Any idea, even a really rough one, on when a beta for Bongo 3 might be on the horizon? Or maybe even a “new features” list anywhere? Are we years away for Bongo 3? Next year?
Thanks,
Ryan
I must recommend you some patience. The calendar will probably read 2017 before the horizon brightens up. Good news is that physics will be the main new feature.
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Oh, well done! Look forward, thx!
Hi Luc,
Physics will be AWESOME, so glad your team is adding those features!!! That’s a huge step forward for Bongo.
Can I ask if some other features might be on the list as well? There are a few animation items I can do in other programs, that, if available in Bongo would eliminate me having to use anything besides Bongo for the type of work I do. Specifically, these animation features are:
- Animation of extrusions
- Animation of single and double rails
- Animation of Lofts
- Import/Export of Alembic files (my primary use here would be from programs like SpeedTree to show trees blowing in the wind, grass blowing, etc, for architectural animations)
- Can you add Depth of Field controls for the camera? This would allow my render plugin, Octane, to correctly render motion blur.
Thanks for your time Luc,
Ryan
Just bumping this up . . . are you able to comment on the above Luc? If not, I understand, just couldn’t find a public list anywhere on the forum.
Hi Bumpingupbox,
Like Marika told you in Wish List for Bongo 3, there is no public wish-list (only an internal one). Basic physics being one of the new features of 3.0 was also revealed at the time. A ‘new features’ list isn’t available.
Can you please specify what you mean by animation of extrusions. I don’t see what more can be done that cannot be achieved already now by the basic transformations (move, rotate, scale).
As regards the animation of Sweep(s) and Loft, every command that is supported by History recording (like Patch, Pipe, Revolve, Ribbon, Twist, Flow,…) can be used in animation by animating one or more of the elements used. E.g. in a Sweep1 the rail as well as the cross section curves can be moved, rotated, scaled and even morphed, hence crating all kind of delightful formations and deformations.
It seems I’ve missed the discussion Object "growing" . If I get your intention correct the answer lies in using a sweep1 on a helix with one fixed cross section at one end and a second one moving along the helix by means of a simple constraint. You can find a demo in sweep.3dm (697.3 KB). I also used this technique in Path trace.
A disadvantage is that History recordings don’t update in the viewportdisplay when you ‘Play’ the animation. You should constantly press the next-frame-button on the timelineslider instead.
The model loft.3dm (141.3 KB) shows some manipulations with a loft.
If you don’t get the hang of it please do post your enigma. When you have ideas to improve the mechanism just let us know.
Supporting the huge variety of external renderers and other 3th party software is certainly a topic for the team.
Luc
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Hi Luc,
“Bumpingupbox” – ok that made me laugh out loud, I like your sense of humor 
I remember now asking Marika about the public wish list, my apologies for asking the same question twice, there’s a lot going on right now and it slipped my mind. But thank you for the reminder.
Regarding the history enabled animation command – I downloaded your Truck Path Trace 001 file and I seem to be missing a crucial step in getting this to work, as I cannot replicate this. I’m sure it’s something simple, perhaps you can point out what I’m doing wrong here.
My (obviously flawed) method is as follows:
- Draw a path and a cross section.
- Turn on history
- Click the Animate button and move the slider to the desired frame
- Select Rail 1, then the path curve, then the cross section curve.
- The geometry is made, but nothing happens in the animation timeline (I’m not getting any tick marks).
Looking at your Sweep1 File, it looks as though you are moving the curve around the helix (which makes sense with regards to how history works), but how are you doing this? I’m sure that’s what I need do for the rail command, but it doesn’t move the curve along a path. I’m sure this is another command I’ve never used and don’t know.
Regarding the support for external render engines, I’m happy to help out with anything you want regarding Octane Render for Rhino. I’m VERY familiar with Octane inside and out and was a beta tester for it as well. Just let me know if I can be of any assistance.
Thanks for your time,
Ryan
Are you using Flow along with an input curve that you are moving to manipulate the curve around the helix? If not, how are you moving and constraining it accurately? If so, I understand that process, but it seems like a bit of a work around for something that could be much more simple.
Is it possible in Bongo 3 to make a simple sweep animate via the steps I mentioned in my above post? This seems much more intuitive and straight forward, and what I meant by my second post regarding the subject in this chain. Getting these history items to work, at least to me, isn’t very intuitive unless I’m going about doing it the wrong way. I’d appreciate any insight from those of you who work with Bongo more regularly.
This is where you go wrong : you try to animate the sweep (loft, pipe,…) whereas you have to animate the elements which are used to create the sweep (loft, pipe, …). A clear view on the basic structure is obtained by deleting the sweep (the surface but not the curves) in the sweep.3dm model. There is the helix and 2 circles, one moving.
The top circle is made moving by applying a Simple constraint: LookAlongZUp with its Y-axis as ConstraintHeadingVector and the helix as path. Initially this circle coincides with the bottom one.
Installing the Simple Constraint initiates 2 keyframes (at 0 and at the end of the timeline – which can easily be moved). The Constrain Parameter in the first keyframe is then edited to shift the circle one helix-turn up.
This Simple Constraint puts everything in action. Now all that has to be done is make the Sweep with History Recording, the helix as rail and both circles as cross sections (Natural seam point Option, and Roadlike Top Style).
