MathGroup Archive 1993

[Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index]

Search the Archive

ShowAnimation - problem when using more than twice

  • To: mathgroup at yoda.physics.unc.edu
  • Subject: ShowAnimation - problem when using more than twice
  • From: wilhelms at hip.atr.co.jp
  • Date: Sun, 05 Sep 93 14:08:01 +0900

Among other things like cracking formulae, developing
C code (using CForm[]), where I find mathematica very
useful, I am using it to make short (up to 150 frames)
animation movies of computational results. The animations
consist in showing a deforming solid body, so I use about
60-100 3D polygons for each frame. 
This all works wonderfully when mathematica just does it
the first few times. However, something bumps if one tries
to repeat it in the same session with different data.
This phenomenon looks like a fatique effect:

bl = getAnimationData["file1",....]; (* home made, loads polygon lists *)
ShowAnimation[bl];                   (* works fine*)
bl = getAnimationData["file2",....]; 
ShowAnimation[bl];                   (* works fine*)
bl = getAnimationData["file",....];  
ShowAnimation[bl];                   (* works usually fine*)
.....
etc etc, the file is overwritten by some other 
homemade program that does nothing with mathematica.
.... 
after maybe 3-20 times, I get this:

bl = getAnimationData["file1",....]; 
ShowAnimation[bl];                    (* .... *)

The prompt comes back and the user anxiously awaits the appearance of
the fancy animation window.  Mathematica noodles the disk and
obviously tries to re-arrange memory or whatever. It becomes more and
more quiet after a while. After waiting for as long as I am patient I
finally give up, quit mathematica, and restart it again. Everything
works again. Of course, if the data file was too big, let's say 250
frames, I wouldn't be surprised that mathematica runs out of space for
all the bitmaps, even though this is a sparc 10. If it really runs out
of memory it usually complains, and at least says SOMETHING.  In my
case it just begins too softly sleep away.  What happens? and What can
be done to avoid the big reset every time?

Any advice?  Thanks in advance.

Reiner





  • Prev by Date: Delta functions
  • Next by Date: Getting X11 graphics from Mma on NeXT
  • Previous by thread: Delta functions
  • Next by thread: Getting X11 graphics from Mma on NeXT