Frame numbers into a text object?

Coding Python Support
1

Hi,

I’d really like to print the frame number as a text object within the frame.

I’ve seen these threads:
http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=105575
http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=5288

But I need the frame number as a 3D text object, not as a flat bitmap burned into the render.

I’m no programmer, and have never used Python before - is this difficult?

Thanks,

Tom

PS
The reason for this is: I’m trying to create a series of bar graphs, where each frame will indicate some data in a graph (eg frame 1 = 1% and a small bar, frame 100=100% and a large bar). If I could put the frame number above the bar graphs it would look really nice.

2

Following script sets current frame to text object:


import Blender
from Blender import Text3d, Scene, Window
from Blender.Scene import Render

inEmode = Window.EditMode()
if inEmode: Window.EditMode(0)

scn = Scene.GetCurrent()
ctx = scn.getRenderingContext()
txt = Text3d.Get("Text")
curframe = ctx.currentFrame()

txt.setText(str(curframe))

Window.EditMode(0)
Window.EditMode(1)
if not inEmode:
    Window.EditMode(0)

Blender.Redraw()

Edit as needed.

<edit> I made a tiny example of its usage. See http://bebraw.googlepages.com/animtest08.blend . Enable script links and make sure the text object is selected. Note that it does not work in 2.45 due to a bug. It works in SVN version though as it has been fixed. </edit>

3

That’s really great, thanks - it gave me enough to get going… I looked at some other scripts and added a loop so that each frame would render one by one, then put the number from that loop into the text element… It’s probably a really ugly way of doing it, but it seems to work:


import Blender
from Blender import *
from Blender.Scene import Render

inEmode = Window.EditMode()
if inEmode: Window.EditMode(0) 

scn = Scene.GetCurrent()
context = scn.getRenderingContext()
ctx = scn.getRenderingContext()
txt = Text3d.Get("Text")
curframe = ctx.currentFrame()


for i in range(10):
    txt.setText(str(i))

    Window.EditMode(0)
    Window.EditMode(1)
    if not inEmode:
        Window.EditMode(0)

 
    Render.EnableDispWin()
    context.extensions = True
    context.renderPath = "//myRenderdir/"
    context.sizePreset(Render.PAL169)

 
    context.imageType = Render.TARGA
    context.fps = 15
    context.sFrame = i
    context.eFrame = i
    context.renderAnim()
 
    Render.CloseRenderWindow()
4

Nice to see that you got it to work. :slight_smile: