Configuring and Loading an Animation

Candera Animation Concept

The following key concepts are required to run animations in a Candera application:

Candera::Animation::AnimationPlayer provides the control interfaces (use Candera::Animation::AnimationGroupPlayer for animation groups)
Candera::Animation::AnimationTimeDispatcher dispatches the current world time to animations; animations can also query the current world time from the dispatcher
Candera::Animation::AnimationKeyframeSequence configures proper animation values for each time point of an animation.
Candera::Animation::InterpolationStrategy specifies for a key frame sequence, how values between several key frames shall be calculated.
Candera::Animation::AnimationPropertySetter applies animation values to animated properties

In SceneComposer, animations can be configured in the AnimationDesign view:

Create a new animation - New Animation in SceneComposer User Manual
Select a node property to animate - Add Animated Property in SceneComposer User Manual
Specify the key frame sequence including property values and interpolation strategy - Animation Values in SceneComposer User Manual

It is also possible to import an animation to SceneComposer from a content generation tool via FBX format - Import FBX in SceneComposer User Manual

Animation Player Example

As an example, refer to

the animation tutorial solution in \cgi_studio_player\content\Tutorials\06_AnimationManipulation
as well as the AnimationPlayerWidget in \cgi_studio_player\LightPlayer\src\Widgets\Tutorial\AnimationPlayerWidget

Configuring Animation Player

In the Player or in an application, the animation can be retrieved from the generated asset by specifying its Candera name (e.g. MyModule#Animations#Animation).

    AssetProvider* assetProvider = GetAssetProvider();
    m_animPlayer = assetProvider->GetAnimation(m_animName);

: In SceneComposer the animation can be retrieved from AssetProvider only if it was previously loaded in the scene. A better way to access it directly is to define it as a widget property.

                // Define Animation property
                CdaProperty(Animation,Candera::Animation::AnimationPlayer::SharedPointer, GetAnimation, SetAnimation)
                    CdaDescription("Animation")
                CdaPropertyEnd()
                // End Define Animation property

Next, as already explained in Initializing AssetLoader and Animations, an instance of Candera::Animation::AnimationTimeDispatcher is needed to provide current world time to animations.

For this, the new animation player must be added to the Candera::Animation::AnimationTimeDispatcher instance maintained by the application.

        // Add player to time dispatcher

        Animation::AnimationTimeDispatcher::SharedPointer timeDispatcher = GetAnimationTimeDispatcher();
        if (timeDispatcher == 0) {
            return;
        }
        static_cast<void>(timeDispatcher->AddPlayer(m_animPlayer));

        // End Add player to time dispatcher

Now the animation player is ready to be used.