HowTo:Create a movie

This describe how to create a movie using Matlab&reg;'s avifile command command.

System requirements

 * : You must be using a version of GridLAB-D that support the link directive.
 * Matlab link : You must have a version of Matlab that supports the avifile command.

Suppose you have a GLM file named my_avi.glm that defines a trivial object test as follows:

clock { starttime '2001-01-01 0:00:00'; stoptime '2001-01-02 0:00:00'; } class test { random x; } object test { name my_test; x "type:normal(0,1); refresh:1min; integrate"; }

Step 1 - Link GLM to Matlab using a link control file
Add the link directive to your GLM file:

link matlab_avi.link;

Step 2 - Create the link control file
Create the link control file using the following command

target matlab workdir avi [[matlab link|window show [[matlab link|output 100000 [[link (directive)#global|global object export my_test.x x on_init q=zeros(1000,1); n=1; v=avifile('my.avi'); if(exist('v')) h=figure(1); xlim([1 1000]); ylim([-100 100]); ans=GLD_OK; else ans=GLD_ERROR; end; on_sync if(n<1000) q(n)=x; plot(1:n,q(1:n); v=addframe(v,getframe(h)); n=n+1; end; ans=TS_NEVER; on_term close(v); ans=GLD_OK;

Step 3 - Run GridLAB-D
C:\GridLAB-D> gridlabd my_avi.glm ... perhaps some output is displayed C:\GridALB-D>

Step 4 - View the AVI file
Open a file explorer, go the avi folder, and double-click on the AVI file.