Feature Request: FreeCAD for making presentations.

[jmaustpc]

If you wanted images to insert into a presentation application document, you could use screen capture and Tools menu...Save Picture.

You can also now (as of a few days ago, thanks Werner!) in FreeCAD 0.19, export to html5 webGL so that a 3d model can be viewed, rotated, zoomed etc. in any modern web browser.

[jruiz]

If you wanted images to insert into a presentation application document, you could use screen capture and Tools menu...Save Picture.

You can also now (as of a few days ago, thanks Werner!) in FreeCAD 0.19, export to html5 webGL so that a 3d model can be viewed, rotated, zoomed etc. in any modern web browser.

Thank you very much for your answer.
But it is not what I was requesting.
Thanks again.

[easyw-fc]

...
What I think that could be a good feature for FreeCAD is that:

1. One could select a set of these objects, and sorting a sequence we decide in order for this objects to be shown and/or hidden as we wish.
2. Then after entering into presentation mode, with just (for example) a mouse click, the objects would be shown and/or hidden in the sequence configured in item 1.

It should be possible to write such a playbook as macro with even minimal Python knowledge.

I tried to simply make some simple operations like toggle visibility of objects and change placement... these will generate some python code in the report panel.
The problem is that if I execute the code, everything is executed immediately, and the result is to show simply last operation result.
I tried to add some delay

Code: Select all

sleep(1)

instruction among the different operations, but the FC freezes until again the last operation result is shown...
So it seems to me that it is not possible ATM to create a simple timed presentation of a 3D operation sequence.
Suggestions would be most welcome.

[easyw-fc]

ping

Hi Werner,
I'm trying to create a timed sequence of presenting a 3D model using python code...
I've used for the example a simple code generated in the report panel doing some very simple operations.
If I put the code in a macro and execute it (i.e. from the Toolbar) I get simply the last operation displayed on Linux and some step on win, and the last view...

I tried to add some sleep(1) op to obtain a timed sequence but it simply hangs until displaying the last operation result...

Code: Select all

import time
Gui.runCommand('Std_Workbench',11)
Gui.runCommand('Std_ViewStatusBar',1)
### Begin command Std_New
App.newDocument("Unnamed")
# App.setActiveDocument("Unnamed")
# App.ActiveDocument=App.getDocument("Unnamed")
# Gui.ActiveDocument=Gui.getDocument("Unnamed")
Gui.activeDocument().activeView().viewDefaultOrientation()
### End command Std_New
Gui.runCommand('Std_OrthographicCamera',1)
### Begin command Part_Box
App.ActiveDocument.addObject("Part::Box","Box")
App.ActiveDocument.ActiveObject.Label = "Cube"
App.ActiveDocument.recompute()
Gui.SendMsgToActiveView("ViewFit")
### End command Part_Box
# Gui.Selection.addSelection('Unnamed','Box')
### Begin command Std_RandomColor
Gui.getDocument('Unnamed').getObject('Box').ShapeColor=(0.61,0.96,0.07)
time.sleep(1)
### End command Std_RandomColor
### Begin command Part_Cylinder
App.ActiveDocument.addObject("Part::Cylinder","Cylinder")
App.ActiveDocument.ActiveObject.Label = "Cylinder"
App.ActiveDocument.recompute()
Gui.SendMsgToActiveView("ViewFit")
### End command Part_Cylinder
# Gui.Selection.clearSelection()
# Gui.Selection.addSelection('Unnamed','Cylinder')
### Begin command Std_RandomColor
Gui.getDocument('Unnamed').getObject('Cylinder').ShapeColor=(0.88,0.65,0.32)
time.sleep(1)
### End command Std_RandomColor
FreeCAD.getDocument('Unnamed').getObject('Cylinder').Placement = App.Placement(App.Vector(0,0,5),App.Rotation(App.Vector(0,0,1),0))
time.sleep(1)
# Gui.Selection.clearSelection()
### Begin command Std_ViewIsometric
Gui.activeDocument().activeView().viewIsometric()
### End command Std_ViewIsometric
time.sleep(1)
FreeCAD.getDocument('Unnamed').getObject('Box').Placement = App.Placement(App.Vector(0,0,0),App.Rotation(App.Vector(0,0,1),45))
# Gui.Selection.clearSelection()
# Gui.Selection.addSelection('Unnamed','Box')
FreeCADGui.getDocument('Unnamed').getObject('Box').Transparency = 50
time.sleep(1)
# Gui.Selection.clearSelection()
# Gui.Selection.addSelection('Unnamed','Cylinder')
FreeCADGui.getDocument('Unnamed').getObject('Cylinder').Transparency = 70
# Gui.Selection.clearSelection()

Is there a way to create a timed sequence of 3D operation or we would need to create a macro that reads and plays timed some code snippets?

