ePLA (externe PLA) XL6.3, 6CE+, XL7, XL8 Win, Mac, OSX	[home] [deutsche Version] [Impressum] [Datenschutz]
[Documentation] [Freeware] [Full version] [registered updates] [Version history ] [new registration code of XL7]

Documentation Problem Animations that were created in Poser can be exported as an OBJ-Sequence, which creates a folder with a corresponding number of files. These files can be imported into Cinema4D, and can be recombined into an animation via Morph or PLA.

New in V1.3 OSX / 6CE+ / XL8 Support

Problem 1: Memory
A figure that is saved as an OBJ requires about 3MB. A 30 second sequence with 25 pictures per second generates 750 files (>2GB storage). Storing these 750 files as one Morph sequence in a C4D file generates a 1GB file, which requires 1 GB RAM to read in. Do you have that much memory? The same animation sequence requires only 195 MB when saved as a PLA, leaving you with enough memory for the scene, textures and other figures!

Problem 2: Time
If it takes 10 seconds to import a file and generate a key, it will take you 2 hours and 5 minutes for all 750 files - assuming you don't make any mistakes.

Solution: ePLA
ePLA manages Poser-animations and only provides those data to Cinema that are needed at the current time. All other data are kept on the hard disk - compressed (3MB-->260kB) and ready. Neither the size of the C4D-file nor its memory requirement increase if you decide to extend the animation to 10 minutes.

Procedure

1. Export from Poser
2. Transformation into ept-data
3. Animation

1. Export from Poser

Export the animation as a sequence of a given length. The following settings are a good starting point.

The resulting folder contains many OBJ files (NameNumber.obj).

2. Transformation into ept-data

ept is an abreviation for 'external points'. The new coordinates of the points of an object are stored in these files. The principle is like a PLA - with the following limitations:

• ept-data can only be used for objects with identical numbers of points
• textures are not morphed, but this doesn't mean that a dress of an attractive woman does not follow her movements (since the texture coordinates are not modified)

Generally one can say that anything that can be done with PLA will also work with ePLA.
Two tools are available for conversion.

2.1 ePLA Exporter (freeware)

Import an OBJ-file. You obtain a Polygon object. If you activate it, you can choose the ePLA exporter in the Plugin menu. You can now choose a file name. If you create a folder figure.ept, you can store all ept-files of your figure there. An alternative is to group several Polygon objects in a Null object. In the ePLA exporter, you can then choose a folder in which all grouped objects will be stored as individual ept files, wtih file names corresponding to the objects' names.

2.2 ePLA Converter (Full version)

Create a folder for the ept files, and choose the ePLA converter in the plugin menu. Enter the name of the folder with the many OBJ files (source) and the ept folder (target). The complete folder will then be automatically converted - while you are free to enjoy life.

3. Animation

Import an OBJ file to obtain a Polygon objekt, which could be texturized if you wish.

If you are using the freeware version, you can create a new track (Plugin - Track / ePLA) in the time line. Use these tracks as usual. If you create or edit a key, you can select an ept file. Be careful to only select ept files that actually belong to this figure.

The laborious setting of individual keys can be automated in the Full version. Activate the Polygon objekt and select the ePLA TrackFiller in the plugin menu. Select the folder which contains the associated ept files. A complete animation track will then appear in the time line. The keys are sorted alphabetically according to the file names. This is the reason behind the naming convention NameNumber.ept . The ePLA converter automatically uses the names of the OBJ files (NameNumber.obj).

Example

Poser data: 97MB ePLA Data: 8MB c4d file: <1MB Animation: Cinepak bsp.mov (200kB) Cinepak bsp.avi (200kB) Sorenson bspsor.mov (40kB)

XL8 News

I have change the internal data format. You must reasign the key data if you load an old scene. In the ePLA sequence you must enter the path and in the ePLA keys only the filename.

Freeware

The unregistered version runs automaticly as Freeware.

With the Freeware-Version, individual Polygon objects or groups of Polygon objects can be stored as ept files, and animated in the ePLA animation track in the time line.

Content:

Full version

The complete version expands the functionality of the freeware version to allow a fully automatic conversion of complete folders, including the creation of a corresponding animation track.

Content:

Registered updates

new Cinema serial number?--> new registration code

You can enter the registration key or copy the file "register.txt" in the new folder.

		CINEMA 4D XL
		Plugins
			ePLA
				...
				register.txt	<-- please copy this file into the new folder or enter your old registration key in the dialog box
				res
				strings_de
				strings_us

Version history

1.3b (3/24/2004)
- Bugfixing for XL6, 6ce and XL7 (animation in render mode)

1.3
- OSX, 6CE+, XL8 Support
- changes in the internal data format

1.2 full version
- TrackFiller create now keys with path ;-)

1.1 Free- und full version
- english version
- cross-platform compatible
full version
- Converter: ept-files have the extension ept