kinoje

Version 0.1. Subject to backwards-incompatible changes without notice.

kinoje is a templating-based animation tool. A provided template is filled out once for each frame of the animation; the result of the template expansion is used to create a still image; and the resulting sequence of images is compiled into the finished movie.

Quick Start

The following are required:

• Python 2.7 — to run the script
• PyYAML and Jinja2 — to fill out the templates
• something to create images from filled-out templates — typically POV-Ray or Inkscape
• ffmpeg or ImageMagick — to compile the images into a movie file

You might also find VLC useful, for viewing the final movie file.

On Ubuntu 16.04, you can install these with:

pip install --user Jinja2 PyYAML
sudo apt install povray povray-includes inkscape ffmpeg imagemagick vlc

You can then run the tool from the repository directory like so:

bin/kinoje eg/moebius.yaml

Since no output filename was given, kinoje assumes MP4 format and automatically picks a reasonable filename, in this case moebius.mp4.

You can also ask it to create a GIF by specifying an output filename with that as its file extension:

bin/kinoje eg/squares.yaml -o squares.gif --duration=2.0

File Format

The input YAML file must contain, at the minimum, a key called template giving a string (typically a multi-line string) in Jinja2 syntax, which will be filled out once for each frame.

The context with which it will be filled out is constructed as follows:

• t is a floating point value which will vary from 0.0 on the first frame to 1.0 on the last frame. It is this value which will typically drive the animation. For example, if the animation consists of moving a circle from x=0 to x=10, the part of the template which gives the x co-ordinate of the circle would be written as {{ t * 10.0 }}.

  And actually this is not 100% true. t would be 1.0 on the frame after the last frame which, by definition, is never rendered. On the last frame, it is 1.0 less a small value, which we could call the t-delta, and which varies based on the duration and the frame rate.

• math, which is Python's math module, and which can be used to access functions such as sin.

• tween, which is a function which is currently undocumented.

• fmod, which is a function which is currently undocumented.

Other configuration options:

• duration gives the duration, in seconds, to make the movie. If omitted, it needs to be supplied on the command-line with the --duration option.

No further documentation on how to use the tool will be given, as it is all very subject to change right now.