Hi Alessandro, I tried with out with a vehicle simulation with good success. One more bug though and a question:
3. After clicking File -> New and using the chrono_import option I get this error. Closing and re-opening Blender resolves it. [image: Screenshot 2023-05-03 090948.png] However, to confirm, it appears that if I click chrono_import (after having already imported a simulation), it will clear the previous data as it loads the new? I do not need to fully close and re-launch the program to ensure it is using the new data? Also, with my vehicle simulation (15 bodies in chrono_assets, none in chrono_frame_assets), I only get 5 FPS during playback. I expected it to be higher since I eliminated exporting bodies that change each frame (like springs) and used only bodies that need a new position / rotation. Is this expected behavior due to the CPU-bound task of instantiating / uninstantiating objects each frame? Thanks, James On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 9:21:41 PM UTC-4 James Baxter wrote: > Hi Alessandro, > > I have been trying this out today, and am very excited! It is going to be > really something to take vehicle simulations from Chrono and render them > with photo-realism. > > I did have a few comments about bugs I ran into: > 1. When enabling the Chrono importer add-on in blender, I received this > error: > https://archive.blender.org/wiki/index.php/Extensions:2.6/Py/API_Changes/#Restricted_Context. > > I was able to work past it by moving the following lines from register() to > execute(): > # this is needed to avoid crashes when pressing F12 for rendering > bpy.context.scene.render.use_lock_interface = True > > bpy.context.scene.ch_meshsetting_index = -1 > bpy.context.scene.ch_meshsetting.clear() > > bpy.context.scene.ch_glyph_setting_index = -1 > bpy.context.scene.ch_glyph_setting.clear() > > I am very confident that was not the proper fix to the issue, but it > prevented me from receiving the error. I had gotten the error with both > Blender 3.5.1 and 3.4.1 on Windows. This allowed me to use it on 3.5.1. I > did not try hitting F12 > > 2: When running demo_POST_blender1.cpp, it crashed due to line 301 in > ChBlender.cpp: > std::string abspath_pic_output = filesystem::path(base_path + pic_path + > "/" + pic_filename + "_######").make_absolute().str(); > > I am running Chrono on Ubuntu, and it seems the > filesystem::path::make_absolute() method requires the file to actually > exist; I'm not sure if it is different on Windows. I was able to resolve > the problem by creating the directory (anim/photo_######) manually. > > Thanks again for releasing these updates; I'll let you know if I run into > more issues when I try using them with my own vehicle simulations. > > James > > > > On Friday, April 28, 2023 at 7:17:38 PM UTC-4 [email protected] wrote: > >> Hi James, >> >> I just sent my latest commits to GIThub containing the documentation (a >> sketch of it, I mean) for the Blender add-on. >> >> If things go as expected, the CI system will trigger a Doxygen rebuild >> that will turn into an updated documentation at >> https://api.projectchrono.org/development/ , where you should find a new >> link to Chrono::Blender, one row below the Chrono::Solidworks link. >> >> Now it is too late in the night for waiting the CI to finish, and I must >> sleep, tomorrow I will see if all was ok or the Doxygen pipeline had >> troubles. >> >> regards >> >> Alessandro >> On 28/04/2023 19:47, James Baxter wrote: >> >> Hi Alessandro, >> >> I will plan to begin working on this on Monday, have you been able to >> write any documentation? The page I linked earlier still appears to be >> empty. >> >> Thanks, >> James >> >> On Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at 8:18:40 AM UTC-4 James Baxter wrote: >> >>> Alessandro, >>> >>> Thank you; I will plan to try out your documentation and code late next >>> week and will be happy to provide feedback. >>> >>> James >>> >>> On Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at 2:40:08 AM UTC-4 [email protected] >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Hi James >>>> >>>> You are right, there is a Blender pipeline under development that could >>>> do what you need, and I am in charge of it. >>>> >>>> I was going to write the documentation about how to install and use the >>>> Blender add-in but I've been postponing it for two months. >>>> >>>> I hope to write at least some basic guidelines in the next days. >>>> >>>> Best regards >>>> >>>> Alessandro Tasora >>>> >>>> Il mar 18 apr 2023, 15:31 James Baxter <[email protected]> ha scritto: >>>> >>>>> Hello, I am looking to render some vehicle simulations I have made, >>>>> and I am finding the built in Irrlicht renderer difficult to use and >>>>> lacking some features I need (textures don't apply properly to things >>>>> that >>>>> aren't geometry primitives, exported frames are all black), so I'm >>>>> thinking >>>>> setting up a pipeline to a different rendering tool makes more sense. >>>>> >>>>> I see that there is some work done on a pipeline for blender, but I'm >>>>> having trouble finding any documentation. This page appears to be empty: >>>>> https://api.projectchrono.org/development/blender_visualization.html >>>>> >>>>> *In general, is there a specific tool that you'd recommend as the >>>>> lowest resistance path to being able to render vehicle simulations with >>>>> full control over textures, lighting, etc; and is there any code / >>>>> documentation you can point me to?* >>>>> >>>>> I have found the following, but would like to make sure I'm starting >>>>> in the right place so I don't reinvent the wheel >>>>> >>>>> https://github.com/projectchrono/chrono/blob/main/src/demos/postprocess/demo_POST_blender1.cpp >>>>> >>>>> https://github.com/projectchrono/chrono/tree/main/src/demos/tools/blender_py >>>>> >>>>> Thanks, >>>>> James >>>>> >>>> -- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>> Groups "ProjectChrono" group. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/projectchrono/982b90cb-6381-4ed7-ba59-f39d7fbdaf7bn%40googlegroups.com >>>>> >>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/projectchrono/982b90cb-6381-4ed7-ba59-f39d7fbdaf7bn%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>>> . >>>>> >>>> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "ProjectChrono" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/projectchrono/c4520222-3896-4c37-9df7-96c8657ed7e8n%40googlegroups.com >> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/projectchrono/c4520222-3896-4c37-9df7-96c8657ed7e8n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "ProjectChrono" group. 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