Instructions for use

Use the Situation Simulation Manager to animate Path Animation, Blink, Attribute Animation, Show, Rotate, Scale, and Grow.

The pre-condition for animating with the Situation Simulation Manager "is that a label exists in the map or scene and is selected.

Operation steps

1. Open Map/Scene, on the 2D/3D Plotting tab Situation Simulation "group, click the Situation Simulation Manager" button, The Situation Simulation Manager "dialog box pops up.
2. Create a new animation group. Right click the blank space of the control on the left side of the dialog box, and select Create New Group "to create a new animation grouping in the pop-up menu. As shown in the following figure.

Figure: New Animation Group

After selecting a created animation group, the More Commands in the pop-up Context Menu is available:

• Rename Group: Rename the animation group..
• Delete Group: Delete Animation group, including animations already contained in it.
• Merge to Previous Group: You can move animation in an animation group to a previous animation group and delete the current animation group.
• Clear Group: Clears the animation in the animation group.
• Move Up: Moves the animation group up.
• Move Down: Moves the animation group down.
3. Create an animation. Select the label in the scene, and in the drop-down list on the left, select the animation to be created, such as Path Animation, as shown in the following figure:

Figure: Creating an animation

Right click on the created animation, and the commands in the Context Menu are available:

• Rename Animation: Renames the animation.
• Delete Animation: You can delete the currently selected animation.
• Split Group: Based on this animation, split the animation group it belongs to.
4. Modify Animation Properties. In the Animation Properties "tab, make changes to the selected Animation Properties.

Figure: Modifying Animation Properties

Start Time: There are two ways to modify the Start Time of the animation. One is to directly modify the value of "Start Time" in the Properties Panel, and the other is to left-click the time bar corresponding to the animation and directly drag it to modify.

Duration: There are two ways to modify the playback duration of the animation. One is to directly modify the value of "Animation Playback Time" in the Properties Panel, and the other is to right-click the time bar corresponding to the animation and directly drag it to modify.

In addition, each animation has its own attributes, which are described as follows:

Path Animation
• Tangent Direction: Sets whether the animated object travels along the Tangent Direction. When the point label is a vector or Model Fill, the label automatically switches the position of the object in the positive direction along the angle of the path.
• Display Path: Set whether to display the path of Path Animation when the animation is played.
• Path Type: Whether the path of the Set Directory animation is a Line Path or a Curve Path.
In addition, Path Animation requires a Set Directory point. Select the Path Point Manager "tab, and the specific functions are described as follows:
• Add button: Click the Add by Mouse path point at the appropriate observation position in the scene, and you can modify its longitude, latitude and altitude in the Parameter Settings column below.
• Edit button: Select a path point in Path Animation, and click this button to click the mouse again at the appropriate position in Scene to modify the position of the selected path point.
• Delete button: select a path point to delete the selected single path point; select a path node to delete the entire path line.
Blink
• Blink Style: Sets whether Blink presses the Blink Frequency "or Number Blink".
• Blink Interval (milliseconds): If Blink Style is "Blink Frequency" ", set the frequency interval of blinking in milliseconds.
• Blink Times: If Blink Style is Number Blink ", set the total number of times the animation blinks.
• Color Alternates: Set Blink to have No Color Alternates.
• Alternate Colors: Sets the Alternate Colors of the Blink if the BlinkColor Alternates.
• Start Color Alternates: If BlinkColor Alternates, set the starting Alternate Colors of Blink.
Attribute Animation
• Line Color Animation: Set whether Line Color Animation is valid.
• Start Line Color: If Line Color Animation is valid, set the start line color of the animation.
• End Line Color: Sets the end line color of the animation, if Line Color Animation is valid.
• Line Width Animation: Set whether Line Width Animation is valid.
• Start Line Width: Sets the Start Line Width of the animation, if Line Width Animation is valid.
• End Line Width: Sets the End Line Width of the animation, if Line Width Animation is valid.
• Surrounding Line Width Animation: Set whether the Surrounding Line Width Animation is valid.
• Start Surrounding Line Width: Set the Start Surrounding Line Width degree if the Surrounding Line Width Animation is valid.
• End Surrounding Line Width: Set the End Surrounding Line Width degree if the Surrounding Line Width Animation is valid.
• Surrounding Line Color Animation: Set whether the Surrounding Line Color Animation is valid.
• Start Surrounding Line Color: Set the start Surrounding Line Color if the Surrounding Line Color Animation is valid.
• End Surrounding Line Color: if the Surrounding Line Color Animation is valid, set the end Surrounding Line Color.
Show
• Display Status: Sets the final status of the Show. True indicates that the final status of the label is displayed, and False indicates that the final status of the label is not displayed.
• Display Effects: Sets whether there is a gradient effect.
Rotate
• Direction: Sets whether the Rotate rotates clockwise or counterclockwise.
• Start Rotation Angle: Set the Start Rotation Angle of the X, Y, and Z axes.
• End Rotation Angle: Set the End Rotation Angle of the X, Y, and Z axes.
Scale
• Start Scale: Sets the Start Scale of the Scale.
• End Scale: Sets the End Scale of the Scale.
Grow
• Start Scale: Sets the Start Scale for Grow.
• End Scale: Sets Grow's End Scale.
The specific supported animations for

each type of label are shown in the following table:

for Point, Line and Region Symbols Support

Table: Animation Descriptions

Animation type	Point Label Vector Mode	Point Label Billboard Mode	Point Label Model Fill	Line and Region Symbols
Path Animation	√	√	√	X
Blink	√	√	√	√
Attribute Animation	√	√	X	√
Show	√	√	X	√
Rotate	√	X	√	X
Scale	√	√	√	X
Grow	X	X	X	√

After the
5. animation is set, the Playback control of the animation can be realized through the Play, Pause, Stop, and Reset buttons.
6. Save and open the animation. After the animation is completed, you can click the "Save" button to save the animation as an XML file. The Open button opens an existing XML file that saves animation to the Situation Simulation Manager, and supports the modification of its properties.

Precautions

1. When creating an animation, you must first select the label object you want to animate.
2. Animation playback is based on animation groups, that is, after playing an animation group, the next animation group will be played.
3. The Start Time of an animation is relative to the animation group.

Related topics

2D Plotting

3D Plotting