batch geo files

[Starrider]

hi!

i have to calculate the normals and the velocity (dependent on another file) on several bgeo sequences and write them back over the original files. what's the easiest way to do that? i know that i could write a python command but i hope there's an easier way for that...?

any ideas?

[Aearon]

unless you have many sequences you probably don't need to write any code.

i'd probably just build this using sop nodes, or a mix of a simple sop network and a python script:

just create your two file nodes and whatever else you need and then a rop output driver to write the stuff back out

if this is something you will be doing frequently it's probably worth creating an hda where you just have to enter the path once etc. and promote the render button of the rop output node to the hda interface.

now you could copy the hda for as many sequences as you have, set all the paths, then select them all and hit the render button which will run all the conversions. i think this should be fine if we're talking just a couple of sequences

now if you want to automate it for all sequences, you could write a very simple python script that just changes paths and runs renders through the rop output node

[symek]

hi!

i have to calculate the normals and the velocity (dependent on another file) on several bgeo sequences and write them back over the original files. what's the easiest way to do that? i know that i could write a python command but i hope there's an easier way for that...?

any ideas?

what kind of calculations you mean? Based on distance, transfer attributes? Most probably you don't have to write anything, but hard to advice anything more without details.

cheers,

sy.

[Starrider]

Thanks for your help guys!

To be a bit more specific: I have several animated meshes (cycles) (around 20 characters with 15 animations each) . I've exported bgeo's from Maya (with the plugin from houdinistuff.com) but the normals are wrong and I need the point velocities for motion blur.

For now I've wrote a python script which automatically parses the folders, sets up a scene with nodes for file I/O and facet etc. Everything is merged together so I just have to play it till the last animation ends and all the files are on my harddrive. The point velocities shouldn't be too hard to add.

So I've almost solved it but would be really interested if there is an easier way to do this (maybe in batch mode using Hython).

Cheers!

Edited October 20, 2008 by Starrider

[symek]

Thanks for your help guys!

To be a bit more specific: I have several animated meshes (cycles) (around 20 characters with 15 animations each) . I've exported bgeo's from Maya (with the plugin from houdinistuff.com) but the normals are wrong and I need the point velocities for motion blur.

For now I've wrote a python script which automatically parses the folders, sets up a scene with nodes for file I/O and facet etc. Everything is merged together so I just have to play it till the last animation ends and all the files are on my harddrive. The point velocities shouldn't be too hard to add.

So I've almost solved it but would be really interested if there is an easier way to do this (maybe in batch mode using Hython).

Cheers!

I'm not sure if I understand your problem correctly, but you set paths in FileSOP like: "/path/to/my/animation.$F.bgeo"?, right?

If so, this is a good way;). You could of course instead of creating 20 FileSOPs for every character, use one with an expression like:

/path/to/my/animation`opdigits(".")`.$F.bgeo

and copy and paste first FileSOP (opdigits() returns trailing numbers on operator name) - assuming your bgeo looks like: amination1, animation2 etc.

You could also use post-render script (see Geometry ROP) to change a path, reverse to first frame and render it again) or even better use ForEach SOP... (or SOP solver in DOPs, well, so many ways... )

As to velocity, use TrailSOP with "Compute velocity" for your characters.

cheers,

sy.