Asymptote-based scientific animation

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Abstract

This article discusses a universal way to create animation using Asymptote the language for vector graphics. The Asymptote language itself has a built-in library for creating animations, but its practical use is complicated by an extremely brief description in the official documentation and unstable execution of existing examples. The purpose of this article is to eliminate this gap. The method we describe is based on creating a PDF-file with frames using Asymptote, with further converting it into a set of PNG images and merging them into a video using FFmpeg. All stages are described in detail, which allows the reader to use the described method without being familiar with the used utilities.

About the authors

Migran N. Gevorkyan

RUDN University

Email: gevorkyan-mn@rudn.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4834-4895

Candidate of Sciences in Physics and Mathematics, Associate Professor of Department of Applied Probability and Informatics

6, Miklukho-Maklaya St., Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation

Anna V. Korolkova

RUDN University

Email: korolkova-av@rudn.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7141-7610

Candidate of Sciences in Physics and Mathematics, Associate Professor of Department of Applied Probability and Informatics

6, Miklukho-Maklaya St., Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation

Dmitry S. Kulyabov

RUDN University; Joint Institute for Nuclear Research

Author for correspondence.
Email: kulyabov-ds@rudn.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0877-7063

Doctor of Sciences in Physics and Mathematics, Professor of the Department of Applied Probability and Informatics of Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN University); Senior Researcher of Laboratory of Information Technologies, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research

6, Miklukho-Maklaya St., Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation; 6, Joliot-Curie St., Dubna, Moscow Region, 141980, Russian Federation

References

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