It would be really cool if there was a blender bridge.
Structure synth would run headless, but send the data to blender. Blender creates the scene, and then we can do all the cool stuff in blender (like use the physics and game-engine).
I'm looking at this from the idea of using structure synth models for a music visualiser that would run in blender.
Blender is all scriptable with python and anything you can do in blender can be done using python too.
If there was a python api on the blender side that could change the way structure synth rendered stuff, this would be good too...
Then we could feed structure synth some numbers and watch the model change in blender, hopefully this could all be in realtime too.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
However, if I understand you correctly, what you want to do, is to be able to use Structure Synth as an API, scripted by Python and having the scripts directly creates Blender objects.
While this might be possible, it would require a lot of Python wrapping and some new export classes (since neither OpenGL nor the textual template schemes would be of any use). In fact, since the GUI wouldn't be needed too, only the parser and scene builder could be reused. These are quite small components, and it is probably simpler just to rewrite them in Pythons and invoke them inside Blender.
I do consider adding scripting to Structure Synth, but most likely I'll add some JavaScript support. A JavaScript parser is already part of the Qt4 framework I use, and the integration between C++ and the Qt JavaScript parser is exceptionally simple. I have considered Python as well (mostly because I would like to test out Boost's C++/Python bridge), but as of now this is not a priority any more.
I like your idea of using Structure Synth for music visualization. In fact, after I do manage to get a final version 1.0 of Structure Synth together (hopefully sooner than later), my main priority will be to emphasize the 'synthesizer' aspect of Structure Synth - I have some ideas about adding a live 'input' interface where you could use for instance MIDI, OSC, Mouse or Keyboard for changing parameters while growing the creations. Music visualization would fit nicely in here - perhaps by extracting the most prominent frequencies (using FFT) and using these for controlling some parameters.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
"Verse is a network protocol that lets multiple applications act
together as one large application by sharing data over a network. If
one application makes a change to shared data, the change is
distributed instantly to all the other interested clients. The
protocol and associated data format are both heavily optimized for
sharing data suitable for 3D graphics." http://verse.blender.org/
So that solves a lot of the problem of how to get data into blender.
What would be nice is if structure synth provided an api for controlling it.
Basically expose all the stuff that it you can do with the language and the ability to load the scripts, you probably have thought about this for the js bindings anyway.
I'm actually not just thinking of structure synth for my blender music vis (that also works as a vj app), but all of the other similar things (the ones that are cross platform anyway).
I'm currently working on getting a flash vis working as there has been some cool stuff done on that side and I think it would be a good community to get involved in making vis's, however it's taking ages (my first actionscript stuff).
I realised I should reach out to the other communities and see if anyone builds some of the other pieces so when I move onto the blender vis then some parts may be ready.
The ones where verse supports the language will be easiest obviously, I really like the idea of using all the stuff from these different communities to make some sort of super modular vis. At the moment I'm trying to work out a name for it, but soon will register a website and braindump everything there.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Oops forgot to reply to the other points - yeah I knew about the exporter, and do want to realtime.
Also, with verse all the python could live in blender - although once you make bindings someone will probably make a pystructuresynth. The cool thing about python is it takes a very little code to embed it.
If verse was used then I imagine interesting things happening in blender with the shaders, physics engine etc.
Something I need to think about is some sort of common control api for all these apps I want to join to blender, I'd imagine they'd publish they're capabilities back to the vis, but I haven't thought about it any more than that yet.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
I downloaded Structure Synth a few days ago and have been having fun with it...
I tweaked the general exporter to export color information and tweaked the ss_importer.py script to import the color information into blender creating a new material for each color.
Now I'm rendering the models with luxrender.....
To use, copy the genericwithcolor.rendertemplate file to the Misc directory in the structure synth, copy the .py script into your blender scripts directory...
sorry, not sure how to post the file in this discussion.... hoping this script can be integrated into the CVS.... see previous post for link to other forum that has file zipped up...
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
If it is okay with you, I will add the files to the subversion repository, so that they will be part of Structure Synth 1.0.
I can see that David Bucciarelli released his py-script as GPL, so that should be okay to include - I just need to make sure that it is okay with you to include the render-template you created - Davids and your contributions will of course be acknowledged.
Best regard, Mikael.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
It would be really cool if there was a blender bridge.
Structure synth would run headless, but send the data to blender. Blender creates the scene, and then we can do all the cool stuff in blender (like use the physics and game-engine).
