Fractal Architect 5 Help Index
Applies to:FA 5
Reference: Animation Concepts
HowTo: Configurator HowTo
This is an Animation Segment Configurator view for a pair of morphed keyframes with a couple of other animations included.
A. File Management and Utilities
B. Previews and From/To Editors
C. Property Selector
D. Property From/To Range Editor
E. Property Animation Curve Editor
This windows allows you to see a video preview of the animation.
This window allows you to create a quick interpolation preview of the animation.
You can also make a High quality video using the Make Video or Make Frames buttons.
See: Quick-Spin for more information on how to use this window.
The Configurator has a From/To Editors button that shows all keyframes and the From / To endpoint thumbnails.
You can edit the From / To Endpoints with Triangle/Color Gradient editor to setup the animation segment endpoints.
The Animation Configurator has 4 fractal thumbnails that you can modify.
Keyframe 1
From Endpoint
To Endpoint
Keyframe 2 (Only available for Cross-Breeder Custom Animations)
To define an animation segment, you would open 2 Triangle editor windows, one for the the From Endpoint and one for the To Endpoint.
When you CLOSE both editors, the differences between the two fractals will be used by the Animation configurator to create the equivalent Animation segment.
There is a simplified Grid View that lets you see the Animation segment’s property animations.
This is an outline view of all the categories in a fractal and the animateable properties they contain.
You click on a + button to add new properties to the animation segment.
You click on a - button to remove a property from the animation segment.
The many properties are broken down into the hierarchy of categories shown here:
Two KeyFrames
Layerz KeyFrames Setup
Layer Keyframe Morph
Layerz
Layer #1
Fractal
Flame
Parameters
Parameters
Camera
Final Xform #1 (deprecated)
Parameters
Pre-Matrix
Post-Matrix
Variations
Group #1 …
Variation Parameters
Group #1 …
Color Gradient
Transforms
Transform #1 …
Parameters
Pre-Matrix
Post-Matrix
Variations
Group #1 …
Variation Parameters
Group #1 …
Final Transforms
Transform #1 …
ParametersPre-Matrix
Post-Matrix
Variations
Group #1 …
Variation Parameters
Group #1 …
The individual properties found in each catgory:
This is the Range editor for the numeric property datatype.
The Input Animation Slider values vary between 0 and 1, with 0 being the far left and 1 the far right end of the slider.
The input value is modified by the Animation Curve, by finding the position of the input value on the X axis, and calculating for that X value what the Y value should be, based on the animation curve type. That calculated Y value is now the output of the Animation curve transfomation and becomes the effective animation amount (still in the range of 0 to 1).
Next, if chosen to be applied by the user, a smoothing interpolation is applied to the effective animation amount to “smooth” the effective animation amount. If not chosen, no change is made to the effective animation amount.
effAmount1 = animationCurve(inputAmount)
effAmount2 = smoothing(effAmount1)
Finally, depending on the Animation Affect selected, one of these equations is selected:
To create an animation the app will start the input animation amount at 0 and increasing it by steps up to 1. A video frame image is rendered for each incremental step.
See: Animation Curves for more information.
Morph animations cross-breed the from fractal with the to fractal. So the morph animation properties are similar to those found on the Cross-Breeder window.
See: Cross-Breeding Properties
A morph takes the transforms from fractal 1 and transform from fractal 2 and blends them together.
The shuffle permutations are just different arrangements of which transform of fractal1 is blended with which transform of fractal2.
Here the permutation is 1, 2, 3:
Flame 1 | Flame 2 | |
---|---|---|
Xform 1 | ===> | Xform 1 |
Xform 2 | ===> | Xform 2 |
Xform 3 | ===> | Xform 3 |
But there are other combinations. For example:
Here the permutation is 2, 3, 1.
Flame 1 | Flame 2 | |
---|---|---|
Xform 1 | ===> | Xform 2 |
Xform 2 | ===> | Xform 3 |
Xform 3 | ===> | Xform 1 |
With 3 transforms, there are 6 different shuffle permutations.
