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# AnimateActors

VTKEx/Cxx/Animation/AnimateActors

Question

If you have a simple question about this example contact us at VTKExProject If your question is more complex and may require extended discussion, please use the VTK Discourse Forum

### Code

AnimateActors.cxx

    #include "AnimateActors.h"

    #include <vtkAnimationCue.h>
    #include <vtkAnimationScene.h>
    #include <vtkCamera.h>
    #include <vtkColor.h>
    #include <vtkCommand.h>
    #include <vtkConeSource.h>
    #include <vtkNamedColors.h>
    #include <vtkPolyDataMapper.h>
    #include <vtkProperty.h>
    #include <vtkRenderWindow.h>
    #include <vtkRenderWindowInteractor.h>
    #include <vtkRenderer.h>
    #include <vtkSmartPointer.h>
    #include <vtkSphereSource.h>

    int main(int argc, char* argv[])
    {
      // Colors
      auto colors = vtkSmartPointer<vtkNamedColors>::New();
      vtkColor3d coneColor = colors->GetColor3d("Tomato");
      vtkColor3d sphereColor = colors->GetColor3d("Banana");
      vtkColor3d backgroundColor = colors->GetColor3d("Peacock");

      // Create the graphics structure. The renderer renders into the
      // render window.
      auto iren = vtkSmartPointer<vtkRenderWindowInteractor>::New();
      auto ren1 = vtkSmartPointer<vtkRenderer>::New();
      ren1->SetBackground(backgroundColor.GetData());

      auto renWin = vtkSmartPointer<vtkRenderWindow>::New();
      renWin->SetMultiSamples(0);
      iren->SetRenderWindow(renWin);
      renWin->AddRenderer(ren1);

      // Generate a sphere
      auto sphereSource = vtkSmartPointer<vtkSphereSource>::New();
      sphereSource->SetPhiResolution(31);
      sphereSource->SetThetaResolution(31);

      auto sphereMapper = vtkSmartPointer<vtkPolyDataMapper>::New();
      sphereMapper->SetInputConnection(sphereSource->GetOutputPort());
      auto sphere = vtkSmartPointer<vtkActor>::New();
      sphere->SetMapper(sphereMapper);
      sphere->GetProperty()->SetDiffuseColor(sphereColor.GetData());
      sphere->GetProperty()->SetDiffuse(.7);
      sphere->GetProperty()->SetSpecular(.3);
      sphere->GetProperty()->SetSpecularPower(30.0);

      ren1->AddActor(sphere);

      // Generate a cone
      auto coneSource = vtkSmartPointer<vtkConeSource>::New();
      coneSource->SetResolution(31);

      auto coneMapper = vtkSmartPointer<vtkPolyDataMapper>::New();
      coneMapper->SetInputConnection(coneSource->GetOutputPort());
      auto cone = vtkSmartPointer<vtkActor>::New();
      cone->SetMapper(coneMapper);
      cone->GetProperty()->SetDiffuseColor(coneColor.GetData());

      ren1->AddActor(cone);

      // Create an Animation Scene
      auto scene = vtkSmartPointer<vtkAnimationScene>::New();
      if (argc >= 2 && strcmp(argv[1], "-real") == 0)
      {
        cout << "real-time mode" << endl;
        scene->SetModeToRealTime();
      }
      else
      {
        cout << "sequence mode" << endl;
        scene->SetModeToSequence();
      }
      scene->SetLoop(0);
      scene->SetFrameRate(5);
      scene->SetStartTime(0);
      scene->SetEndTime(20);

      vtkSmartPointer<AnimationSceneObserver> sceneObserver =
          vtkSmartPointer<AnimationSceneObserver>::New();
      sceneObserver->SetRenderWindow(renWin);
      scene->AddObserver(vtkCommand::AnimationCueTickEvent, sceneObserver);

