SplineSpeedController Waypoints' position.

[Synoptic]

I'm trying to remake the animation of my scene using SplineSpeedController. To do that, I've converted the trajectory of my object to spline, than I did everithing like there is explained in this tutorial, I've got the animation. But I faced a problem of distributing the waypoints along the spline! I can't place them on the necessary positions on the spline, neither doing it manually nor using "Position on the spline (in percent)" option. Whenever I click "Snap Waypoints to Spline/Redraw Craft Curve" the waypoints assume inappropriate positions. Is there the way to fine-tune the position of waypoints on spline?

THANKS!

[Micael Belin]

Hi synoptic,

You do not need to snap the waypoint to the curve in order for it to work - it will simply travel to the point of the curve which is closes to the waypoint. So if you are experiencing the snap-to function to work improperly, try position the waypoint manually where you want it and the carriage node should run as close to it as it can.

Of course, i cannot rule out you may have found a problem with SSC, so if it is possible, can you please send the stripped scene to our support mail and let us take a look at it? That way we might be able to help you further if you still experience problems.

[Synoptic]

When I locate the waypoint manually, It doesn't work properly. It applies to any type of waypoints.

Here is the viewport output.
The first file displays the waypoints snapped to the curve, the second file displays the time delay waypoint shifted manually.

Here is the scene.

3dsMAX 2011

Thanks in advance.

[Micael Belin]

Hi synoptic,

I have reviewed the file you sent me and verified there is indeed a problem with SSC. It rounds the spline position offset at some stage and since your spline is so large the effect gets very large as well.

This is a bug in SSC and i'll see what i can do with it. Please hold.

[Micael Belin]

Ok, i have made a preliminary fix for the problem, just to get you back on progress. The final edit will be available with the next release of CDS.

You need to update your spline-speed controller files. This is how you do this:

Access our ftp server:
server: gbg.craftanimations.com
user: public
pass: craft



Go to the location prelease-builds/plugins/win.
In there you find two folders: x86 and x64. In each folder you find a file named splinespeedcontroller.dll. download both of them, but do not mix them up!

Make sure 3ds max is closed.
The x86 file must replace the existing file located in C:\Program Files (x86)\Craft Animations\directorstudio\plugins\win\x86 respectively, depending on where you choosed to install Craft Director Studio.

The x64 file goes respectiely in C:\Program Files (x86)\Craft Animations\directorstudio\plugins\win\x64.

Once you have replaced your old files you can simply open your scene again and re-align the waypoints. This time they should snap to the correct location.

Let me know if there are any further issues.

[Synoptic]

Thanks Micael!
Could you please email me this update here [email protected]
And could you plz also direct me to the information about using SSC+AircraftExtended. I can't figure it out. And I failed with animating my aircraft in the autonomous mode, it's hard to me to control in real-time the speed of the flight!

THANK YOU!

[Micael Belin]

Hi synoptic,

Use the slow-motion factor! Just scale the recording speed down so you have the time to maneuver. Otherwise you simply attach the Airplane's follow mesh to the the SSC carriage and enable autonomous mode in the airplane configuration. Note that you can still control the airplane somewhat so you can actually use the Autonomous mode as a kind of guide, while you still have control over roll over the airplane and so on.

[Synoptic]

If there is the Craft Airplane Extended or Craft Airplane Free in the scene I can't load it! There emerges an error! Is it possible to open scene that has Craft Airplane model?

THANKS!

[Micael Belin]

hi Synoptic,

Please send me the file and i will take a look at it. simply mail it to [email protected]

[Synoptic]

Ater converting the CDS tool's animation into regular keyframes (the CDS lits is empty) the scene opens normally. But if I create in the empty scene just one tool of CDS and save it, when opening it there emerges an error!

Here is the sccene!
THANK YOU!

[Synoptic]

Is there an easy way to copy keyframes from CDS object to my highpoly object? There is alot of objects that have keyframes: Elevators, Ailerons, etc, so it's hard to me to copy all the keyframes from and to each object manually.

THANKS!

[Micael Belin]

Hi Synoptic,

There is currently no built-in functionality to bake the animation automatically to the high-poly objects. you need to do that manually, or simply hide the dummy objects and have them follow the high-poly objects throughout the rendering pipeline.

I am yet to look at your airplane problem. I am sorry for the inconvenience but we are working as hard as we can. I'll get back to you once i know more.

[Micael Belin]

I am unable to replicate the problem you are having with the airplane. The file you specified loads without problem and i am able to both unplug it, create new one and save, without any errors.

What version of cds are you using?

[Synoptic]

This is the version I'm using under 3dsMAX 2011. I tried it on 2 computers and I got the same result - scene doesn't load.

[Micael Belin]

You are running a quite old version - Please install the latest version of Craft Director Studio, i'm sure it will fix your problems:


Windows - http://www.craftanimations.com/tasks/si ... 10.1.4.exe
OS X - http://www.craftanimations.com/tasks/si ... 10.1.4.dmg
Linux - http://www.craftanimations.com/tasks/si ... 1.4.tar.gz

[Synoptic]

Hi again! (^_^) Now I'm using CDS 10.1.4
Yestarday there emerged another problem.
Here's the picture
I didn't open my scenes where I used SSC for a long time, but now all the scenes with SSC display such an error! The CDS tools list is empty!
I opened the older versions of my scenes on another computer with the same version of CDS, they opened without such message.
What's the matter?

THANKS!

[Patrik Martin]

What happens if you try saving the scene to a new file on the other computer were it works and then open that file on the computer were you get the error. Does that work?

[Synoptic]

I haven't tried yet. The scenes on the computer without error are a quite old. But nothing special happened to my work, everything is okay! After resaving the scene with such error it disappears, all the keyframes and SSC objects are safe, but I lost the possibility to edit their options with CDS. I just can't realise what could I do that caused such thing. As I remember I didn't do anything with SSC. Should I apprehend such thing, saving the scene with SSC in the future?

[Patrik Martin]

Are you able to clone the SSC? Are you albe to edit it after a clone?