Can I Create a Waving Cilium Sequence with Software?

  • Thread starter Thread starter DaveC426913
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the creation of a sequence of 2D still frames depicting a waving cilium within a confined space. Participants explore various software options and artistic techniques for rendering the animation, including both free tools and manual methods.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a desire to create a sequence of 2D frames of a waving cilium and seeks software recommendations, mentioning the possibility of others rendering it for them.
  • Another participant suggests using a sine wave drawing technique and mentions the software Paint.NET for video editing, noting it is free.
  • A different participant, who has artistic skills and animation training, indicates that their current sketches lack smoothness and balance several elements, including curvature and fluid volume constraints.
  • One participant speculates that the original poster might want to generate the animation from a 3D raytraced model and recommends using POV-Ray and VirtualDub for this purpose.
  • The original poster clarifies that a simple 2D representation is sufficient and expresses a need for the shape to be refined further.
  • Another participant discusses the challenge of simulating tension and curvature within the confined space and humorously suggests using a camcorder to film a snake for reference.
  • A later reply proposes that if the dynamics can be modeled mathematically, using Matlab and Psychtoolbox could facilitate drawing frames for the animation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants present multiple approaches and tools for creating the animation, but there is no consensus on a single method or software solution. The discussion remains open with various suggestions and techniques proposed.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty regarding the best tools and methods for achieving the desired animation quality, and there are unresolved aspects related to the specific artistic and technical requirements of the project.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in animation, particularly in biological or fluid dynamics contexts, as well as those looking for software recommendations for creating 2D animations.

DaveC426913
Gold Member
2025 Award
Messages
24,488
Reaction score
8,752
I wish to create a sequence of 2D still frames of a waving cilium in a confined space.

I know there's software out there that can do it. I don't know if there's anything free. Or if anyone would be willing to render it for me. It's pretty simple.
 
Computer science news on Phys.org
I would just grab a drawing of a sine wave and nudge it to the right one pixel for each frame of the animation. http://www.getpaint.net/" is an awesome little video editing package that I believe will let you import each image in the sequence as a video frame. (Both free.)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sorry, I haven't been clear. I'm a pretty good artist and do a mean PhotoShop and even studied animation in college, so if it could be done by hand, I'm the one to do it.

But it's not enough...

Aw heck, I can't even begin to describe it... Find a thousand words-worth attached.

The flow in my sketches isn't smooth enough. I'm having to balance several elements such as the consistent curvature of the cilium and the volume of fluid it contains with the constraints of the walls.
 

Attachments

  • PF060822valve-seq.gif
    PF060822valve-seq.gif
    11.2 KB · Views: 436
  • valve2b.gif
    valve2b.gif
    16.4 KB · Views: 478
Your attachments haven't come through yet. But reading between the lines, are you saying you want to generate this from a 3D raytraced model, maybe? If so, http://www.povray.org/" is a popular free tool for that. Between that and VirtualDub you could put together an animation.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
CaptainQuasar said:
Your attachments haven't come through yet. But reading between the lines, are you saying you want to generate this from a 3D raytraced model, maybe? If so, http://www.povray.org/" is a popular free tool for that. Between that and VirtualDub you could put together an animation.
No, 2D simple is fine. In fact, all I need is the shape; I could polish it from there.

I'll see if I can bump the approval for the images.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Oh, I see. You need it to sort of slither around inside the confined space? Yeah, I would think that the tough thing is to simulate the tension and the constraint on the maximum curvature.

I'm entirely amateur at doing this stuff on the cheap so I'm not familiar with the professional tools that might do this. If you can retouch the images I'd almost say get a camcorder and “rent” a snake from a pet shop and build a scale model. Then you'd get to sincerely add “no animals were harmed in the making of this animation” in the credits.
 
If you think you can model the dynamics mathematically, and if you have access to Matlab, then you could draw the frames for the basic animation using http://psychtoolbox.org/wikka.php?wakka=HomePage and copy them to images on disk for further editing.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Similar threads

  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
4K
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
3K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
4K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
2K
  • · Replies 29 ·
Replies
29
Views
4K