The number of permutations for n transforms is: n! or n factorial.
n factorial is defined to be: n * (n - 1) * (n - 2) … 2, 1
So:
if n = 3, n! = 3 * 2 * 1 = 6
if n = 4, n! = 4 * 3 * 2 * 1 = 24
With the these two fractals each have 6 transforms to be morphed together. There are 720 different shuffle combinations where the right transform can be morphed with a transform on the left. The number of combinations is n factorial (6! = 720). If there are only
You will get a different morph animation with each shuffle combination. So in this example, you get 720 different morph animations from just 2 keyframes!
The default shuffle pattern is for the 1st left transform to be morphed to the 1st on the right, 2nd left to 2nd right, …
Just like with transforms, when a fractal has more than one layer, you also have many layer permutations.
First, set the crossbreeding amount slider close to 0.5. That way you can see middle of the animation.
These are the ways:
Numeric properties’ from/to values can be assigned in 4 ways, depending on the Popup Menu setting next to the From and To value text edit fields:
Modify the From and To values’ text edit fields to set the From and To values.
This configurator setting helps you select a random number to use for the from and to values.
Fill in the Min and Max text fields with numbers defining the random number range. Next, click the Roll Dice button to select a new uniform random number.
This configurator setting helps you select a random number to use for the from and to values.
Fill in the Min and Max text fields with numbers defining the random number range. Next, click the Roll Dice button to select a new uniform random number.
This configurator setting helps you select a random number to use for the from and to values. It uses a Gaussian Bell-Shaped probability distribution.
Fill in the Mean and Sigma text fields with numbers defining the random number range. Next, click the Roll Dice button to select a new gaussian random number. The average random number will be the mean. And the random number range will be roughly in the range:
mean ± 2 × sigma
You set the from and to points’ X and Y values using the text fields.
Next, you can select either a 2D Catmull curve or 2D Bspline curve which specifies the path the point will follow in the animation. The Path Editor will open the curve editor.
See: 2D Bspline Curve Editor
See: 2D Catmull Curve Editor
You set the from and to points’ X, Y and Z values using the text fields.
Next, you can select either a 3D Catmull curve or 3D Bspline curve which specifies the path the point will follow in the animation. The Path Editor will open the curve editor.
See: 3D Bspline Curve Editor
See: 3D Catmull Curve Editor
The matrix floating point values for both the from and to transformation matrices are specified.
You can choose to affect either the Pre or the Post matrices.
You can choose to interpolate the matrices using either linear or polar form interpolation.
You specify a combination of rotation, scaling, and translation operations to applied to either the pre or post transformation matrices. These are similar to the operations you can apply to the transformations in the Triangle editor.
You can choose to affect either the Pre or the Post matrices.
Use the Color Gradient editor to find other color gradients that look good with your fractal.
You can set the from and to color gradients by dragging a color gradient from the app’s Color Gradient editor and dropping it onto the gradient images.
Warning:
If the color stop count and color stop locations of the From and To gradients are NOT the same, the output colors of the From endpoint thumbnail will not match the Keyframe 1 thumbnail’s colors. Similarly the output colors of the To endpoint thumbnail will not match the Keyframe 2 thumbnail’s colors.
There is nothing wrong with mismatching color stops, it just makes it hard to predict the colors at the beginning and end.
You set the from and to background colors. Click on the color wells to open the color picker.
You set the from and to color curves.
Click on the appropriate Edit button to open the color curve editor.
You set the from and to boolean values.
You set the from and to Xaos matrix values.
Click on the appropriate View Xaos Matrix button to open the Xaos Weights editor.
This configuration type applies to Rotation and Scaling the Viewport about a specific point.
It is the same as a Numeric value configuration except that you must specify the X and Y values for the viewport’s specific point .
You set the 3 from and to 3D orientation angles:
The animation engine will apply spherical interpolation to the 3 orientation angles.
You can copy the start/end 3D orientation angles from a 3D curve editor (see below) and paste it here.
You set the 3 from and to camera location:
You set the 3 from and to camera LookAt point:
The animation engine will calculate the camera orientation using the vector from the camera location to the lookAt point.
There are two 3D spline curves - one for the camera location and one for the lookout point.
Commonly the lookAt point will remain fixed throughout the animation. Also another common pattern is for the camera location to be fixed and the lookAt point will move.
- Ramp
- Curve starts at the right keyframe and ends at the left keyframe.