      // Create an Animation Cue for each actor
      auto cue1 = vtkSmartPointer<vtkAnimationCue>::New();
      cue1->SetStartTime(5);
      cue1->SetEndTime(23);
      scene->AddCue(cue1);

      auto cue2 = vtkSmartPointer<vtkAnimationCue>::New();
      cue2->SetStartTime(1);
      cue2->SetEndTime(10);
      scene->AddCue(cue2);

      // Create an ActorAnimator for each actor;
      ActorAnimator animateSphere;
      animateSphere.SetActor(sphere);
      animateSphere.AddObserversToCue(cue1);

      ActorAnimator animateCone;
      std::vector<double> endCone(3);
      endCone[0] = -1;
      endCone[1] = -1;
      endCone[2] = -1;
      animateCone.SetEndPosition(endCone);
      animateCone.SetActor(cone);
      animateCone.AddObserversToCue(cue2);

      renWin->Render();
      ren1->ResetCamera();
      ren1->GetActiveCamera()->Dolly(.5);
      ren1->ResetCameraClippingRange();

      // Create Cue observer.
      scene->Play();
      scene->Stop();

      iren->Start();
      return EXIT_SUCCESS;
    }

AnimateActors.h

    #ifndef __AnimateActors_h
    #include <vector>
    #include <vtkActor.h>
    #include <vtkAnimationCue.h>
    #include <vtkCommand.h>
    #include <vtkRenderWindow.h>

    class ActorAnimator
    {
    public:
      ActorAnimator()
      {
        this->Actor = 0;
        this->Observer = AnimationCueObserver::New();
        this->Observer->Animator = this;
        this->StartPosition.resize(3);
        this->StartPosition.insert(this->StartPosition.begin(), 3, 0.0);
        this->EndPosition.resize(3);
        this->EndPosition.insert(this->EndPosition.begin(), 3, .5);
      }

      ~ActorAnimator()
      {
        if (this->Actor)
        {
          this->Actor->UnRegister(0);
          this->Actor = 0;
        }
        this->Observer->UnRegister(0);
      }
      void SetActor(vtkActor* actor)
      {
        if (this->Actor)
        {
          this->Actor->UnRegister(0);
        }
        this->Actor = actor;
        this->Actor->Register(0);
      }
      void SetStartPosition(std::vector<double> const& position)
      {
        this->StartPosition = position;
      }
      void SetEndPosition(std::vector<double> const& position)
      {
        this->EndPosition = position;
      }
      void AddObserversToCue(vtkAnimationCue* cue)
      {
        cue->AddObserver(vtkCommand::StartAnimationCueEvent, this->Observer);
        cue->AddObserver(vtkCommand::EndAnimationCueEvent, this->Observer);
        cue->AddObserver(vtkCommand::AnimationCueTickEvent, this->Observer);
      }

      void Start(vtkAnimationCue::AnimationCueInfo* vtkNotUsed(info))
      {
        this->Actor->SetPosition(this->StartPosition[0], this->StartPosition[1],
                                 this->StartPosition[2]);
      }

      void Tick(vtkAnimationCue::AnimationCueInfo* info)
      {
        double t = (info->AnimationTime - info->StartTime) /
            (info->EndTime - info->StartTime);
        double position[3];
        for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++)
        {
          position[i] = this->StartPosition[i] +
              (this->EndPosition[i] - this->StartPosition[i]) * t;
        }
        this->Actor->SetPosition(position);
      }

      void End(vtkAnimationCue::AnimationCueInfo* vtkNotUsed(info))
      {
        this->Actor->SetPosition(this->EndPosition[0], this->EndPosition[1],
                                 this->EndPosition[2]);
      }

    protected:
      class AnimationCueObserver : public vtkCommand
      {
      public:
        static AnimationCueObserver* New()
        {
          return new AnimationCueObserver;
        }

        virtual void Execute(vtkObject* vtkNotUsed(caller), unsigned long event,
                             void* calldata)
        {
          if (this->Animator != 0)
          {
            vtkAnimationCue::AnimationCueInfo* info =
                static_cast<vtkAnimationCue::AnimationCueInfo*>(calldata);
            switch (event)
            {
            case vtkCommand::StartAnimationCueEvent:
              this->Animator->Start(info);
              break;
            case vtkCommand::EndAnimationCueEvent:
              this->Animator->End(info);
              break;
            case vtkCommand::AnimationCueTickEvent:
              this->Animator->Tick(info);
              break;
            }
          }
        }

