Extensions:2.6/Py/Scripts/Animation/ARewO

Animation Replicator with Offset

ARewO
Generate copies of animated objects and offsets them in time and space

UI location	Toolshelf
Usage	Animation
Version	0.8	Author(s)	Frederik Steinmetz
Blender	2.70.0	License	GPL
Category	Animation	Distribution	Extern
Note(s)	_

Executable information

File name	Arewo.py
Current version download	[1]
Python modules	bpy
External Python Modules or dependencies	_
Data	_

Warning	_
Links	_
Known Issues	_

ARewO stands for "Animation Replicator with Offset" and is a nice little tool for motion graphics-style animations. It's like an array modifier supporting per-object animations and even armatures! Additionally you can have great control over where the copies will be placed (e.g. along a path) and even offset their animation. A detailed HowTo can be found in this video tutorial.

Installation

• Download the script then copy it into your \\.blender\scripts\addons folder.
• Or go to the Addons panel (File -> Preferences, Addon tab) chose import from file and navigate to the Arewo.py
• Activate it by going to animation -> Arewo and tick the checkbox.

Once enabled you will find and ARewO Tab in your tool shelf (T-Menu) as long as you are in Object Mode. In this Tab you will find 6 new buttons, let's go through them one by one. If you have an object selected, you can click on Linear Offset. The operator allows for the following options:

• Iterations: Specifies the number of copies you will get (original plus 4 copies equals 5 Monkeys).
• Offset Frames: How many frames the animation of the next copy will be offset (delayed) in frames.
• Random Offset: Adds or subtracts a random number of frames until the next offset. E.g. a random value of 10 will result in the next animation starting up to +/- 5 frames offset from the above specified number of frames.
• Location / Rotation are fairly self explanatory, however have a look at this part to learn more about how they work internally.
• Create Parent: this will create a parent object at the origin for all your generated copies. You can then easily change their world position / scale / rotation.

To enable the Object Offset button you will have to chose a placer object. This is typically an Empty that has been animated. You will also have to select an active mesh object. If you chose to use Object Offset, the copies of your Mesh will be placed wherever the empty is in the subsequent frames. The operator allows for the following options:

• Iterations: Specifies the number of copies you will get (original plus 4 copies equals 5 Monkeys).
• Offset Frames: How many frames the animation of the next copy will be offset (delayed) in frames.
• Random Offset: Adds or subtracts a random number of frames until the next offset. E.g. a random value of 10 will result in the next animation starting up to +/- 5 frames offset from the above specified number of frames.
• Start frame: This refers to the animation of the placer object. Let's say you're happy with the animation since frame 5, you will set your start frame to 5 and your chain of objects will start wherever your placer is at frame 5.
• Spacing: Maybe your placer's animation turned out to slow. You can choose to skip frames in that animation spacing your copies further apart.
• Inherit Scale: You can animate your placer's scale, and gain very fine control on how large which copy is going to be.
• Inherit Rotation: You can also animate your placer's rotation, including it's direction change along a path, to gain control over how your copies will be arranged.
• Create Parent: this will create a parent object at the origin for all your generated copies. You can then easily change their world position / scale / rotation.
• Hide Render: The original object will usually not be needed in the final render, since the copies are exactly where the placer was. Therefore hiding it is on by default. Note: the copies will have show render enabled, independent of your original object, just in case you forgot that it was hidden from a previous test.

The Armature Offset can handle any kind of object, as long as it is parented to an armature that is also selected. It also includes modifiers. You will get the options with the Armature operator as with the Object Offset above.

Speed Up Tools

Since the Armature Offset is significantly slower than the Object Offset, you can increase the speed by disabling all modifiers. It will leave armature modifiers untouched as well as rendersettings. Enable Modifiers will enable the viewport visibility of all modifiers on all selected objects. The Apply Modifier button is supposed for multi-user objects only. Since you can't apply a modifier to a multi-user object, this button will apply the modifier on your active object and transfer the modifications to the mesh of all objects sharing this datablock. This speeds up render time if compared to leaving all modifiers when rendering.

Note: Linear Offset can handle location keyframes, but Object Offset and Armature Offset can not. If you want to animate locations, you will have to either animated the delta location of your object, or the location of a parent bone in Pose Mode.