Rotating Calendar Setup Overview
The Rotating Calendar is a procedural animation system created in Houdini that simulates the mechanical flipping of calendar digits, similar to those found in vintage flip clocks or mechanical date displays. The project demonstrates advanced animation techniques using quaternion rotations and attribute manipulation to create physically believable motion.
Core Concept
At its heart, the system uses four synchronized rotating wheels to display a year (e.g., 2025), with each wheel representing a digit position (thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones). As time progresses, these wheels rotate at different speeds relative to their place value – the ones digit rotates fastest, while the thousands digit rotates the slowest, creating a hierarchical animation system that properly transitions through year values.
Key Features
The calendar incorporates three main technical innovations:
1. Orientation-Based Animation**: Each digit plate is positioned along a circle and precisely oriented using quaternions, ensuring correct alignment regardless of viewing angle.
2. Hierarchical Animation System**: The rotation speed of each digit wheel is mathematically linked to its decimal place value, creating a natural counting sequence where digits cascade properly (the tens digit only advances after the ones digit completes a full cycle).
3. Gravity Simulation**: Rather than rotating mechanically, the digit plates incorporate a gravity-like effect where they appear to swing naturally as they rotate, adding physical plausibility to the animation. This is achieved through a clever system that samples orientation values from a pre-animated curve.
The result is a visually engaging animation that combines technical precision with physical plausibility, demonstrating how VEX scripting in Houdini can be used to create complex mechanical systems with realistic behavior.
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