Introduction

The Vimdrones Designer is an Add-on of Blender that uses for Drone Light Show Flight Path Design. It could create any figures, like second or 3D animation, even with music beats. For its efficiently handling the transformation betwixt drone formations and lighting furnishings, we could focus more on the drone lite show design itself.

Feature Highlights

  • One-click Germination
  • Smart Formation Transform
  • Flight Check to Avert Standoff
  • 3D Animation
  • Rich Color Blueprint
  • Support Multiple file formats Import
  • With Sound Track System to Synchronize
  • Music and Light
  • Easy Marketing Design

Version
Vimdrones Designer (Version: V2.0.9)
Vimdrones Designer (Version: V2.0.8)

System requirements

System requirements for Vimdrones Designer Software:

  • Operating arrangement: Windows 8; Windows x; Mac Os
  • CPU: Intel Cadre i5 or better
  • Memory: Minimum 8 GB of RAM or more
  • Hard bulldoze: SSD 120 GB. Recommended 256GB or more than
  • Network: TCP/IPv4 network stack, WiFi or Ethernet. Recommended Ethernet

Installation

  • Install Blender 2.8 Series or above on your figurer, Mac Bone or Windows，
  • Get Your Designer Software

Download

  • Open up our website Vimdrones,click Login
  • Already has an account, please Sign In. Don't have an account, Please Sign Up and and then Sign In

Vimdrones Designer Installation

  • Select the version Mac Os or Windows to download the software

Vimdrones Designer Installation

Mac

  • Double click the [Vimdrones Designer-x.ten.x.dmg], pull the Vimdrones Designer icon to the Applications file.
  • Double click the icon to open the Vimdrones Designer
    Vimdrones Designer Installation

Active License

  • Type your emaiL and token, click Agile Button Vimdrones Designer Active License

    • Click DOCUMENT to open up Vimdrones Designer Doc
    • Click ABOUT to open our official website

  • Click the file icon on the Upper right corner to open up the Blender Path where y'all installation

  • And then click OPEN BLENDER Button
    Vimdrones Designer Open Blender

    • Click LOGOUT to logout
    • Click CONSOLE to open up the flight cheque console

  • Press Northward to prove/hibernate Properties, it volition shows the Designer tabs(Vehicle, Led, Germination, Flying Check) Vimdrones Designer Open Blender

Pay Attention:

  • Please make certain your device is connected to the network when using Vimdrones Designer
  • It needs to click OPEN BLENDER Push in Vimdrones Designer interface to open up Blender
  • If you have multiple versions of Blender, please add the its name in Blender path

Vimdrones Designer Open Blender

Getting started Blender

  • Open Blender, New File -> General
  • Press A to select all the objects in the 3D Viewport, then printing X, D to delete the objects

More than details about Keymap

From Blender To Real World

  • Blender and Real World centrality relationship shown every bit below Vimdrones Designer Geo Basic
    Vimdrones Designer Geo Basic

  • drone light testify blueprint is based on 24 FPS which means 1s run 24 frames, this value should not exist changed unless yous know what you are doing

Create Drone Team

  • Vehicle -> New Squad -> Create Vimdrones Designer Create Drone Team

What is x qty, y qty, qty hateful?

  • qty correspond the total quantity of your drone squad
  • 10 qty and y qty ascertain your a unmarried block shape in footing, as the image shown beneath Vimdrones Designer Drone Team Params

What is the distance

  • Distance betwixt two drones, the default value is 2m.

What do nosotros have later create drone team?

  • drones Collection (What is Drove?)
  • distance checker Collection (quick preview for min altitude between drones)
  • effectors Collection
  • Begin Scene Collection

  • End Scene Drove

    Pay attention:

  • Please keep the Collection name & Object name in default

How to set the LED glow strength?

  • Led -> Settings, set the strength value, click update. The higher the value, the stronger the glow

How to remove the LED glow?

