[Plib-users] Animation system

[Paolo L. <p.l...@ci...>]

Dear Plib friends,

My group at work is in the process to produce a computer animation of a
space vehicle's typical mission. Afterwards, since of the perspective need
to link the vehicle path to a dynamics simulator, we are evaluating the
opportunity to employ a 3D engine/scene graph like Plib instead of a
rendering system like 3DSMax or Softimage. Whilst a modelling phase is still
needed in those tools, the actual rendering would occur in real-time, thus
offering the ability to expose "plugs" for controlling objects' motion
during the simulation-animation.

We have realized that what is needed for accomplish this task by relying on
the Plib is a layer that could actually maps a storyboard-like direction
directives, coded in some script language or in some exotic format, into the
dynamic manipulation of the scenegraph and node properties as time passes.

The question for which I'm asking your valuable suggestions are:

- has anyone ever tought on the same topic wrt Plib?

- is there anywhere work on animation direction (an "exotic format") which
inspire to? (assuming to take the burden to write the described mapping
layer)

- has anyone interfaced a scripting language (e.g. Tcl) to Plib (SSG in
particular)?

I don't want to overload this communication, yet should someone want to go
deeper on the kind of directives I'm referring to, I'll be willing to share
my few toughts about it.

Thanks a lot in advance -

Paolo