Animating a single object in a model

mogogirl · 15 Sept 2009, 19:26

Ok, I've made a model and have done the "walk-thru" type video by using scenes. What I want to know is can you animate a single object within a model without changing camera views?

For example, my model is a gas station complete with cars at the pump. It is a mock up of an accident scene. I would love to be able to show the path of the mini-van from where it started to where it hit a pedestrian. I have tried to move the object (the minivan) and make a scene, move it again, make another scene, etc....but this doesn't seem to work because there is no change of camera angles.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for any advice.

Jim · 15 Sept 2009, 19:33

You can use the Proper Animation plugin for this. Use 2 scenes for the van position, just don't change the camera position between scenes.

mogogirl · 15 Sept 2009, 19:42

Ok sounds great. I haven't done the plug in thing before. Where do I get it and how do I download it? (See, I really am a newbie!)

mogogirl · 15 Sept 2009, 20:01

Actually I've got the plug in downloaded, just have to figure out how to use it Thanks/

honoluludesktop · 15 Sept 2009, 20:05

Jim, Mogogirl, Not sure but I don't think that you can do both in SU. Don't think that you can animate a moving object.

Gaieus · 16 Sept 2009, 06:46

Oh yes, there are endless possibilities for animation (even extremely complex ones) in SU. This was made with Sketchy Physics for instance (true that the tank doesn't seem to hit anyone)

[flash=570,300:3vsn4u84]http://www.youtube.com/v/q3Lp-fAg0oM&hl=en&fs=1&[/flash:3vsn4u84]

honoluludesktop · 16 Sept 2009, 07:12

Wow, I stand corrected:-)

Gaieus · 16 Sept 2009, 07:18

I could only say that when I first saw it, too.

True however that mastering SP at this level takes almost as much learning as to learn SU.
Proper animation is easier to understand and handle - but of course cannot do such complex things (at least to my best knowledge) and first of all, doesn't respect "real world physics" like SP.

mogogirl · 16 Sept 2009, 13:51

Wow! The tank animation is impressive... Not quite ready for that level yet but I am working with the Proper Animation plug in and am slowly figuring it out. I believe it is going to serve my purposes quite well. Thanks for all the help everyone!

mogogirl · 16 Sept 2009, 13:57

One more quick question...am I correct that you can not export this animation as an AVI file? Is there another way to do it if not?

Thanks.

Gaieus · 16 Sept 2009, 14:01

Well, the above animation was also exported (true that via another plugin which is - on top of all - a photorealistic renderer). Twilight can export animations both from Sketchy Physics (above) and Proper Animation (although they may be able to export it by themselves, too now already).