  • If your figurer configuration is not high, we advise you to remove LED glow effect

  • Led -> Settings, remove the "√" in from of use_nodes, then click update
    Vimdrones Designer Create Drone Team

    Pay attention(very important!)

  • Once you lot select use_nodes to get-go a projection, don't change it to no use_nodes.

  • Similarly, in one case you select no use_nodes, don't change information technology to use_nodes.
  • These two modes are not compatible in a same project.

Functioning Video

  • YouTube
  • bilibili

Takeoff the Drones

  • In the Timeline window, Electric current Frame -> 0
    Germination -> Append, select formations Begin Scene, click Brainstorm Button
  • Current Frame -> 1
    Germination -> Append, select formations Begin Scene, click Append Button
    (the drones are reach the location of the Empty Objects, and they volition follow the blitheness of the Empty Objects)
  • Select Empty Objects in the Begin Scene Collection, insert keyframe
  • Gear up the Electric current Frame -> 600 (for instance; 600 means 25s, printing Ctrl/Command T to modify time class)
    Move the Empty Objects to Z:50m (for example), insert keyframe

What is Brainstorm and Suspend?

  • Brainstorm: The frame that the drones begin to change the formation
  • Append: The frame that the drones reach the location of the new formation(Empty Objects drove)

Operation Video

  • YouTube
  • bilibili

Change Drone Formation

Create Drones Vertex Group

  • Formation -> New Material Collection -> New, create New Cloth Drove in the outline Editor. Double-click the collect to rename it(E.g Cube Material)

  • Add together the Mesh Object/Objects(E.k Cube) in the Fabric Collection(Eastward.g Cube Material)

    • We could add more Mesh Objects into the Fabric Collection. So we can add blitheness to each object separately that make the scene more lively and interesting
    • File -> Append/Import
      We can append/import the objects from other files and use them as the Material of drone scene. For example, if we import svg. files, we should convert them to Mesh(Object -> Convert to -> Mesh from Curve/Meta/Surf/Text in the Bill of fare bar) Vimdrones Designer Blender Import

  • Select the Mesh Object/Objects(East.m Cube),change Object Mode to Edit Fashion

  • In the Backdrop Editor, click Object Date tab, click the Button "+" on the right Panel border to add a Vertex Group.
  • Double-click the "Group" name and edit to "drones" (Information technology matches the drones collection, practise not modify to other proper name, similar Drone or Drones)

  • Select the vertices of the Mesh Object (i vertex represents one drone), click Assign Button below the Panel
    Vimdrones Designer Add Vertex Group

    • Nosotros could use the tools on the left to edit the vertices. Or from the Menu Bar Vertex to edit the vertices.
      Add together the vertices:Loop Cutting is a very useful tool.
      Delete the vertices: Select the vertices, press Ten key to Delete or Dissolve the vertices.

    • Nosotros could know how many vertices take been Assigned on the Status Bar(lower right corner)
      Make a "√" in from of window -> Show Status Bar
      Vimdrones Designer Vertex Number

    • In the Vertex Grouping Panel, we could click the Remove Button to remove the vertices which have been Assigned. And we could click the Select/Deselect Button to check which vertices take been Assigned.

Pay attending!!!
Delight make sure the total number of the selected Vertices (in theMaterial Collection) is the same every bit the number of the drones(Meshes in drones drove).

  • Change Edit Manner to Object Mode

Alter the Drone Scene

  • Germination -> New Formation, select the Formations Scene(E.g Begin Scene) which need to be inverse, and so click the Copy Button to re-create a New Formation at in same location. Double-click the New Formation in the outline Editor to edit the name(E.1000 Cube Formation)

  • Germination -> Vertex Formation, select the formation(E.one thousand Cube Formation) and its corresponding material_collections(E.thou Cube Material). Click the Suspend Button. The Empty Objects in the germination volition reach the location of the "drones" Vertex Grouping

What's the Append mean in here?
The Empty Objects in the select germination will copy the location of the vertices in the "drones" grouping of the select Material

Vimdrones Designer Formation Changing

  • In the Timeline Editor, set up the Current Frame to brainstorm the new scene
    Germination -> Suspend, select formations(East.k Cube Germination) , click Brainstorm Push
  • In the Timeline Editor, fix the Current Frame to finish the new scene changing
    Formation -> Append, click Append Button. Move the Playhead, we could run into how the drone scene alter(brand sure the motorcar resign accept been "√")

What'south the auto resign mean in here?
Through the algorithm, the drone will be automatically assigned to a suitable position in the next germination, making the overall distance of movement the shortest.

