PYTHON - INPUT DELAI

Hugo BATTISTELLA

Hello guys,
I started learning Python few days ago and I definitly need help from the pyhton dev community !

I wish to insert a "delay time" that can be inputed by the user for each loop I created. How can I do that ?

Here is my code :

import c4d
import math
import time
import threading
from c4d.modules import mograph as mo
#Welcome to the world of Python Fields

def Sample(op, inputs, outputs, info):
    """Calculate the output values for the specified set
    of input points. Allocations should be avoided in Sample
    to maximize performance.
    Return false on error to cancel sampling.
    NOTE: Sample function is mandatory, PythonField cannot
    function without it.

    Keyword arguments:
    BaseObject -- the python field.
    FieldInput -- the points to sample.
    FieldOutput -- the sampling output arrays (pre-allocated).
    FieldInfo -- the sampling informations.
    """

    NbObjFamily = 5
    flight_time = 5
    delay = 5*(doc.GetTime().Get())
    
    # Wave "0"
    for i in range(0, inputs._blockCount, NbObjFamily):
        value = (doc.GetTime().Get())
        offsetValue = value / flight_time
        outputs.SetValue(i, offsetValue)

    # Wave "1"
    for i in range(1, inputs._blockCount, NbObjFamily):
        value = (doc.GetTime().Get())
        offsetValue = (value + 0.0) / flight_time
        outputs.SetValue(i, offsetValue)

    # Wave "2"
    for i in range(2, inputs._blockCount, NbObjFamily):
        value = (doc.GetTime().Get())
        offsetValue = (value + 0.0) / flight_time
        outputs.SetValue(i, offsetValue)

    # Wave "3"
    for i in range(3, inputs._blockCount, NbObjFamily):
        value = (doc.GetTime().Get())
        offsetValue = (value + 0.0) / flight_time
        outputs.SetValue(i, offsetValue)

    # Wave "4"
    for i in range(4, inputs._blockCount, NbObjFamily):
        value = (doc.GetTime().Get())
        offsetValue = (value + 0.0) / flight_time
        outputs.SetValue(i, offsetValue)

    # Return false to cancel further sampling.
    return True

Any Idea ?

Thank you

Hugo BATTISTELLA

... I forget one important information : This is a Python Force Field

ferdinand

Hi @Hugo-BATTISTELLA,

welcome to the forum and Cinema 4D development community! Learning a programing language and an Application Programming Interface (API), e.g. Cinema's public API, can be a bit daunting, but you will see it is not so bad in the end. There are usually some misunderstanding, it is quite common

In your case it is not quite clear to us what you mean "delay time". The Sample function is meant to read or modify an array of Mograph particles. You have no control over the time t at which Cinema polls this function, in fact it can be polled multiple times for the same time t. From our understanding you are trying to do something like Cinema's own Delay Effector, which is not easy to do in a Python Effector/Field, as it would require you to build some kind of cache about the past. In your current code you are just overwriting the particle array multiple times (you set the particles [4, n] five times).

But this is mostly speculation form our side, so we would like to ask you to explain in more detail what you are trying do. Please explain what you mean by delay time and what effect on a broader scale you are trying to achieve.

edit: Please also make sure to use the forum tagging feature in your next postings. I have done it partially for you here, you will need to add your version of Cinema and your operating system. If you want to make clear that your posting is a question, you can also use the ask-as-question feature.

Cheers and happy coding,
Ferdinand

Hugo BATTISTELLA

Hello Zipit,
Thank you a lot for posting advices and answering quit. Your explanations are very precise and clear. Coding might be difficult but offers incredible possibilities. [link text]PYTHON_FIELD_SCRIPT V 0.1.c4d

Please, can you tell me how can I add tags to my post ?

About my project, I think you have a good idea of what I want to do but I'll try to be as precise as possible this time. I attached the scene, it should be easier to understand what I want to do then.

I have 5 "Families" (groups) of clones, determined by the Sphere Fields called "FAMILY_X". Needed for my project evolution.

I want them to go from their starting position and morph to FIG_01 which is a grid during a determined time (set into User Data (ex "Transition_time (sec)") of the Python Force Field)
For ich family, I want to start the mouvement at a different time (that can be set in User Data (ex "Start_Time // Family_0") of the Python Force Field).

If it is possible with Python Force Field, what code should work to do that ?

If not, what is the best solution to do that ? Python Tag ? Python Script ?

Thank you !

Hugo BATTISTELLA

ohh... forgot that !

I'm Working on

MAC OS 10.14.6
Cinema 4D R21

ferdinand

Good morning Hugo,

I think that is possible with a Python Effector, unless I do completely misunderstand you. If I understand you correctly, you want to do the following:

Map the particles in your Boules cloner from to the particle positions in your M_FIG_01 cloner.
You want to be able to animate the whole process, i.e. (linearly) interpolate from a starting position of a particle in Boules to a end position in M_FIG_01
You also want to be able to offset the animation for each pentagon point group in Boules, so that your particles "depart in waves".

One and two are relatively easy to do, you only have to make sure that both particle systems/cloners have the same amount of particles (which you did ;)). Number three is a bit more tricky when you have more complex inputs for Boules, but in your case you can simply group the particles in Boules into groups of five, to get the particles for each pentagon. You then have to get the particle system of the M_FIG_01 cloner and simply interpolate between the positions of the particles. But to do that in a meaningful way, you will have to cache the starting positions of your Boule system.

I cannot write the script for you, but I can guide you through the process. I would recommend first removing all clutter from your scene (unnecessary objects), so that you only have the two cloner/matrices and one Python Effector. Then write just a piece of code for a Python Effector that loops through all particles the effector is applied to (Boules) and print out their positions. Also try to group them into their pentagon groups. Come back when you are done or encounter problems

edit: I did the tagging for you, but you can find the tags in the lower left corner of the posting editor.

Cheers,
Ferdinand

ferdinand

Hi,

without further feedback, we will consider this thread as solved by Monday and flag it accordingly.

Cheers,
Ferdinand