Drone Show Creation Workflow

Overview

Config → Site Data → Figures → Timeline → Physics → Takeoff/Landing → Export → Validate → Preview/Upload

Step-by-Step

1. Site Setup — `Show_site_data`

Set Config file to a .cfg show config
Info label auto-fills with show name, drone count, altitude bounds, dimensions
Adjust Map size and toggle Load map to preview the site

2. Import Formations — `f_00_`, `f_01_`, `f_02_`

Each f_0X_ geo container holds a formation (drone positions + colors for one figure in the show). Import or create the formation geometry inside each container.

The chain f_00_ → f_01_ → f_02_ passes data through to Figures_preview.

3. Build Timeline — `SHOW_TIMELINE`

Wire each formation into the corresponding Formation_N object_merge inside SHOW_TIMELINE:

Formation_0 → references f_00_
Formation_1 → references f_01_
Formation_2 → references f_02_

Configure each transition (Main_animation_flow_0, Main_animation_flow_1):

Tab	What to set
Time	`Start Frame` — when transition begins, `Duration` — how many frames it takes, `Time Interpolate` ramp — ease-in/ease-out
Falloff	Enable for spatial propagation (e.g., transition sweeps left-to-right or center-out). Set `Falloff Position` and `Falloff Curve`
Inflation	Optionally enable to add scale-based movement from origin during transition
Transition Bias Mask	Optionally enable per-drone timing control via custom attribute

Configure physics solver (Show_solver):

Parameter	What it does
`Min distance m`	Hard separation between drones
`Soft bounce`	Distance where repulsion starts
`Max speed m/s`	Speed limit
`Max acceleration m/s²`	Acceleration limit
`Repulsion scale`	Collision avoidance strength

4. Configure Takeoff & Landing — `TAKEOFF_AND_LANDING`

The pipeline ingests the timeline output and adds takeoff/landing sequences.

Takeoff_sim — set Type to Takeoff. Configure:

Queue interval — seconds between each drone lift-off
Vertical flight limit — max altitude during takeoff
Min distance, Max speed, Max acceleration, Ground max speed — limits
Use View to preview sim / destination / speed / intersection / acceleration overlays
Enable Reverse for landing with Sim last frame to reverse the landing sequence

Landing_sim — same structure. Ground positions come from dronebase1, target positions from the animated show output.

Three Alembic rops export takeoff, landing, and the full blended animation.

5. Validate Animation — `Checker`

Set abc_path to the exported Alembic file from step 4
Adjust sample_rate
Select check type: Distance, Speed, or Acceleration
Set thresholds
Click Check — violation tables print to console
Optionally save logs via Write full log to file

6. Generate Preview — `Show_preview`

Set Config file — same .cfg from step 1
Verify ABC file and Show name auto-populate
Click Upload
On success, a dialog shows the preview URL: https://dronatello.com/show_preview/?project_name=<name>

7. Generate Presentation — `Figures_preview`

Set Presentation name
Optionally name each figure slot (0–13)
Click Prepare data
On success, a dialog shows the presentation URL: https://dronatello.com/presentation/?name=<name>

Visualization Reference

Node	View option	What to see
`Takeoff_sim` / `Landing_sim`	View button strip	Sim result, Destination points, Speed/Intersection/Acceleration checks, Custom path
`Main_animation_flow_0/1`	Houdini viewport	Transition playback with easing and falloff
`Show_solver`	Houdini viewport	Simulated drone movement with collision avoidance
`Checker`	Console	Text tables of violations after clicking Check

Drone Show Creation Workflow

Overview

Step-by-Step

1. Site Setup — Show_site_data

2. Import Formations — f_00_, f_01_, f_02_

3. Build Timeline — SHOW_TIMELINE

4. Configure Takeoff & Landing — TAKEOFF_AND_LANDING

5. Validate Animation — Checker

6. Generate Preview — Show_preview

7. Generate Presentation — Figures_preview