Vimdrones Designer Formation Append

Transform the Drone Scene

  • Select the Mesh Object in the material collections, Item -> Transform. Y'all could add keyframe of Location, Rotation or Scale to add together animation of teh Mesh Object, and so the Drone Scene can be transformed.
  • Y'all could also deform the Object vertices or control points, or add together Inherited animation(E.1000 armature) to the Object to make the animation. The Object has the animation, and then the Drones accept the animation.

More details nigh Animation

Functioning Video

  • YouTube
  • bilibili

About drone formation management
We use empties (Re-create New Germination) and fabric (New Material Drove) to manage the drone germination. The keyframe is added on the empties when Takeoff and state, others are suggested to add together on the Material objects.

  • Keyframe:

    • On drone:
      Formation -> Append -> Brainstorm and Append. After Append, the drone volition follow motility of the empty(New Formation).
      Led -> Led Magic -> Preview -> Add keyframe
    • On Empty:
      Begin Scene & Smart Landing Formation
    • On textile Object: Afterward Vertex Formation -> Append, the empty will follow motion of the cloth.

    So each formation is individually added with keyframe. When you want to adjust the formation, y'all can reuse the material(file -> Append). It is apace to redo the projection. Otherwise, if all keyframes are added on the drones, it is hard to when you desire to re-edit. Maybe it needs to restart the project.

Smart Land

Vimdrones Designer Drone Smart Land

  • Formation -> New Germination
    Copy the Begin Scene as the End Formation. If we don't fix the time frame, it will copy its last status. Adjust the location and Scale of the End Formation. It needs below the last scene in the view.
  • Germination -> Smart land
    Select the begin_formations equally the last scene of the show. Select the End_formations as the Finish Formation. Click Create Safe Queues Button. When the calculation is finish, it shows the INFO: "20 prophylactic queues create(xx means the Quantity)" and "Calculation processing. It volition have a while". The larger the Scale of Finish Germination, the smaller of the quantity of safety queues create. Information technology as well create two new Collections: Smart Landing Path(prove the path of landing) and Smart Landing Formation(copy the location of terminal scene). Fix the time frame to Brainstorm and Cease the Smart Landing Formation. The Empties of the Smart Landing Formation will follow the path to the Cease Germination.
  • Germination -> Append
    Before begin Smart Landing Germination, set the time frame to Begin and Append the Smart Landing Formation. We must remove the "√" on from of motorcar resign. So the drones will suspend the The Empties in order. At present the drones will follow the path to the End Formation. We could even so accommodate the Smart Landing Germination in Timeline.
  • Finally, we copy the Begin Scene at frame 1 as Land Formation. Formation -> Append, set the time frame to Brainstorm and Append the Land Formation.

Operation Video

  • YouTube
  • bilibili

Add Color to Drones

  • Led -> Led Magic -> Preview
    Select your target drones, select the colour you like in color picker, click Preview Button, the drones color will exist changed. (Select other drones, same functioning as above)

  • Brand a "√" in from of the is linear, click Add KeyFrame To All Button to add keyframe to all drones.We will the drone led color linear change

  • If we click Add together KeyFrame To Selected Button, only the selected drones volition add the keyframe

Vimdrones Designer Drone Led Color

  • remove "√" in from of the is linear, then Add Keyframe. In the Timeline, we tin come across we have inserted two keyframes, it means that the colour of drones suddenly modify.

