United3dArtists Archive

Guys, I need to ask a favour.

I'm making a short film in iMovie, and I need a shot of an asteroid approaching the camera from a distant left hand point and then passing by out of the frame to the right side.

The asteroid would be a large irregular-shaped rock with typical boulder texture, lit from one side only, or maybe with another low fill light on the other side.

It approaches from the far left and departs out the near right.

It should be slowly rotating clockwise or anticlockwise, (just not tumbling forward in the same direction that it's flying).

It is against a starfield background.

If there is anyone here who can post a tutorial to make this particular animation, or can direct me to a tutorial that will help me, I'd be extremely grateful.

Hope I'm not pushing the friendship...

Thanks,
Kurt.

Here is my 2 cents to get you started.....

If it was me I would polymodel the asteroid basic shape, apply at least one layer of SDS to smooth it out somewhat. Apply textures and done.

I would then create a cylinder roughly within the diameter of the asteroid. I would use an animated texture with transparency to show particles falling off the asteroid and animate the cylinder spinning behind your asteroid. Not always a reality of asteroids but it helps to sell the motion. Alternatively you could use a particle emitter to create a particle trail if you have one.

I am assuming you already have your starfield background in your current kit.

Apply your starfield to a background plane and decide your asteroid motion path and camera position.

Keyframe the movement of your asteroid and dust cloud (if you do this). For your object lighting you could either create a very bright stationary light at a distant point to the flight path. Alternatively you could use a local light following the path of the asteroid offset to the side you want to show illuminated.

For more detailed info you need to tell us if you are using workspace or the model side for the animation. Each has somewhat different tools/workflow to create this kind of animation.

Thanks for that, V3rd3. Unfortunately, I forgot to mention that I'm a rank novice. I'm as new to 3D modelling as a newborn baby, (and that's putting it mildly!)

I don't have the faintest idea of how to do most of the things you suggested. I only recently discovered TrueSpace and I've never used any kind of 3D software before. I wouldn't know an "SDS" if I fell over it! I decided to try it simply to create scenes that I could use in my amateur fims.

Makes it hard, doesn't it. Sorry..

I've been sitting up late every night for a week going through all the tutorials I've found here and elsewhere, and only managed to learn how to alter the shape of a primitive, and add a texture!

Steepest, learning curve, ever!!

What I need, (and I realise it's a BIG ask), is a step-by-step tutorial showing me which buttons to press to get what I'm trying for.

I'm using my downloaded free 7.61 BETA 8 version of Truespace, which as you know has both Workspace and Model sides. I'm happy to use whichever side you suggest.

So, what do you suggest? I don't want to put anyone to a lot of time and trouble.

Thanks,
Kurt

If you ask me, you should start to read the manual from the start..

I have the printed version and i can remember reading in front of the computer to do some tutorials.. first at all you need to feel comfortable with the app, how to look around the scene etc..

Know what the tools are, and their basic use.. there are many concepts that you need to understand first in my opinion before to start something more complex..

I can do a video showing what to do, or a scene, but i think that will not gonna help you on learn 3D..

Prodigy wrote:If you ask me, you should start to read the manual from the start..

I have the printed version and i can remember reading in front of the computer to do some tutorials.. first at all you need to feel comfortable with the app, how to look around the scene etc..

Know what the tools are, and their basic use.. there are many concepts that you need to understand first in my opinion before to start something more complex..

I can do a video showing what to do, or a scene, but i think that will not gonna help you on learn 3D..

I know you're right, Prodigy. I've been reading the tutorials, from the basic introductions onwards.

Maybe I should start all over again, and take my time, and try each thing as I go.

I'm accustomed to learning new software by jumping right into it, and by trial and error, and I thought this would be no different. But it sure is!

Thanks, anyway.

well, I would say, start by pushing buttons.
At least this is not a 'missile launch' app so you can't go wrong by experimenting.

It may be helpful to play with a couple tools, then refer to the manual, for a description
of what they are and what they do.

add some objects, right click on them to see what happens (convert to editable mesh);
once you do, select faces, points, edges, and push and pull them around. See what happens.
Just kinda bang on it.

