[Pw_forum] On making a *.axsf file with XCrySDen

[Axel Kohlmeyer]

On Mon, 13 Oct 2008, Paul M. Grant wrote:

PG> Thanks, again, Axel.
PG> 
PG> You probably know ImageMagick can be incorporated into XCrySDen, along with
PG> the "animation tools" Whirlgif and mpeg_encode.  However, the latter two
PG> will not be "raised" by XCrySDen unless the file type is axsf.  You're
PG> suggestion to use ImageMagick is a good one and I'll have a look.
PG> 
PG> BTW, it seems there's a plethora of mpeg screen capture tools for Linux...go
PG> have a look at:
PG> http://www.linux.com/feature/38221

xvidcap looks like the application that i had initially in mind
(basically an extended version of the X11 standard tool "xwd")
with some conversion and audio export integrated directly. due to
its nature, it may have problems dumping the output of OpenGL 
windows, but if that works (which is most likely the case if you 
don't have a fully 3d-accelerated OpenGL card (nvidia or ati/amd) 
with the corresponding vendor provided driver), it should be more
efficient as imagemagick's import. 

the vnc method is interesting, but actually not that surprising,
since vnc does export whole desktops and one just has to dump the
(compressed) data simply to a file and then decode and convert it
after the fact. i'm actually using VNC right now to have the desktop 
of my laptop exported to my desktop (i'm writing mails almost 
exclusively from the laptop). vnc only supports minimal OpenGL 
functionality, too.

cheers,
   axel.

p.s.: as shown on the xvidcap homepage. using screen captures generated
like this could be a very interesting way to add to a potential on-line
tutorial for Q-E and make Q-E tutorials possible for larger/diverse 
groups  as people can study at their own pace, and have demonstrations 
repeated as many times as they wish, without wearing out the patience 
of the tutor. ;-)

PG> 
PG> -Paul
PG> 
PG> Paul M. Grant, PhD
PG> Principal, W2AGZ Technologies
PG> Visiting Scholar, Applied Physics, Stanford (2005-2008)
PG> EPRI Science Fellow (Retired)
PG> IBM Research Staff Member Emeritus
PG> w2agz at pacbell.net
PG> http://www.w2agz.com
PG>  
PG>  
PG> 
PG> 
PG> -----Original Message-----
PG> From: pw_forum-bounces at pwscf.org [mailto:pw_forum-bounces at pwscf.org] On
PG> Behalf Of Axel Kohlmeyer
PG> Sent: Monday, October 13, 2008 2:15 PM
PG> To: Paul M. Grant
PG> Cc: PWSCF Forum
PG> Subject: Re: [Pw_forum] On making a *.axsf file with XCrySDen
PG> 
PG> On Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 12:53 AM, Paul M. Grant <w2agz at pacbell.net> wrote:
PG> > Axel, thanks for getting back on this.  Let me think about your suggestion
PG> > and see what others have to comment as well.
PG> >
PG> > Reflecting on "animation" in general a little more, I wonder if there's a
PG> > Linux screen capture tool available somewhere analogous to KDE Ksnapshot
PG> for
PG> > jpeg images, but which could capture motion in addition resulting in an
PG> mpeg
PG> > file.  Now that would be a handy and nifty gadget for lots of purposes!
PG> 
PG> paul,
PG> 
PG> to follow up on this. something along those lines already _does_ exist.
PG> 
PG> the "import" utility of ImageMagick allows to make automated sequences
PG> of snapshots of any given window or screen area of any x11 desktop it
PG> can access.
PG> 
PG> to get a movie, all you have to do is:
PG> 
PG> - start xcrysden and set up what you want to monitor.
PG> - launch xwininfo from an xterm and click on the xcrysden window
PG>   to get its window id, e.g. 0x3200045
PG> - launch: import -snaps 20 -pause 1 -window 0x3200045 snap.jpg
PG> - this will produce 20 snapshots of that window, one per second
PG>   named snap-1.jpg snap-2.jpg and so on...
PG> to make a gif animation: convert snap-?.jpg snap-??.jpg snaps-movie.gif
PG> to make an mpeg-1 movie you should make snapshots more frequently and
PG> use, e.g, ppmtompeg (i can send you a parameter file and some info on how
PG> to script using it).
PG> 
PG> this is all a bit clumsy and should be adapted to your specific needs.
PG> one could even consider integrating it into xcrysden at some point. the
PG> the nice thing is, that there is no hacking of low level code involved,
PG> which would be most important if speed up the capture needs to be
PG> improved.
PG> 
PG> cheers,
PG>      axel.
PG> 
PG> 
PG> 
PG> 
PG> 
PG> 
PG> 
PG> >
PG> > Paul M. Grant, PhD
PG> > Principal, W2AGZ Technologies
PG> > Visiting Scholar, Applied Physics, Stanford (2005-2008)
PG> > EPRI Science Fellow (Retired)
PG> > IBM Research Staff Member Emeritus
PG> > w2agz at pacbell.net
PG> > http://www.w2agz.com
PG> >
PG> >
PG> >
PG> >
PG> 
PG> 
PG> 

-- 
=======================================================================
Axel Kohlmeyer   akohlmey at cmm.chem.upenn.edu   http://www.cmm.upenn.edu
   Center for Molecular Modeling   --   University of Pennsylvania
Department of Chemistry, 231 S.34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6323
tel: 1-215-898-1582,  fax: 1-215-573-6233,  office-tel: 1-215-898-5425
=======================================================================
If you make something idiot-proof, the universe creates a better idiot.