[wmayer]

Adding a call of sleep() won't work because it blocks the event loop. In order to get an animated move between camera positions you should enable the animation of the view.

Code: Select all

view=Gui.ActiveDocument.ActiveView
view.setAnimationEnabled(True)

for more advanced things have a look at Qt's animation framework: https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/animation-overview.html

[digitalgoose]

ping

Hi Werner,
I'm trying to create a timed sequence of presenting a 3D model using python code...
I've used for the example a simple code generated in the report panel doing some very simple operations.
If I put the code in a macro and execute it (i.e. from the Toolbar) I get simply the last operation displayed on Linux and some step on win, and the last view...

I tried to add some sleep(1) op to obtain a timed sequence but it simply hangs until displaying the last operation result...

Code: Select all

import time
Gui.runCommand('Std_Workbench',11)
Gui.runCommand('Std_ViewStatusBar',1)
### Begin command Std_New
App.newDocument("Unnamed")
# App.setActiveDocument("Unnamed")
# App.ActiveDocument=App.getDocument("Unnamed")
# Gui.ActiveDocument=Gui.getDocument("Unnamed")
Gui.activeDocument().activeView().viewDefaultOrientation()
### End command Std_New
Gui.runCommand('Std_OrthographicCamera',1)
### Begin command Part_Box
App.ActiveDocument.addObject("Part::Box","Box")
App.ActiveDocument.ActiveObject.Label = "Cube"
App.ActiveDocument.recompute()
Gui.SendMsgToActiveView("ViewFit")
### End command Part_Box
# Gui.Selection.addSelection('Unnamed','Box')
### Begin command Std_RandomColor
Gui.getDocument('Unnamed').getObject('Box').ShapeColor=(0.61,0.96,0.07)
time.sleep(1)
### End command Std_RandomColor
### Begin command Part_Cylinder
App.ActiveDocument.addObject("Part::Cylinder","Cylinder")
App.ActiveDocument.ActiveObject.Label = "Cylinder"
App.ActiveDocument.recompute()
Gui.SendMsgToActiveView("ViewFit")
### End command Part_Cylinder
# Gui.Selection.clearSelection()
# Gui.Selection.addSelection('Unnamed','Cylinder')
### Begin command Std_RandomColor
Gui.getDocument('Unnamed').getObject('Cylinder').ShapeColor=(0.88,0.65,0.32)
time.sleep(1)
### End command Std_RandomColor
FreeCAD.getDocument('Unnamed').getObject('Cylinder').Placement = App.Placement(App.Vector(0,0,5),App.Rotation(App.Vector(0,0,1),0))
time.sleep(1)
# Gui.Selection.clearSelection()
### Begin command Std_ViewIsometric
Gui.activeDocument().activeView().viewIsometric()
### End command Std_ViewIsometric
time.sleep(1)
FreeCAD.getDocument('Unnamed').getObject('Box').Placement = App.Placement(App.Vector(0,0,0),App.Rotation(App.Vector(0,0,1),45))
# Gui.Selection.clearSelection()
# Gui.Selection.addSelection('Unnamed','Box')
FreeCADGui.getDocument('Unnamed').getObject('Box').Transparency = 50
time.sleep(1)
# Gui.Selection.clearSelection()
# Gui.Selection.addSelection('Unnamed','Cylinder')
FreeCADGui.getDocument('Unnamed').getObject('Cylinder').Transparency = 70
# Gui.Selection.clearSelection()

Is there a way to create a timed sequence of 3D operation or we would need to create a macro that reads and plays timed some code snippets?

I'm sure there's a much better way, but here is a simple example that doesn't block the main thread:

Code: Select all

def toggle_vis(time_to_wait_secs, object_list):
    for object_to_toggle in object_list:
        object_vis_state = object_to_toggle.Visibility
        new_object_vis_state = not object_vis_state 
        object_to_toggle.Visibility = new_object_vis_state #toggle
        time.sleep(time_to_wait_secs)
        object_to_toggle.Visibility = object_vis_state #toggle back
        time.sleep(time_to_wait_secs) 
time_to_wait_secs = 1
threading.Thread(target=toggle_vis, args=(time_to_wait_secs, object_list)).start()