Part 1 provides a quick overview of the PySwarm package – the PySwarm Interface App PIA, the PySwarm script, and the PySwarm wiki.
Part 2 covers how to set up your Carrara scene for importing a PySwarm script.
– Creating a default Carrara scene
– Setting BOID orientation
– Setting BOID Hot Point
– Naming BOIDs
– Duplicating BOIDs
– Numbering BOIDs
– Setting PySwarm parameters in PIA
– Importing and tweaking the parameters
Carrara user Joe Pingleton combined a looping NLA walkcycle with Fractal Dimensia’s PySwarm script, the PyCarrara plugin, and Sparrowhawke3D’s Follow Terrain plugin to create this animation test of multiple figures finding their way across a varied terrain.
He explains the process:
This is another experiment with the PySwarm plug in for Carrara 8.5 Pro and NLA Clips. This time the figures follow the terrain object using Sparrowhawke3d’s Follow Terrain Plug In for Carrara.
I created a “Boid” group that was a figure with a looping walk cycle NLA clip with a duration of 2 minutes. Then I replicated that “Boid” 10 times and numbered the “Boid” groups. Then I used PySwarm to generate a movement script with 10 boids and 1 attractor object. Then I imported the PySwarm script into Carrara. Then I applied Sparrowhawke3d’s Follow Terrain Plug In to make each “boid” drop to the surface of the terrain object. One walk NLA clip and the Pyswarm script control all movement, no key frame editing.
PySwarm for PyCarrara 0.6 was recently released (01-25-2014), among the many new functions and fixes, is the addition of several demo scenes to experiment with and learn from.
FractalDimensia also recently revealed the future plans for PySwarm at the DAZ 3D forum thread:
So here is the current order of future MAJOR enhancements (I’m leaving out other improvements): 1) Revised containment algorithm (V0.6.1) 2) Basic motion animation (V0.6.2) 3) Terrain following (V0.7) 4) More motion animation (V0.7.1) 5) Predator-Prey rule (V0.8) With that said, I am willing to consider shifting priorities based on user needs. “First come, first serve.” If you have a need for a feature, and no one else is requesting something else, just let me know. I’ll consider changing the order!
PySwarm for Carrara is a Python script by fractaldimensia specifically designed and written to use with DAZ 3D Carrara’s plug-in PyCarrara to manipulate and render realistic swarming object and other similar forms of group behavior in Carrara.
Historically, anyone who wanted to create an animation sequence that simulated flocking, herding, schooling, swarming, or other group behaviors had two options.
1) Create flight paths for each individual in the group. This can be very time consuming and prone to difficulties if you want to change any of the paths.
2) Use a replicator to create groups of animals. This can lead to animations that are not realistic enough because replicators require animals move in unison.
PySwarm offers a third and more flexible choice. Realistic swarming animation can be achieved by loading the PySwarm script into a text editor, selecting the behaviors you wish to simulate, tweaking a few parameters, importing the script into your scene, and rendering the resulting keyframe-based simulation.
An essential feature of PySwarm is that users of the script do NOT have to know how to program in Python to use it. The PySwarm script was engineered in a way that anyone who has Python and the PyCarrara plug-in installed on their computer can, with minimal effort, render complex-looking animation sequences.
Here are just a few examples of the kinds of animation sequences the PySwarm script is being designed to support.
Bees swarming around a beehive
Butterflies flying in an open field
A herd of horses running through a valley
An army of soldiers marching, but not in precise formation
Mechanical spiders swarming a futuristic fort
Predators moving through a large flock of prey (wolves and sheep, barracudas and fish, “bad guy”
moving through a crowd of people)
Two groups of fighter aircraft in close “fur ball” combat
download the latest PySwarm script (V.0.3.1) along with a Users Guide and two .CAR starter files to use with the script here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8V9-txK8F4Mb0JBZ0tQVndmRkU/edit?usp=sharing
The PyCarrara plugin can be downloaded here:
http://pycarrara.sourceforge.net