Operation Video

  • YouTube
  • bilibili

Add Effector to Drones

Add Effector Color

  • Click the effectors Collection in the Outliner. In the 3D Viewport, select Menu Bar Add -> Mesh, select the effector shape you similar.
  • In the Backdrop Editor, select Materials tab, click + New Button to Add a new fabric.
    In the Surface Console, click Utilize Nodes to remove the holding(gary background means unselect). Then we could choose whatever effector colour you similar.
    Vimdrones Designer Effector Color

Add An Empty Object to Parent with effector shape Mesh
(This part could be skipped, it isn't affect the concluding effect)

Transform Effector

  • When we transform the Empty Effector, and so the Mesh transform. Now we can add some animations to the Empty Effector. When the drones inside the Empty, the colour of these drones volition exist changed to the color of the Mesh. Vimdrones Designer Effector

  • If we add more Effectors to the drones at the aforementioned time, the colour of drones will depend on the latest Effector Vimdrones Designer Effector

Functioning Video

  • YouTube
  • bilibili

Set the Effector LED Type

  • What are the types of the Effector LED?

    • DEFAULT: one colour
    • RANDOM: ii or more unlike colors alter randomly
    • ORDERED: ii or more different colors change in order
      Vimdrones Designer Effector
    • duration: the higher the value, the faster the color changes
    • linear: two colour alter gradual，if remove the "√" ,two colors change suddenly
    • gild: if the drones are inside ii or more Effectors at the same time, we could gear up the valve to change the effector order. The higher the value, the college the priority is to touch on the colour of the drone.

  • Select the effector mesh, add one or more material and set the colors

  • Led -> Effector
  • Choose selected_effector, gear up the duration, if linear, set the society, choose effector type
  • Click update
  • Play the blitheness

Performance Video

  • YouTube
  • bilibili

About the drone colour

  • The LED light could be off (blackness) when the drones have off. Likewise, it needs to add a color keyframe to the drones at the beginning. Otherwise, if you add together an effector, information technology volition directly touch on the color of the drones at the showtime.

  • Add color

    • Led -> Led Magic -> Preview -> Add keyframe
      The colour keyframe is on the drones. We could bank check the keyframe on the Timeline. The drones volition store the color material of the Base Color.
    • Add Effector Colour These is no colour keyframe on the drones, but the Effector object will store the color fabric of the Base Color, also the animation keyframe. In a new projection, you could apply file -> Append to import the Effector objects.

Flying Check

  • Vehicle -> Flight Bank check, brand a "√" in from of the enable
    Vimdrones Designer Drone Flight Check

  • Open Vimdrones Designer, Click Panel, open up the Vimdrones Designer Console

  • nosotros could set the Distance Limit, Speed Limit, Horizon Speed Limit, Vertical Speed Limit and Nautical chart Elapsing, so click the Update Settings Button

  • Play the blitheness in Blender, we will see those Limits realtime. When the value achieve the Limits, it will appears in the window. It shows that two drones attain the limit at that frame
    When we don't demand those information, nosotros could click the Clear Button Vimdrones Designer Console

  • Open up the console when you exercise the design and cheque the speed and distance real fourth dimension. So you can adjust the speed and altitude at any fourth dimension based on the feedback from the console

Vimdrones Designer Console

  • If the altitude is larger, the germination looks more stable. If the distance is shut, the airflow generated by the drone volition affect each other.

Operation Video

  • YouTube
  • bilibili

Export Animation

Vimdrones Designer Export

Consign Settings

  • Position Scale: scale factor to coordinate, default is one, if y'all want to change the pattern size this would help (practise not change it unless you know what it is!)
  • Z Axis Rotate: rotate caste in clockwise to coordinate, default is 0, if your flying field direction is different from your design, this would assistance (do not alter it unless y'all know what information technology is!)

