Indeed : you have to install python, then pywin32 and wxPython, and just trying to find the correct compatible versions on the web is a hassle.

So I decided to have a look on py2exe and other tools to “build” python scripts.

This post will deal with all my researches, and will be often updated.

It doesn’t intend to be a tutorial at all.

1. Start point
2. msvcr90, msvcp90
3. the r6034 error and the manifest

Start point

Good urls to start with :

• http://www.py2exe.org/index.cgi/Tutorial
• http://www.blog.pythonlibrary.org/2010/07/31/a-py2exe-tutorial-build-a-binary-series/

In the simple sample provided with py2exe, the test_wx.py is using the obsolete writing of wxPython.
The one in the singlefile sample is good though.

The magic words are :

python.exe setup.py py2exe

The DLL msvcp90 and msvcr90

Those files are required when you want to create a build of a tool using wxPython.

There’s a question of rights to share those files. I frankly don’t know  if I have them  (actually I doubt it) , the solution is to make the user download them via vcredist_x86.exe .

Apparently, you should not download the SP1 version. I don’t really know why.

 The R6034 error

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1153643/how-do-i-debug-a-py2exe-application-failed-to-initialize-properly-error

msvcr90.dll Manifest (publicKeyToken, version)

Edit the manifest part in setup.py and put the correct values (given in Microsoft.VC90.CRT.manifest)

MemoryLoadLibrary

ImportError: MemoryLoadLibrary failed loading win32api.pyd

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1979486/py2exe-win32api-pyc-importerror-dll-load-failed

So the setup.py should look like :

setup(
     options = {"py2exe": {"compressed": 1,
                 "optimize": 2,
                 "ascii": 1,
                 "bundle_files": 1,
                 "dll_excludes": [ "mswsock.dll", "powrprof.dll" ]}},
     zipfile = None,
     windows = [CameraMixer]
)

Still questions

In setup.py, what does RT_MANIFEST = 24 mean ?

It will act as a notepad where I’ll be sharing informations and research about the different projects I’m working on, whether it is 3D setup or scripting.

Operational :

- Real time playing
- File Open/Save
- Export the mix to 3dsmax’s batch renderer
- Save a preview of the whole mix
- Usual UI controls : snap, delete/repace, mute/solo, move track up/down

0.2 planned features :
- Make the worksheet scalable
- Create an After FX composition
- Manage background image sequences

The tool is here : Camera Mixer
Camera Mixer on Scriptspot

The last project I worked on contained 8 cameras (for 8 plans), it was a layout single maxfile that was given to me, I had to create the final animations.

But then I started thinking about the layout creation itself.

The workflow is this one :

• Use camera name patterns :  CameraName startFrame – endFrame (“Plan01 0 – 150″, “Plan02 0 – 50″)
• Create previews as jpg sequence, one for each camera
• Import and Edit the sequences with Premiere/After FX/Whatever
• Compile and Check the result

Issues :

• Each time the animation is corrected (cameras or actors), the user has to regenerate the preview of modified sequences, reload them in After/Premiere, and compile the whole project to see the result.
• Each time a camera frame range is modified, you have to correctly rename it to maintain the project homogenous

This is annoying. That’s why I started developing  Camera Mixer for 3dsmax.

It’s kind of a track mixing tool : it has an independant timeline (the equivalent of the film editing software one), in which you can set the sequence of the different cameras of the scene.

The features will be as follow  :

• Editing of the camera sequences
• Real time playing
• File sequence preview for not realtime playable scenes
• Load/Save of mix files
• Export a composition for After FX

The tool is developed using python, wxWidgets, and maxscript. Stay tuned.

It is possible to isolate tracks (e.g. only one morpher target), but to do this, you have to right click the value, choose Show in Trackview, right click again then collect parameter, and finally deal with the Parameter Collector options. This is not very comfortable, especially if it’s for a one-shot use of the Parameter Collector.

Isolate Track popups a rollout that displays all the animatable tracks of the current modifier stack selection, and quickly isolates the selected track keyframes in the timeline.
Once executed, you can find the macro in the category “MrPingouin_Toolkit”.

Press ‘F’ while playing to go fullscreen.

The tool is here : Isolate Track
Isolate Track on scriptspot

The music is by  Grace Valhalla – Voodoo Lounge

It automatically switches to a viewport designated by the user when animation playback starts, and switches back to the previously working viewport once the animation stops.

That might sounds a little weird, but they’ve designed a very comfortable workflow, especially when your viewport layout looks like : Facial Rig + Overall scene view + Final Camera view (the interesting one).

This way, you don’t have to change viewports yourself (twice, before and after playback) each time you want to check your animation.

You can download the tool here : PlaybackViewport.ms

Playback Viewport on scriptspot

The rig you can see in the screenshot is Dee, a really fun- to-animate character made by Manuel Sierra.

The Indigenes post-production team was composed of six gfx artists.

I worked there as a Tech-Animator.

I was principaly in charge of rigging, animation, and the development of pipeline tools for crowd management, particles effects, tracking and rendering.

Fast Positioning Tool add this interactivity, and two others tools : some kind of a Z-drop, and attraction/repulsion from a center node.

As the adage says  : A short demo video is worth a thousand words

The music was found on free music website Jamendo, its name is Balrog Boogie, by Diablo Swing Orchestra.

I’ll publish the code in a few hours, and record the video in a better quality.