topic Creating a Fly-Through in Visualization

Creating a Fly-Through

Anonymous — Thu, 11 May 2023 12:13:30 GMT

Does anybody know the easiest way to set create a fly-through using Archicad 10. If you could send me some type of guide it would be helpful.

Thanks

Re: Creating a Fly-Through

Dwight — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 16:24:29 GMT

Place a series of cameras that look along a path.

To see the path, enable "Cameras and path" in the camera dialog.

Depending on the speed of flythrough and the sinuousity of the path, you might have 10 frames between key frame cameras or up to 30 or more.

Each camera must be tweaked to achieve a smooth path - look out for back and forth targeting - makes viewers dizzy. Archicad cameras do not accelerate or decelerate in their path easily. Your flythroughs should crossfade in a video editing application for smoothness.

As for generating the fly-through, experiment with OpenGL views to get the framing and path correct, and depending on the power of your setup, a 360x240 pixel Rendering is not a bad starting size. Use wireframe viiew for speed in checking the path.

Always save as individual uncompressed frames for ease of replacing bad frames - save later to a movie in Quicktime Pro.

There's more.

Re: Creating a Fly-Through

muzedesigns — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:36:55 GMT

Is there any way to out put each individual frame (generated between cameras) as a view rather than to render it via the create fly through dialog box?

I am trying to output a flythrough (as individual TIFFS which I will compile in an external video program) .. however ArchiCAD is only managing to produce 5 frames at a time before i get an error message and it closes down..

Alternatively - when I rendered the set of camera views (30 total) via publisher it worked fine.. so if there was a way to transfer the individual frames between the cameras as well I could maybe avoid the issues i am running into .. It has been 24 hours - and I have rendered 67 out of 726 frames!

Re: Creating a Fly-Through

Dwight — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 01:15:16 GMT

This is in LightWorks.

Frame Size?

Refractive glass overlapping?

How many shadow casting light sources?

These will be memory errors.

You can position each camera individually but that takes a long time and is never smooth.

You can output to a series of still images regardless of camera setup.

Re: Creating a Fly-Through

muzedesigns — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 01:30:14 GMT

Yes, Lightworks.

I am working on a new Mac Book Pro
Processor: 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory: 4GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
Render Method is Best, with Full Anti Aliasing.
The only 'Lights' are the Sun and Sky Objects + Ambient Lighting
Shadows are on - but it made no difference to the error pattern when i switched them off.
Image size is 1024x 576 at 72dpi (rendering out for use on a High Def Television)
Rendering out as TIFFs and planning to piece together in Final Cut Pro.

Do you mean place a camera for each of the 25 frames between the other set cameras?

So there is no way to output the individual frames between the cameras using publisher rather than the create Fly-through Dialogue Box?

Re: Creating a Fly-Through

Dwight — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 01:43:22 GMT

You don't have my book or you would know that you should step back one level in render method. Your antialiasing is also a step too high for such a distant shot - The best antialiasing merely makes surfaces smooth.

Which Archicad version? Sun object is obsolete as main light after Archicad 9. Another slodown.

But these flaws pale relative to image size.

Image size is gigantic. Not only that but there's nothing in this that would suffer if placed in Artlantis. For speed, you really DO need Artlantis or a pro application to make very many of these frames before dawn.

I am so bold as to think that you will never finish this in LightWorks. Cut to the chase right now and avoid the inevitable flaming car crash and tear filled i-am-a-failure scene where the heroine collapses on a sofa and eats a great number of chocolates with a marijuana leaf on them.

Re: Creating a Fly-Through

muzedesigns — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 01:57:17 GMT

I do have your book - that's why i use the sun and sky objects! I don't have a great memory though..

Either way, I am rendering for a high Definition Television - so am out of my league - I assumed i need to push it all to the max - if i can lower the method a stage then I will.

The camera moves in towards the building as it passes by - but i will drop the antialiasing as well if you think best, Yoda! I have to try anything at this stage!

So you reckon I should get artlantis now and move it all across?

I have the i-am-a-failure scene every day.. By the end of this I probably will need one of your special chocolates to relax!

But seriously - what is the transition process.. Does the file merge with the archicad file (or import) and then does it recognise the clusters of materials? or do i have to go through and apply it to every surface? ie. so i just create one shader/material (not sure what it uses) to assign to a archiCAD material?

I don't have THAT many materials/textures but a lot of places to place them..

Re: Creating a Fly-Through

Dwight — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 02:02:44 GMT

When the file gets to Artlantis you will tweak the materials, but they will be assigned to the correct surfaces. It is not a problem.

Re: Creating a Fly-Through

muzedesigns — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 02:18:29 GMT

OK well that sounds pretty straight forward (said with great cation and a lot of hope)!

I can't get a serial number till Objects Online Opens in the (their) morning.. I'm trying Graphisoft now - pft! sales team out lunch - i think i can get it from them..

I'll read through tutorials in preparation? any you recommend?

Re: Creating a Fly-Through

Dwight — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 03:32:29 GMT

They have one at Objects Online but i haven't heard manly bellows of raucous delight about it, as far as that can be expressed using a keyboard and not beer breath and body odor such as possessed by the typical Australian man.