Export To Vimdrones GCS

  • Vehicle -> Consign click Export button and select the your folder to save

Consign To Third Party Fly Organization

  • Vehicle -> Third Party Consign button and select the your folder to save

  • Support List

Company Name Scene Sample Path
None Raw Format Custom Download
Ugcs Drone Show Software Outdoor Download
Loftier Great Fylo Indoor Download

How to add your system to the listing? Please contact us

Sample Path Video Youtube | Bilibili

Raw Data Format

ane.txt -> drone id ane, fps equal blender settings

            1 0.000 0.000 0.000 204 194 40 ii 0.000 0.000 0.094 204 194 40 3 0.000 0.000 0.188 204 194 40

| frame number | x | y | z | r | k | b |

Ugcs Format

  • Please make certain that the order of drones in the last formation is the same equally the begin scene.
  • Please do not change the output frame rate in default(24 fps). Proceed the Export Settings -> Frame rate to four or less

How to design a Drone Lite Prove

  1. Describe downwards your minds on the moving picture volume
  2. Create Material Objects in the Blender
  3. Through Begin and Append to transform the drone scene
  4. Add animation to the Material Objects
  5. Have a Flying cheque to the blitheness
  6. Add color & effector to the drones
  7. Export the Drone Light Bear witness data

Tips: 1. Remember to relieve a few more than backups when designing
2. If we select a music for the drone low-cal show background music at first, nosotros can create drone light effects based on the vanquish of the music. The music data could influences the size or colour of the Effector Object. Then, it is very easy to grab every beat of music and permit sound, light and electricity blend together perfectly. Vimdrones Designer Music Effector

Marketing

How to render a picture or video?

Vimdrones Designer render

Instance

Case one: Add together Line Font Text

Installation

  • Download blenderstrokefont.cipher
  • Open Blender and select File->User Preferences
  • Click install Add-ons tab and then Install Add-on from File
  • Select the downloaded file
  • Make a "√" in front end of the Improver
  • Cheque the 'Add together Stroke Font Text' option in the add-ons dialog

Note: Please use Blender2.fourscore or 2.81

Add line font text

  • Add together a Mesh
  • Select 'Add Input Text' option in the 'Action' drop-downwardly
  • Input the text to be rendered in the text box
  • Select the font
  • Set Font Size
  • Select the Mesh in the backdrop of box
  • Select the font and click 'Add Stroke Font Text

Operation Video

  • YouTube
  • bilibili

Example 2: Add Text

  • Open Blender through Vimdrones Designer. A -> X -> D, delete all the objects
  • Add -> Text, nosotros could see Text in the 3D view. R -> 10 -> ninety (Rotate xc ° along the Ten axis)
  • Change to Edit style, delete and enter text
  • Click Object Data Properties tab, Font -> Open up Font, open the file to set the font. Geometry -> Extrude. Font -> Transform -> Size
  • Change to Object mode, Object -> Convert to -> Mesh from Text
  • Click Modifier Properties tab, Add together Modifier -> Remesh. Remove the "√" of Remove Disconnected Pieces. We could set the Octree Depth & Scale. Click Apply the Modifier

Performance Video

  • YouTube
  • bilibili

Case 3: Add together QR code drone formation

  • Online Generate the QR lawmaking. Download the QR code image.
    QR Code generator
  • Open up Blender in Vimdrones Designer. Add together -> Empty -> Prototype. Click Object Data tab in the Backdrop window. Open and browse to your prototype
  • Add -> Mesh -> Plane. Choose Brandish the Object equally wire edges. Scaling the QR lawmaking makes it as big as Plane. Press tab to Edit Mode. Loop Cut the Plane and make i edge correspond to a row/cavalcade of dots
  • Now nosotros could add together a drones Vertex Group. Select those vertices on the QR code dots and Assign the vertices to the drones Vertex Group. Add a New Material Collection and rename information technology every bit QR lawmaking. Drag the Plane to the QR code Collection. Salvage the Blender file.
  • File -> Suspend, append the QR code Collection to Blender which information technology's designing the evidence. We to start to brand the QR code drone formation.

Functioning Video

  • YouTube
  • bilibili