The Rendering Times: Topas Try Me's

Topas Try Me's:

Multi Element Animation - Spinning Globe around a sun

It is always a challenge to get things to animate as you see them in your mind. Recently on our web board we received the following request.

I'm trying to figure out how to create a world from a sphere and then have it rotate around and at the same time follow an orbit also. any suggestions, I've tried to use a earth graphic with textures etc. but to no effect

We recommend that in all cases of modeling you work with PERSPECTIVE OFF. Otherwise, you may not end up with what you expected. The basic concepts for this tutorial apply equally to both Flying Fonts and Topas.

The key to doing multiple path animations is grouping properly. Each individual item can only have one motion path at any given point in your scene time. However a group of items maybe dealt with as either a unit and/or by it's component items.

1. Lets begin this with a more simple multi-path animation consisting of a linear move to the right and a spin on the globe. matched.jpg (64663 bytes)

BUILD -- SIMPLE -- SPHERE

The size for this is at the modeler's discretion.

BUILD -- SIMPLE -- SQUARE

Place this item in the center of the sphere.

MODIFY -- MATCH (Select the sphere first then the square) CENTER TO CENTER

Flying Fonts -- be sure to check the top view to make sure it is in the center not just on the X and Y axis but also the Z.

2. Now group the items

BUILD -- GROUPS -- NEW GROUP (select the sphere and the square)

Flying Fonts users select both items and use the group tool from the tool-bar.

3. You can now add the textures you desire the the sphere. Earth maps, stone, pictures of Barney. What ever gives you the biggest thrill at the moment. I settled for a nice green marble for the sake of this tuturial, sorry Pee-Wee.

4. Move the grouped objects to the left side of the screen.

MODIFY -- MOVE (Ctrl - F8)

Ensure that you move them both to the left side of the screen, not just one part of the group. If you created this on the left then just continue on to step 5.

5. Now you need to assign your motion paths. (Flying Fonts instructions continue on Part 2)

ANIMATATE -- KEYFRAME

This starts the animation sequencing. Every move you make on your model from now till the next time you selelct keyframe again will happen in this time period.

MODIFY -- ROTATE -- OBJECT (not group)

Select the Sphere
On the Y axis put a rotation of 360 degrees. In an effort to allow you some free thinking and creativity in midst of this tutorial you can decide if you want it to be + or -.

MODIFY -- MOVE (Ctrl - F8)

Move the entire group to the right side of the screen. This is where your animation will take you to on the next keyframe.

To See the motion paths of an object, you need to toggle them on. Remember that if you've created a path for an object, if you select toggle path group it won't work.

ANIMATE -- EDIT -- TOGGLE PATHS (select desired object or group display it's paths)

On to exciting Part 2 of the Multi Element Animation - Spinning Globe Around a Sun

Part 2 for Flying Fonts

The Rendering Times: Design and Copyright & © 1997 -- David Chandler Spake. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without the express written permission of DCS is prohibited.