I'm looking at this from the idea of using structure synth models for a music visualiser that would run in blender.
Blender is all scriptable with python and anything you can do in blender can be done using python too.
If there was a python api on the blender side that could change the way structure synth rendered stuff, this would be good too...
Then we could feed structure synth some numbers and watch the model change in blender, hopefully this could all be in realtime too.
I don't know if you know this, but it is possible to export Structure Synth creations to Blender: http://www.luxrender.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=585
However, if I understand you correctly, what you want to do, is to be able to use Structure Synth as an API, scripted by Python and having the scripts directly creates Blender objects.
While this might be possible, it would require a lot of Python wrapping and some new export classes (since neither OpenGL nor the textual template schemes would be of any use). In fact, since the GUI wouldn't be needed too, only the parser and scene builder could be reused. These are quite small components, and it is probably simpler just to rewrite them in Pythons and invoke them inside Blender.
I do consider adding scripting to Structure Synth, but most likely I'll add some JavaScript support. A JavaScript parser is already part of the Qt4 framework I use, and the integration between C++ and the Qt JavaScript parser is exceptionally simple. I have considered Python as well (mostly because I would like to test out Boost's C++/Python bridge), but as of now this is not a priority any more.
I like your idea of using Structure Synth for music visualization. In fact, after I do manage to get a final version 1.0 of Structure Synth together (hopefully sooner than later), my main priority will be to emphasize the 'synthesizer' aspect of Structure Synth - I have some ideas about adding a live 'input' interface where you could use for instance MIDI, OSC, Mouse or Keyboard for changing parameters while growing the creations. Music visualization would fit nicely in here - perhaps by extracting the most prominent frequencies (using FFT) and using these for controlling some parameters.
"Verse is a network protocol that lets multiple applications act
together as one large application by sharing data over a network. If
one application makes a change to shared data, the change is
distributed instantly to all the other interested clients. The
protocol and associated data format are both heavily optimized for
sharing data suitable for 3D graphics."
http://verse.blender.org/
Index
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Uni-Verse:Main
So that solves a lot of the problem of how to get data into blender.
What would be nice is if structure synth provided an api for controlling it.
Basically expose all the stuff that it you can do with the language and the ability to load the scripts, you probably have thought about this for the js bindings anyway.
I'm actually not just thinking of structure synth for my blender music vis (that also works as a vj app), but all of the other similar things (the ones that are cross platform anyway).
Here are all the apps/libraries I've contacted so far
http://delicious.com/stuaxo/bridge_api_requested
I'm currently working on getting a flash vis working as there has been some cool stuff done on that side and I think it would be a good community to get involved in making vis's, however it's taking ages (my first actionscript stuff).
I realised I should reach out to the other communities and see if anyone builds some of the other pieces so when I move onto the blender vis then some parts may be ready.
The ones where verse supports the language will be easiest obviously, I really like the idea of using all the stuff from these different communities to make some sort of super modular vis. At the moment I'm trying to work out a name for it, but soon will register a website and braindump everything there.
Oops forgot to reply to the other points - yeah I knew about the exporter, and do want to realtime.
Also, with verse all the python could live in blender - although once you make bindings someone will probably make a pystructuresynth. The cool thing about python is it takes a very little code to embed it.
If verse was used then I imagine interesting things happening in blender with the shaders, physics engine etc.
Something I need to think about is some sort of common control api for all these apps I want to join to blender, I'd imagine they'd publish they're capabilities back to the vis, but I haven't thought about it any more than that yet.
I downloaded Structure Synth a few days ago and have been having fun with it...
I tweaked the general exporter to export color information and tweaked the ss_importer.py script to import the color information into blender creating a new material for each color.
Now I'm rendering the models with luxrender.....
To use, copy the genericwithcolor.rendertemplate file to the Misc directory in the structure synth, copy the .py script into your blender scripts directory...
http://www.luxrender.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=585&p=12928#p12928
sorry, not sure how to post the file in this discussion.... hoping this script can be integrated into the CVS.... see previous post for link to other forum that has file zipped up...
Hi, Zuka
Looks interesting!
If it is okay with you, I will add the files to the subversion repository, so that they will be part of Structure Synth 1.0.
I can see that David Bucciarelli released his py-script as GPL, so that should be okay to include - I just need to make sure that it is okay with you to include the render-template you created - Davids and your contributions will of course be acknowledged.
Best regard, Mikael.
Hi - Yes by all means! Please add my changes to the repository for other people to use and change.