Robotics and Animation?

Steve K

I'm watching a course on robotics, details here:

https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/robotics

Some of the topics remind me of animation topics, like inverse kinematics, degrees of freedom & limits for joints, etc.  One of the videos in particular reminded me of this fave oldie "Animusic - Drum machine".  The motions are actually driven by the MIDI code for the music (MIDI is actually a communication system, no sounds, just instructions to other devices like synthesizers on what sounds to play, when, etc.)

Diomede

Looks like a great course.  Enjoy, and give updates.

Steve K

Diomede said:

Looks like a great course.  Enjoy, and give updates.

It's pretty good, the Vassar prof is clearly a man immersed in something he loves to fiddle with.  Mostly shot in the robotics lab with him demonstrating, building and disassembling various "robots".  A recurring cast member is the Roomba, which he sees as a great example of many robotic principles and hardware elements (he explains as he dissects one).  Another is "Baxter", a large humanoidish critter that ought to have its own TV show.  

RuudL

Maybe you are already knowledgeable about PyCarrara capabilities. If not and if you're interested in doing an animation with MIDI as a basis for the timeline, then my suggestion would be to take a look at PyCarrara. It comes with sample scene files that demonstrate just that.

 

Steve K

RuudL said:

Maybe you are already knowledgeable about PyCarrara capabilities. If not and if you're interested in doing an animation with MIDI as a basis for the timeline, then my suggestion would be to take a look at PyCarrara. It comes with sample scene files that demonstrate just that.

No, I was not aware of it, sounds really intriguing, thanks.  I actually did contact the creator of Animusic years ago about making his MIDI driven animation software available for purchase (MIDIMotion?), but he was not interested in all the effort to publish, support, etc.  But PyCarrara sounds interesting, I found more here from the inimitable Dartanbeck:

https://www.dartanbeck.com/carrara-zone/carrara-info/carrara-plugins/frederic-rible

WendyLuvsCatz

also grab https://github.com/wyskoj/midis2jam2 for a poor mans Animusic

Steve K

WendyLuvsCatz said:

also grab https://github.com/wyskoj/midis2jam2 for a poor mans Animusic

Looks like another fun app.  So many toys, so little time.