        AnimationCueObserver()
        {
          this->Animator = 0;
        }
        ActorAnimator* Animator;
      };

      vtkActor* Actor;
      AnimationCueObserver* Observer;
      std::vector<double> StartPosition;
      std::vector<double> EndPosition;
    };

    class AnimationSceneObserver : public vtkCommand
    {
    public:
      static AnimationSceneObserver* New()
      {
        return new AnimationSceneObserver;
      }

      void SetRenderWindow(vtkRenderWindow* renWin)
      {
        if (this->RenderWindow)
        {
          this->RenderWindow->UnRegister(this);
        }
        this->RenderWindow = renWin;
        this->RenderWindow->Register(this);
      }
      virtual void Execute(vtkObject* vtkNotUsed(caller), unsigned long event,
                           void* vtkNotUsed(calldata))
      {
        if (this->RenderWindow != 0)
        {
          switch (event)
          {
          case vtkCommand::AnimationCueTickEvent:
            this->RenderWindow->Render();
            break;
          }
        }
      }

    protected:
      AnimationSceneObserver()
      {
        this->RenderWindow = 0;
      }
      ~AnimationSceneObserver()
      {
        if (this->RenderWindow)
        {
          this->RenderWindow->UnRegister(this);
          this->RenderWindow = 0;
        }
      }
      vtkRenderWindow* RenderWindow;
    };

    #endif

### CMakeLists.txt

    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.3 FATAL_ERROR)

    project(AnimateActors)

    find_package(VTK COMPONENTS
      vtkCommonColor
      vtkCommonCore
      vtkCommonDataModel
      vtkFiltersSources
      vtkInteractionStyle
      vtkRenderingContextOpenGL2
      vtkRenderingCore
      vtkRenderingFreeType
      vtkRenderingGL2PSOpenGL2
      vtkRenderingOpenGL2 QUIET)
    if (NOT VTK_FOUND)
      message("Skipping AnimateActors: ${VTK_NOT_FOUND_MESSAGE}")
      return ()
    endif()
    message (STATUS "VTK_VERSION: ${VTK_VERSION}")
    if (VTK_VERSION VERSION_LESS "8.90.0")
      # old system
      include(${VTK_USE_FILE})
      add_executable(AnimateActors MACOSX_BUNDLE AnimateActors.cxx )
      target_link_libraries(AnimateActors PRIVATE ${VTK_LIBRARIES})
    else ()
      # include all components
      add_executable(AnimateActors MACOSX_BUNDLE AnimateActors.cxx )
      target_link_libraries(AnimateActors PRIVATE ${VTK_LIBRARIES})
      # vtk_module_autoinit is needed
      vtk_module_autoinit(
        TARGETS AnimateActors
        MODULES ${VTK_LIBRARIES}
        )
    endif ()

### Download and Build AnimateActors

Click here to download AnimateActors and its CMakeLists.txt file. Once the tarball AnimateActors.tar has been downloaded and extracted,

    cd AnimateActors/build

If VTK is installed:

    cmake ..

If VTK is not installed but compiled on your system, you will need to specify the path to your VTK build:

    cmake -DVTK_DIR:PATH=/home/me/vtk_build ..

Build the project:

    make

and run it:

    ./AnimateActors

WINDOWS USERS

Be sure to add the VTK bin directory to your path. This will resolve the VTK dll's at run time.