User`s guide

4 MATLAB Interface

4-28

Record Animations for Unconnected Virtual Worlds

This topic describes how to programmatically record animation files for virtual worlds

that are not associated with Simulink models (in other words, from the MATLAB

interface). In this instance, you must specify the relationship between the events that

change the virtual world state and the time in the animation file. This requirement

is different from virtual worlds associated with Simulink models. Virtual worlds

that are controlled completely from the MATLAB interface have no default, intuitive

interpretation of time relation between MATLAB environment models and virtual

scenes.

Note Many engineering time-dependent problems are modeled and solved in MATLAB.

For those that have meaningful visual representation, you can create virtual reality

models and animate their solutions. In addition, the offline animation time can represent

any independent variable along which you can observe and visualize a model solution.

Using offline animation files can bring the communication of such engineering problem

resolutions to new levels. The Simulink 3D Animation example vrheat (heat transfer

visualization) is an example of a time-dependent problem modeled and solved in

MATLAB. Its modified version, vrheat_anim, shows the use of the programming

technique described in this topic.

To record animation files for virtual worlds that are not associated with Simulink

models, note the following guidelines. You should be an advanced Simulink 3D

Animation user.

• Retrieve the vrworld object handle of the virtual scene that you want to record.

• To record 2-D animations,

Retrieve the corresponding vrfigure object. For 2-D animations, the Simulink

3D Animation software records exactly what you see in the viewer window.

Because 2-D animations record exactly what you see in the Simulink 3D

Animation Viewer window, the properties that control 2-D file recording belong to

vrfigure objects.

Set the Record2D vrfigure property.

To override default filenames for animation files, set the vrfigure

Record2DFileName property.

• To create 3-D animation files,