How to do this animation.....

# 1 05-06-2003 , 02:02 PM

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Join Date: Oct 2002

Location: USA

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I was watching the Conker video here: (about 5 megabits)

Oh, and I should post this> (Warning: this video game contains content not suitable for children under the age of 17) - like that's really gonna stop 'em......

https://www.rareware.com/games/upcomi...rlive_movie.ht

EDIT* - ok well, looks like that link doesn't work. Go to www.rareware.com, click on games, click on upcoming games, click on the Conker picture, click the movie button, then right-click and "save as..." the QT file.

I noticed at the end a really neat effect. Conker shot a bullet from a giant gun, the bullet flew towards the camera, a black thing came up from behind, covered the front of the bullet, then the entire bullet and black thing turned into a blob-like thing and went off screen for a split second. It came back on from the right and was now split up into several hundred blob-like forms. It traveled around the screen for a bit, then formed the Microsoft Game Studios logo.

I was just wondering if any of you knew how this animation could possibly be done. My guess is that they took the bullet and made it a soft body to make it liquidy. When it goes off screen, it stays off screen. A switch takes place. Instead of the bullet soft body coming back on, they make the Microsoft Game Studios soft bodies that they already had created come back on. This way, they can easily transform the liquid back into its original state - the Microsoft Game Studios words.

Anyone else have a different theory that wants to take the time out to watch this thing?

What I can't figure out though is how they were able to animate the soft bodies so well. The move in a flock. There is a "MotherGoose" mel out on Highend3d that enables several objects to follow one object, but I don't think that would work because you would have to make the MotherGoose mel stop working when you want to "un-flock" the blobs and have them form into the logo.

The black thing that covers the bullet in the beginning moves around on the front of the bullet as if it were a liquid. I don't how to do it either.

Anyway, for those who care to d/l this movie, please share your opinion, ideas, or anything else. I'd like to do animation like this myself.

www.Darkware3D.com

Last edited by Darkware; 05-06-2003 at 02:04 PM.

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# 2 05-06-2003 , 04:23 PM

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Wow, great animation user added image

This is a toughy user added image

Well, you are right in that the bullet goes into the camera, but it does not turn into a softy.

It merely is faded (quickly) (in compositing) to another shot of a chrome-like sphere shot head-on so that it sort-of resembles the general size (circumference) of the original bullet shape, and it's relative position on screen.

Then there is the black mass wraping itself around (but NOT completely) the chrome sphere.
That can be done easiest by using nurbs/polys and BLEND shapes to animate the wrapping motion.

The rest were blobby(s/w) particles along a path using either curve flow, and/or simply keying the emitters' positon using the MS/Xbox logo geometry as a goal for the particles user added image

Then spice up the end with a little 2d morph in your favorite compositor, and some flashy glows and fades, and you got something REALLY close to it user added image

...you could also find the company that did it for them, and if you ask them nicely, they might be willing to give you a shot breakdown user added image

Good luck!!!

Israel "Izzy" Long
Motion and Title Design for Broadcast-Film-DS
izzylong.com

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# 3 05-06-2003 , 05:34 PM

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Hey thanks Rage! Hmm. I've never done blend shapes before, haven't used curve flow or particles with goals just a whole lot, and have no idea how to do a 2D morph in After Effects, so it looks like I have some fun experimenting ahead of me!

www.Darkware3D.com

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# 4 05-06-2003 , 06:46 PM

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Location: Minnesota, USA

Posts: 3,709

GREAT!

Trust me, I LOVE that feeling when the lightbulb turns on in my brain after I've been banging my head against the wall trying to figure out a shot user added image

It will happen for you too man, just take your time, read the docs, and let it happen user added image

Israel "Izzy" Long
Motion and Title Design for Broadcast-Film-DS
izzylong.com

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