[Bf-committers] CAD/Robotics extensions to Blender (Was Re: CVS commit: editobject.c)

[Ton Roosendaal]

Hi Herman,

Such work can potentially benefit animators a lot too, but for the  
tools side the focus might differ quite some. I am always positive  
about exploring how to make it work, like the features you mention:

> Roughly, the missing features of Blender in
> this context are:
> - creation of "mechanical" devices, which has traditionally a somewhat
>   different user interface than animation and games.

If that would mean like an new articulated Object type (let's say  
"Robot") with its own specific editing controls and methods, and which  
can be used for animations as well?

> - addition of kinematics routines for "robot like" devices, which are
>   not like the animation armatures that have only spherical joints, but
>   are mostly built from revolute and prismatic joints. The kinematics  
> for
>   this kind of structures can be made _much_ more efficient than the
>   current IK of Blender. Also if natural dynamics are included.
>   (And no, the ODE way of doing things is _not_ optimal for robot-like
>   kinematic structures. But it is nicely complementary.)
> - addition of physical properties to parts, especially inertia.
> - addition of the IK of mechanical structures with closed chains,
>   including the code to close the chains during "assembly" of the
>   structures.

And if such articulated Robot models can be interactively positioned,  
moved with IK and force 'feedback'? Would be cool to see happening.
Also a feature like simulation can be made 'useful' by converting the  
simulation (bake) to normal animation curves.

> - addition of IPOs that are common in robotics, e.g., for redundant
>   systems, with so-called "trapezoidal acceleration profiles" etc

That's new for me, but sounds intersting! :)

> [...] But it would be nice to get an idea about the
> "veto proneness" of the "robotics additions"  I suggested above.
> If you think they are of really secondary importance, than I'd better
> start looking elsewhere :-)

Well, it all starts with showing the ideas, prototypes, or a proposal.  
This is new!

A fork can be done too. As for example could be possible for the game  
engine (a game-blender) and/or when another engine likes to have  
Blender as 'level editor', and so on. This could also benefit in  
development towards beter modules in Blender to keep compatiblity...

-Ton-



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Ton Roosendaal  Blender Foundation ton@blender.org  
http://www.blender.org