scatter data Tweet

[pfrancke]

I'm trying to understand what the numbers mean in a scatter file. For instance (pun intended) on the Poser plug-in file, if I specify 10 instances, I find that looking at the data with notepad I can see 10 rows and each row has 12 numbers in it. For example, if we only had one instance (meaning 12 entries) what would the first number mean?

I ask because when I look at the Octane manual, I would have guessed that each instance had 3 sets of 12 numbers where the first set would be rotation, the second set scale, and the third set translation. So I am confused.

Based on what I'm seeing though, I would guess:
number 1 X rotation
number 2 Y rotation
number 3 Z rotation
number 4 unknown
number 5 X scale
number 6 Y scale
number 7 Z scale
number 8 unknown
number 9 X translation
number 10 Y translation
number 11 Z translation
number 12 unknown

If we knew how to align/understand the columns, we could easily using a text editor, move things around within the scatter numbers.
Also, it would be easy to duplicate and change lines and get instance patterns we might be interested in.

Any help would be much appreciated!!!
Thanks,
Piet

[face_off]

Hi Piet

Each line represents 1 instance of the geometry. The 12 number are a 4x4 transformation matrix, without the final row (ie. 4x3) - see http://render.otoy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=22581&p=100608&hilit=rappet#p100608 and http://render.otoy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=22508&start=20 for details. You can use a spreadsheet to build a transform file, and there is a sample spreadsheet available at http://render.otoy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=22508&start=120.

Paul

[pfrancke]

thank you Paul,

those links are excellent. I can see that this is very much over my head and that for the most part those numbers are the results of trig equations. However, it is nice to know that there are (if I read everything right) three "easy" numbers.
Number 4 = translation X
Number 8 = translation Y
Number 12 = translation Z

Piet