One fun thing to do is use the physics tools. Add phys properties to an object, raise it above the ground,
start the phys sim, watch it fall. Setup some objects below it, give them phys properties. Watch them
as they collide and bounce around. Then add some starting parameters like velocity, acceleration, etc.
and run the phys sim.

as a matter of fact, this may be a good solution for your asteroid animation. In the phys simulation properties panel, you can
specify to record to keyframe. That way, you run the phys sim once, and your animation is recorded for you, so you can
play it back repeatedly, add other objects and backgrounds to your scene, etc. Then render.

Ask away; the forum members here are the friendliest on the web, IMHO.

I have been banging away at it, Froo. But it bangs me back!

I've been getting headaches from sitting up until 2am, playing with buttons and knobs and seeing things happen but not knowing what I did to make them happen.

I just now found another tutorial that I don't think I've seen before. It was on the old site, posted by one MrBones. I don't think I had that one before... So I'll see what I can learn from that one.

Anyway, it'll be worth it in the end.

Cheers
Kurt

DAGNABBIT!!

That old tutorial, posted by Mr Bones at the old site, doesn't have a soundtrack!! Impossible for a slowpoke like me to follow without a pause button...

Last try before I give up completely... does anyone have that particular tutorial with sound?

I have registered at Mr Bones' site and contacted him to ask, but on the off-chance that he no longer has it, I thought I'd ask here while I'm waiting for his reply.

Signed,
Desperate in Despair.
(alias Kurt)

Do the Viperfish first. I tried the ones in the book and they assume you know a lot about the different buttons.
I am now doing the viperfish and doing okay except for a few small challenges.
It is at
http://www.caligari.com/products/trueSp" ... eling1.asp
This comes from Steine as that is where I got it.
You also get some personal tutoring from the author on this forum with it. When you finish it, you will know enough to wing it on your own along with the book.
Good Luck

I have that tutorial, Kenc3, but when I tried to watch it, I couldn't keep up with it because it assumed I knew things that I didn't. Like, what is a "computer"; and, what does "click on" mean?

Just kidding...

I'll try it again. Meanwhile, I've found even more tuts to check out.

I'll get there yet!

Cheers,
Kurt.

I included some helpul videos for animation in the Works In Progress area titled "Behind TrueSpace, Spiderbots Get Busy !" It should give you a nice jumpstart.

Mr. 3d wrote:I included some helpul videos for animation in the Works In Progress area titled "Behind TrueSpace, Spiderbots Get Busy !" It should give you a nice jumpstart.

Thanks, Mr 3D, those will help a lot.

Cheers,
Kurt

Jack Edwards' viperfish tutorial is probably the best video to get anyone "out of the gate" when it comes to modelling and using the tools available in the workspace.

Ultimately you will have to pound on your grey cells to get through the basics.

Every step you take from the beginning to end involves a number of different possible decisions to help you get to the next step.

I suggest you create a work in progress thread for your project. That way you can post screenshots and project files as you go so the members of this forum can help you in the best way possible.

v3rd3 wrote:Jack Edwards' viperfish tutorial is probably the best video to get anyone "out of the gate" when it comes to modelling and using the tools available in the workspace.

Ultimately you will have to pound on your grey cells to get through the basics.

Every step you take from the beginning to end involves a number of different possible decisions to help you get to the next step.

I suggest you create a work in progress thread for your project. That way you can post screenshots and project files as you go so the members of this forum can help you in the best way possible.

What a difference a day makes! Since my last post I've actually learned a few things, (congatulations, brain), and managed to apply a material to an object and slice it up, and join objects, and like that.

Still looking for that elusive animation tool, though. But I'll find it, I'll find it! Eventually

Been studying tutorials so much, I feel like I'm back in high school!!

Thanks for your suggestion, v3rd3.

cool Kurt! glad to hear it!

basic animation:

1. click an object
2. click the record icon (a button with a red circle on it)
3. adjust the timeline slider (it's at the bottom, with the record button) to say, frame = 30
4. move the object
5. press record again
6. press the play button

that's just a basic start to get you into it;

gnight!
Froo

froo wrote:cool Kurt! glad to hear it!

basic animation:

1. click an object
2. click the record icon (a button with a red circle on it)
3. adjust the timeline slider (it's at the bottom, with the record button) to say, frame = 30
4. move the object
5. press record again
6. press the play button

that's just a basic start to get you into it;

gnight!
Froo

As simple as that?!! .

Thank yoo Froo!!