Re: Creating a Fly-Through

muzedesigns — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 03:46:20 GMT

Dwight - you are a legend - but you know that already!

I am in the process of downloading the demo now - I will start learning the software and attempting to tweak all the materials and have it all ready (attempt to) for when the store opens and can send the serial numbers.

Last time I purchased Artlantis a few years back I had serious problems with the compatibility with the graphics card I had at the time.. Hopefully this time on my mac it won't be an issue..

It is installing now - so finger crossed!

I can not thank you enough Dwight!

I have succumbed to Artlantis (for now) - But still plan to learn CD4 one day!

Re: Creating a Fly-Through

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 08:53:39 GMT

muzedesigns wrote:
OK well that sounds pretty straight forward (said with great cation and a lot of hope)!

I can't get a serial number till Objects Online Opens in the (their) morning.. I'm trying Graphisoft now - pft! sales team out lunch - i think i can get it from them..

I'll read through tutorials in preparation? any you recommend?

There isn't much in the way of tutorials for artlantis sadly - i haven't read the book (called something like 'the missing manual') as i've read other comments somewhere on these forums that it's not worth the postage cost. BUT there are a whole bunch of short videos on the artlantis website that should get you up and running pretty quickly.

Also just a thought (Dwight or someone else, please correct me if i'm wrong) - is rendering animations to TIFF worth it - does the increased quality over jpegs come through on a tele?
I guess if there is alot of post-processing to do then the higher quality the better, but if time is of the essence would rendring to jpeg be quicker?

Re: Creating a Fly-Through

muzedesigns — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 08:58:47 GMT

Hey Tom .. yeah I was thinking tat as well - i attempted render out as .tga files - but it hit the 6th frame and shut down archiCAD..

I am now trying to try out the Artlantis demo.. but can not get ArchiCAD 10 to offer the artlanis out put file type.. I have downloaded and installed the add-on as directed by the website, however under the add-on manager in ArchiCAD it claims "the file is an outdated Add-On that cannot be used with this ArchiCAD version."

Anyone know a way around this - I can't believe I am having such little luck.

Re: Creating a Fly-Through

Dwight — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:02:41 GMT

Everyone knows that it is liquor that is is quicker, but rendering to uncompressed file formats allows many cleaner options when the final compression processing happens in the assembly of the animation.

I'm thinking about an Artlantis book since its next version is actually at my speed.... any takers?

Re: Creating a Fly-Through

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:04:19 GMT

when saving your artlantis file where abouts are you in archicad? You should be in the 3D window, in perspective view, otherwise you won't be able to save out.

sorry, not sure about the Add-on thing - but i think i saw another discussion about it in the forum at the moment...

Re: Creating a Fly-Through

muzedesigns — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:08:43 GMT

I just noticed that thread as well..

I can't believe this is happening!

Its always drama with me!

I keep hunting the Artlantis forums..

Dwight - the book sounds great!! can you have it written, printed and sent by and hour or so - cheers!

Re: Creating a Fly-Through

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:09:05 GMT

Dwight wrote:
I'm thinking about an Artlantis book since its next version is actually at my speed.... any takers?

Yip! If it'll be as good as the lightworks bible I'm sure it'll be a valuable tool to any artlantis user.

Re: Creating a Fly-Through

muzedesigns — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:44:30 GMT

You predicted it Dwight.. the "tear filled i-am-a-failure scene" has begun.. except i have NO chocolate in the house!

I can't believe it just keeps getting worse.. I *must* be cursed..
and it is a JOB FOR A CHURCH SCHOOL! I have clearly done something very wrong to someone - cause I am being seriously punished!

I guess it is back to the 6 frame an hour renders..

Re: Creating a Fly-Through

Dwight — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:19:01 GMT

Had it ever occurred to you that a flythrough isn't the best way to present the design?

I never think a flythrough is a good idea unless you are designing a Disneyland ride. Our GDL Guru David Nicholson-Cole himself observed that Graphisoft named material 18 after the color of my face after we rode Space Mountain.

Would you consider instead, a series of high-quality stills that progress over your project with the same trajectory as the camera path, with captions added? You'd use something like Powerpoint to program the slideshow to crossfade between the images. A single image can last up to five seconds if it has lots to say.
This is very effective and mature as a design presentation technique because:

- the captions explain the design elements to non-visual viewers.
- the images are smooth and serene, not jerky and smeared.
- no one gets seasick.

Re: Creating a Fly-Through

muzedesigns — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 11:00:59 GMT

I completely agree! I think fly-through animations are redundant compared to high quality still frame renders..

I managed to convince the client to have Still's of the interior - they wanted to fly all over the place! But.. the client has requested this.. the fly around of the site..

It is going to be used for a Gala Ball night as part of a video on the history of the school and then will cut to this as the schools future..

I am meant to get the all the material to the video editor by tuesday.. I am back to render out .tgs' at the reduced method of best.. the last hour it produce 3 then screamed out its error message..

It is all exterior - the model isn't even that complex - i just don't understand why it is having these issues! that is the most frustrating bit of all!

Do you know of anywhere like Render King which you mentioned yesterday (i think) that can render *for* you?

I have managed to save it as an archive - it wasn't able to do that for the last few weeks.. it is 206.2MBs