What is the Curve Editor?The Curve Editor is a feature in 3D Studio Max that allows you to view your animation in lines. Different lines represent the different Cartesian coordinate (X,Y, and Z) values. There are also different lines for different transformations (rotate, position, scale). How can it be helpful?The Curve Editor shows the values of your animation using the keyframes. So if you have a ball move up and down at frame 50 and 100 respectively, you can see the curve created in the Position Z option on the left roll out. Here, you can change the movement of the ball. You can change how high it goes, how fast it moves, or get rid of the animation all together. To change how fast it moves, you can select a peak/dip and change the tangent. There are many types of curves, but to make the ball look like it bounces, you can set the tangent to "Fast." What is the Dope Sheet?The Dope Sheet is a feature in 3D Studio Max that lays out every keyframe for every position, rotation, and scale for every frame. How can it be helpful?When trying to move certain keyframes to different places, you can use the Dope Sheet to see every keyframe and move each one. When trying to figure out a problem with your animation, you can go to the Dope Sheet and find any inconsistencies in your keyframes and fix them. This could solve some problems when it comes to weird animation things like non-smooth transitions, jumping to weird positions, etc. How have I used these features?In animations, I have used these to fix problems with inconsistent camera movements. I also used the curve editor to change the way the camera moves. I used the curve editor to make a super bouncy basketball in the below animation.
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The most difficult partAlthough I have not done anything in rigging, my past experiences makes it the CLEAR winner for the most difficult part of the quarter. I don't want to do it again, but I will have to. The software crashes once every 7 minutes, and the computer can't take the pressure of being rigged into oblivion. From what I have done this quarter, though, animation edges out lighting and cameras. Its easy to put in a camera or a light in the scene, but you have to go through each frame to animate something. My animationI used the dope sheet and the curve editor to make the ball bounce and spin. (I apologize in advanced for the bad quality and the invisibility of the basketball. I will update the video when I fix the issue). Overcoming the problemsThe only way to get over the problems I was having was to get to the end and see if they sorted themselves out. With animating, you finish the animation outline for your animation, and go through and fix the impurities frame-by-frame. With lighting, you have to render your scene in the renderer you want with the quality you want to see any problems, and then fix them in the scene to get rid of the problem. With cameras, you have to find the view you want, which can be a problem (an easy to fix one, though) in and of itself. With rigging, there are MANY things that could cause the problem you are experiencing. Anything from a faulty vertex to a faulty bone could crash your software. You have to use an algorithm (A.K.A. test every solution possible) to find your problem. In Summary
What is Dynamic Simulation?According to Wikipedia, Dynamic Simulation is “the use of a computer program to model the time varying behavior of a system.” Basically, it is making models into realistic objects that have a ragdoll effect to them (they move when they are hit, or they move things when they hit them). Why is it important?When making games, the usual goal is to make things seem as realistic as possible. Before starting Dynamic Simulation, when we tried to make objects hit each other, the objects went through each other. This is definetly not what happens in real life, unless there is something seriously wrong. According to Time Magazine’s interview with Tommy Francois, a world-renowned game designer known for his hyper-realistic graphics, “The trick to a successful final product is to seamlessly build a world while balancing the details with the game mechanics.” Game mechanics are there to make games seem realistic, while bending the boundaries to add to the core of the game. So the main goal for most games is to make them seem as realistic as possible. Dynamic Simulation aids in that by giving objects realistic movement. My Example of Dynamic SimulationMy example of Dynamic Simulation was made in 3D Studio Max. I made 2 cars and 3 cynlinders for each car to take out. I made each car a Kinematic Rigid Body, and each cylinder a Dynamic Rigid Body. Then, after I had the cars take out the cylinders, I had the cars drive through a wall with bricks that are each Dynamic Rigid Bodies. To help take out the wall, I have a wrecking ball that is a Static Rigid Body. In Summary
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AuthorI am Chance Gildart. I am a Junior in Digital Design and Animation II at DSA. Categories
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DisclaimerThe views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not represent those of Durham School of the Arts or Durham Public Schools.
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