Form: Video File, Animation Video File
Use the File menu > Create Video > Cyclic Animation command to create videos of animated mode shapes and other deformed shape plots of the structure. A mode shape or deformed shape must be displayed in the active window for this command to be available (i.e., an analysis must have been run). The videos are saved as .avi files. They can be played back using the media player that comes with Windows.
Run an analysis to display in the active window the deformed shape to be animated cyclically.
Select the File menu > Create Video > Cyclic Animation command to access the Video File form. Specify the storage location and file name for the video file in the Save In drop-down list and File name edit box, respectively.
Click the Save button to access the Animation Video File Creation form.
AVI Filename edit box: Displays the name of the .avi file. Click the Browse button to change the path and filename for saving the video file.
AVI Options:
Required duration (seconds): Use the default or specify a duration. For a slower display, increase the number of seconds and decrease the number of cycles in duration. For a faster display, decrease the duration and increase the number of cycles.
Number of cycles in duration: Use the default or specify your own number of cycles.
Frame Size (pixels): Use the default or define the frame size in pixels. Note that the more pixels, the larger the resulting .avi file. Also, the output device used to display the .avi helps to determine the quality of the video (i.e., regardless of the pixel count, the display can not be better than the output device allows).
Click the OK button and the Video Compression form will display. Choose the method for compressing the video file, or use the default uncompressed option. Click the OK button on the form to create the *.avi file.