CFD Online Discussion Forums - Save Animation via command line

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Save Animation via command line

Hi there,

I would like to know how to control ParaView via command line to perform the following tasks:

- Load a 3d model file (like *.stl)
- Set camera to "orbit"
- Save the animation to ogv

I simply want to create a rotating animation from a 3d model to show in a webbrowser.

If I guess correctly I have to use python to accomplish this task?

Thanks in advance

Greetings paraJim and welcome to the forum!

I'm short on time, so I'm only able to give the following hints:

You can use pvpython or pvbatch for using/controlling from the command line. But it will not have an open ParaView window, if I remember correctly.
(Semi-)Official instructions available here: http://www.paraview.org/Wiki/ParaView/Python_Scripting
I don't know the level of web display you want to provide, but there is also ParaViewWeb: http://www.paraview.org/Wiki/ParaViewWeb

Good luck!
Bruno

Hi wyldckat,

thanks for the fast response.

What I have tried so far:

I opened up ParaView, loaded a STL file and executed the following code in the python shell of ParaView:

Code:

movie = servermanager.animation.AnimationScene()

movie.ViewModules = [GetActiveView()]

movie.NumberOfFrames = 10

movie_writer = servermanager.vtkSMAnimationSceneImageWriter()

movie_writer.SetFileName("C:\movie.avi")

movie_writer.SetFrameRate(1)

movie_writer.SetQuality(2)

movie_writer.SetAnimationScene(movie.SMProxy)

movie_writer.Save()

(i found the code sample in a paraview mailing list)

Which actually creates an avi file.

What I didn't figure out is:
- How to load any 3d Model into the script?
- How to add the animation to the script? I want that the camera orbits around the object.

Here seems to be a solution for setting up the camera to orbit in python but i can't download the python script. http://www.paraview.org/pipermail/pa...ch/011400.html

I think I am getting closer.

Hi paraJim,

Sorry, I was so focused on the command line that I forgot to mention that you can use the "Python Trace" to help you generate the script that loads the files and so forth: http://www.paraview.org/Wiki/Python_GUI_Tools

Best regards,
Bruno

Hi wyldckat,

thanks for your response.

My script is almost finished. This is what I have got so far:

Code:

from paraview.simple import *



movie = servermanager.animation.AnimationScene()

movie.ViewModules = [GetActiveView()]

movie.NumberOfFrames = 48

# find view object

view = GetActiveView()



# Create an animation cue for the camera. This represents the "track" shown in cuethe Animation View.

cue = servermanager.animation.CameraAnimationCue()

cue.AnimatedProxy = [view]



# Add this cue to the scene.

movie.Cues = [cue]



# Now create keyframes. Let's say we are going to orbit around the object.

camera = view.GetActiveCamera()

num_of_keyframes = 10

listKeyframe = []

for i in range(0, num_of_keyframes):

    camera.Azimuth(360.0/num_of_keyframes)

    keyframe = servermanager.animation.CameraKeyFrame()

    # set the value of the key frame to the current camera location.

    keyframe.KeyTime = i*1.0/num_of_keyframes

    keyframe.Position = camera.GetPosition()

    keyframe.FocalPoint = camera.GetFocalPoint()

    keyframe.ViewUp = camera.GetViewUp()

    keyframe.ViewAngle = camera.GetViewAngle()

    listKeyframe.append(keyframe)



#cue.KeyFrames.append(keyframe) because 'append' don't exist for this object

cue.KeyFrames = listKeyframe



movie_writer = servermanager.vtkSMAnimationSceneImageWriter()

movie_writer.SetFileName("C:\movie.avi")

movie_writer.SetFrameRate(24)

movie_writer.SetQuality(2)

movie_writer.SetAnimationScene(movie.SMProxy)

movie_writer.Save()

It successfully creates the orbit animation and saves it to disk as an avi file.

One problem still exists:

- How can I load a file to the python script if I don't know the file type?

If I have a vtk file I need to run:
reader = servermanager.sources.LegacyVTKReader(FileNames='m yFile.vtk')

If I have a stl file I need to run:
reader = STLReader( FileNames=['myFile.stl'] )

Is there a "generic" reader that can read everything?

Not that I'm aware of. You'll probably have to use if statements: http://www.tutorialspoint.com/python/python_if_else.htm

Hi wyldckat,

I found another way in the documentation:

Alternatively, starting with ParaView 3.8, you can use OpenDataFile() function to let ParaView pick a reader using the extension of the file.

>>> reader = OpenDataFile(“.../can.ex2”)

Thank you very much for your help.

EDIT:
Do you know how to suppress the preview dialog when running the script with pvpython.exe or pvbatch.exe?

Quote:

Originally Posted by paraJim (Post 409825)

EDIT:
Do you know how to suppress the preview dialog when running the script with pvpython.exe or pvbatch.exe?

I know I've tested this in the past... but it was on Linux... it's this one I think: Using offscreen rendering post #4
Not sure how it will work on Windows...