Same technique in “Truck Path Trace 001.3dm”. A curve-path and 2 lines. One line is made moving by Simple Constraining (LookAlongZUp) it to the path-curve. Then with History, a Sweep is made with the path as rail and both lines as cross sections. An similar approach can be found in “Experiment Spooling 001.3dm” that I posted in Extruding (flexible) pipe along a path
The same basic idea when you want to animate a loft.
Not the loft itself is animated but the curves that are used to create the loft. Thanks to History the loft follows.
To be clear, the impetus isn’t necessarily created by a Simple Constraint. Moving, rotating and/or scaling do just as well.
Luc
PS. Please not that we live in a different time zone, hence a slow conversation.
Luc,
THANK YOU!!! I figured I was going about this the wrong way. Your explanation makes perfect sense and I was able to replicate with no problems. This is hugely helpful and really opens up a lot of doors when animating with Bongo.
As I mentioned earlier, I’m happy help in any way I can with regards to integration in the Octane plug in if your team needs any suggestions, feedback, ideas, etc. Just let me know.
By the way, I’ve discovered that applying texture maps via Unwrapping the surface(s) (Post animation) and using the UV editor will allow the animated surfaces like we’ve been discussing to keep their texture maps in place when animating instead of stretching the texture maps along the surface as the animation proceeds and the isoparms change in distance like they do when using the other methods (box, surface, etc.). This allows things like unrolling tape, carpet, etc to keep a fixed pattern on them as they are animated. I hope that makes sense . . .I think that’s extremely important.
Thank you again, I’m sure I’ll have more questions as more animation work comes in.
Ryan
Ryan,
Good to helped you find the key to the magnificent world of History based animation.
I make a note of your expertise in Octane. Personally I am not particularly skilled in rendering, but I’ll take a look into your texture mapping scheme.
Any more questions…that’s what the forum is for.
Luc
I need Bongo 3 much more than Rhino 7. Do you have any clue when Bongo 3 beta may be available?
We’re currently working on the next SR for Bongo 2, once that’s done we’ll start working on Bongo 3.
I’d like to add my wishes to the list 
It would be awesome if we could have a proper character rigging system in Bongo 3.
I know that we are able to animate characters with the power of Rhino Gh Bongo, but it’s very rough and requires way too much work to simply animate a basic walk.
More importantly, with the new SubD set that will be [hopefully] coming with Rhino 7, and tools like Clayoo in existence, I’d say that more and more people will be creating characters with Rhino.
Hi !
Don’t know if this is a good place for this question, but seems maybe so … -
I have a hose that’s connected at each end to the assembly parts for the tubing. I have set the end-curves (circles) I used when I created the Tubing (Sweep-1) as daughter-objects of the parts they connect the end of the tube to. I’d LIKE to ALSO be able to set the first 2 centerline curve points at each end of the centerline curve as daughter object of those same parent parts, so that the overall tubing updates with History when I move the tube-end components. IF I can set the first end-points of the Centerline curves at each end, we SHOULD be able to get a useable result.
Short of this, I have THIS interim working solution:
You can plainly see the centerline curve, and not as OBVIOUS, but in this pic you can make out the defining tube-end curve circles, too.
You can also see that the base ojects have “Moved” and that the Tube has followed as desired.
This ONLY works “within limits”, basically, don’t move the ends TOO far.
I’ll get a DETAILED sequence list to add here later, but for now -
Draw the centerline curve using “_curve” but with the PLINE curve as its skeleton. THEN use the _Circle command and select the _AroundCurve option, selecting the Centerline curve, and moving to the END of that centerline curve before picking. Enter the desired RADIUS. Do this again, put a circle at the OTHER end of the centerline curve (hit ENTER to repeat the Radius) . Put another mid-way.
TURN ON HISTORY. Make the End-circle a DAUGHTER of the end Object. Repeat this at the OTHER end. NOW use _Sweep1, select the Centerline curve, then in order, the 3 CIRCLES from one end to the other . Complete the sweep.
Each end-component has as a daughter, The end-curve “CIRCLE” at ITS end. Animate the movement of each end as desired. Use the circle MID-Way along the centerline curve as a visual adjustment for the result, IF NEEDED. IF the result of the movement doesn’t require it, you’re good. You can MOVE it, rotate its, elevate it, etc., as needed to maintain visual fidelity, thus mitigating SOME of the distortion this way, but again, only within limits. Minimize OVERALL movements, but within LIMITS you should get a workable result.
Its the MID-Way circle I was forgetting this time. THAT’s what keeps the running “shape” of the tube looking “reasonable”, and the End-Directions at each end of the tube under control. While it WOULD be better if we had access to curve points, THIS WILL Work - again, WITHIN LImits .
I remember mentioning to the person asking the LAST time this came up, that they would face the same “limitation”, but if they keep their movements “Reasonable”, the result would be useable !
Hope this helps anyone interested ! I got SO focused on making the tube work with Control Points, I forgot the mid-way circle !
This would be a NICE wishlist item, depending on OTHER solutions being planned that MAY obviate the need for this particular question or solution.
HAPPY to share -
Is there a better way ?
Thanks !
Charley.
Marika -
Hi !
Yeah, I head from Luc. I was able to continue digging and experimenting, and finally came up with the same solution I had shared the LAST time someone asked about this, a couple of years ago, and the last time- coincidentally - that I’D needed the solution, too ( ;=) ! ) and I was able to help THEM, and finally, here, re-discovered the solution I had since forgotten.
Ok, Thought I’d fill you in.
Thanks for EVERYTHING !
-C.