rebuild Model for Each Frame" checked in the fly-through dialog.

Sample attached. (The fire had three lights that randomly varied their color and intensity within a warm range, as well as wobbled their directionality.)

Cheers,
Karl

Re: Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:40:53 GMT

Karl wrote:
I found my notes from 2001- the bug that DNC and I found in 7.0 is not relevant. It was that if 'rebuild' was checked, that each frame generated took longer and longer to render. So, the key was just to have "Rebuild Model for Each Frame" checked in the fly-through dialog.

Sample attached. (The fire had three lights that randomly varied their color and intensity within a warm range, as well as wobbled their directionality.)

Cheers,
Karl

I do have the rebuild for each frame option on in the fly-through settings. Are you saying there is another place to turn this on/off? Is there an enabling function within the part or something?

BTW guys, thanks for the movies and samples. I'll have to try to figure this out after I get past this deadline though. I prefer the known quantity of the workaround to the indefinite prospects of sorting it properly.

UPDATE: I have a break on the deadline (waiting for some info) so I am investigating now. Olivier's fan is working correctly on my machine so now I have to figure out where my script goes wrong. Thanks for the help. I'll post back once I sort it out.

Re: Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:59:30 GMT

I'm narrowing it down but still mystified. Olivier's fan works in a test file but not in my project file. Time for a clean merge I guess.

BTW: I am also getting a lot of crashing on this one. It seems to do with the camera tool. It crashes consistently if I try to undo a camera placement (I have to select and delete or it's a trip to the bug reporter). Perhaps this is related.

I just tried a new file with a copy paste from the project and it froze when I tried to save, I guess the next test is to see if my strobe will work in a clean file.

Re: Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:34:42 GMT

I GOT IT TO WORK!

Finally after weathering a few crashes and strange behaviors I have my animation going properly without ugly workarounds.

I haven't sorted out the details yet (and I'm not sure I will now that it's working) but making a new clean file and copy/pasting what I needed from the project has done the trick. The weird bit is that Olivier's fan/strobe test part did not work in my new clean file (nor the original) though it worked just fine in my prior tests in simple models. Fortunately my part is doing it's thing so I can go to bed happy.

Thanks again everyone.

Olivier, it was seeing your part work in my simple test that inspired me to go ahead and get this worked out. Thanks.

Re: Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR

Anonymous — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:36:31 GMT

Well I got it to work...partly.

My strobe flashes properly but the flythrough will only go for 144 frames and then locks up. Sometimes it manages to report a memory error.

It seems there is a problem in the fluorescent fixture part I am using. The session report lists the following error 144 times after each perspective cut (strange numerology here eh?):

Invalid value of LightWorks parameter : LWA_LIGSSPOT_RADIUS (Referenced from : spot4)

There also happen to be exactly 144 fluorescent fixtures I have placed using the GS part:

Fluorescent Recessed 01 12

I am going to try changing the light cone settings to see if that helps.

EDIT: A simple change didn't work. Anybody have an idea? I really don't want to replace 144 light fixtures (assuming I can find one that works - I'm not excited about having to write one either).

Re: Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR

Anonymous — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:09:22 GMT

Hi
I used to come by a similar problem when i was scripting some animated objects. (far easier to do in other rendering based software).

If you are just trying to render/indicate flashing, could you just use some sort of tube, that switches between two different materials ? (one with a luminance channel & one without)

Re: Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:53:36 GMT

sdb wrote:
Hi
I used to come by a similar problem when i was scripting some animated objects. (far easier to do in other rendering based software).

If you are just trying to render/indicate flashing, could you just use some sort of tube, that switches between two different materials ? (one with a luminance channel & one without)

What problems did you experience animating in ArtchiCAD? What software do recommend that is better for this? I have used Cinema 4D in the past but don't have a current license and it seemed like overkill for this (seemingly) simple animation.

The main purpose of the animation is to gat the flashing light to cast on the walls so it is turning the light source on and off that is the main point. The strobe part does also switch materials when it flashes but this is barely noticeable in the animation.

I am finally finishing the animation as I write this.

In the end the scripted animation DID NOT WORK. The flythrough still crashes after about 139 frames when the rebuild model option is turned on. Worse (if that is possible) is that the strobes work only sporadically. Some seem to flash reliably, others not at all and the rest work sporadically.

So right now I have one computer rendering the flythrough with no animation and using my laptop to make each set of 3 frames (1/8 sec at 24 fps) that need to have the flash on. For about a minute and a half of video this is about 90 manually initiated sequences. A major pain in the neck to do something that is supposed to be automatic.

I will definitely be filing a bug report once I'm finally done with this.

Re: Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:11:05 GMT

Hi Matthew,

Another long shot:

I recall that sometime ago I was experiencing some erratic geometry behavior in 3d animations...

To fix this (don't ask me why)... I put an environment global variable, like "var1 = GLOB_HSTORY_ELEV" inside the 3d script...

It looks like this "search" for an environment global variable keep the engine "wake up" during all the frames...

Again... Looonng shot...

HTH.

Re: Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:30:20 GMT

Hey Matthew,

It's just a thought, but to work around the GDL coding problem could you render the animation twice, one with the light permanently on, and one with the light off. If these were both output as individual frames, you could then recombine alternate frames in a movie editor and get the same effect.

Re: Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR

Karl Ottenstein — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:40:55 GMT

Peter wrote:
Hey Matthew,

It's just a thought, but to work around the GDL coding problem could you render the animation twice, one with the light permanently on, and one with the light off. If these were both output as individual frames, you could then recombine alternate frames in a movie editor and get the same effect.

Clever workaround idea, Peter! If the frame rate makes it too tedious to merge the individual frames (likely), this trick might make the merging easier, Matthew: generate a mask video in addition to the two that Peter mentions. Just using the internal engine (I'm guessing the memory leak is in LW), generate a video of just a surface that changes colors (white/black, whatever) representing the flickering speed. Place this video in between the other two tracks and set the appropriate color as a chroma key or mask to allow the video above (the illuminated one) to dominate.

Karl

Re: Problems with GLOB_FRAME_NR

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:30:02 GMT

Peter wrote:
Hey Matthew,

It's just a thought, but to work around the GDL coding problem could you render the animation twice, one with the light permanently on, and one with the light off. If these were both output as individual frames, you could then recombine alternate frames in a movie editor and get the same effect.

This is what I ended up having to do. A serious pain in the neck but it's almost done.

BTW: Movie editor not needed. I'm just replacing the files in the finder. Very quick and simple. No masks nor twiddling with timelines needed.