- Pulse
- Curve starts at the right keyframe goes to the left keyframe, and then returns to right keyframe.
- Periodic
- Curve cycles back and forth between the keyframes.
Curves affect the interpolated parameter values. The default Linear Ramp curve interpolates linearly from start to end parameter values.
The bottom of the curve box represents the left keyframe flame fractal. The top represents the right keyframe flame fractal.
- Linear Ramp (default)
- Not effected by A or B curve shape parameters.
- Exponential Ramp
- Affected by just A curve shape parameter.
- Tanh Ramp
- Affected by just A curve shape parameter.
- Sinh Ramp
- Affected by just A curve shape parameter.
- Cos Half-Power Ramp
- Affected by just A curve shape parameter.
- Cos Power Pulse
- Affected by just A curve shape parameter.
- Skewed Cos Power Pulse
- Affected by both A and B curve shape parameters.
- Sin Periodic
- Affected by both A and B curve shape parameters.
- Cos Periodic
- Affected by both A and B curve shape parameters.
- Catmull 2D Spline
- Use the Edit button to open the curve editor.
- See: 2D Catmull Rom Curves
- B-Spline 2D
- Use the Edit button to open the curve editor.
- See: 2D B-Spline Curves
- Audio Clip
- Use the Audio button to use a audio sound clip to create a curve.
- See: Audio Clip Curves
The affect of the Smoothing over 4 concatenated animation segments is shown in the graphic.
- None
- No smoothing is applied.
- Smooth
- Catmull-Rom spline smoothing. Tension (tau) parameter applies.
You can flip a curve upside-down or mirror it horizontally. This can be used to reverse the animation.
- Norm
- No change to animation order.
- Flipped
- Curve is flipped upside-down.
- Mirrored
Curve is mirrored horizontally.
Animation Curve Editors
The 2D and 3D animation paths are defined using the appropriate curve editors.
This editor creates 2D NURB or B-Spline curves. They can be either open or closed curves.
The placement of the curve’s control points determine the curve’s shape. Only the first and last control points are interpolated by the curve, the others just adjust the curve shape.
The plotted yellow squares are the control points, and the round green circles are the curve’s knot locations.
The green dashed lines represent the bounds of the fractal image and help you see where the control points are in relation to the fractal’s boundaries.
If the mouse is clicked close to an existing control point, it will be selected so you can drag it with the mouse to shape the curve. Otherwise, clicking elsewhere will add a new control point.
This editor creates 2D Catmull Rom curves. They can be either open or closed curves.
The placement of the curve’s control points determine the curve’s shape. All but the first and last points are interpolated by the curve.
The plotted yellow squares are the control points. The first and last control points are shown as green squares (they are not shown for closed catmull curves).
The green dashed lines represent the bounds of the fractal image and help you see where the control points are in relation to the fractal’s boundaries.
If the mouse is clicked close to an existing control point, it will be selected so you can drag it with the mouse to shape the curve. Otherwise, clicking elsewhere will add a new control point.
This editor creates 3D NURB or B-Spline curves. They can be either open or closed curves.
The placement of the curve’s control points determine the curve’s shape. Only the first and last control points are interpolated by the curve, the others just adjust the curve shape.
The plotted yellow squares are the control points, and the round green circles are the curve’s knot locations.
If the mouse is clicked close to an existing control point, it will be selected so you can drag it with the mouse to shape the curve. Otherwise, clicking elsewhere will add a new control point.
Design Note
In the Animation Sequencer, you may want to compose a sequence of 3 animation segments like this:
To get the first and last step’s camera orientations, use the Copy Start Orientation and Copy End Orientation buttons to put the correct orientation onto the clipboard. Then, paste the orientation onto the Camera Pitch/Yaw/Roll Orientation configuration (with the Paste Orientation button shown there).
This editor creates 3D Catmull Rom curves. They can be either open or closed curves.
The placement of the curve’s control points determine the curve’s shape. All but the first and last points are interpolated by the curve.
The plotted yellow squares are the control points. The first and last control points are shown as green squares (they are not shown for closed catmull curves).
If the mouse is clicked close to an existing control point, it will be selected so you can drag it with the mouse to shape the curve. Otherwise, clicking elsewhere will add a new control point.