#Breake the Glass
4 messages in this thread
Hi everyone,
I have a client who wants me to crack the TV screen at the end of the
animation. This effect must l@@k real as if lines go in all directions and grow
in time, if you know what mean. Any suggestion is appreciated in advance. BTW
most software and hardware is available.
-Kouros.
Hey Kouros,
>> I have a client who want me to crach the TV screen… this effect must l@@k
real… <<
I've done this a variety of times and have yet to find an ideal approach. The
problem is that cracks grow and if you have shards breaking out it gets even
more complicated.
If the screen just has to look like its cracked, thats not too bad at all.
Basically that would be very similar to creating "lightning", and could be done
by hand fairly quickly… over a series of frames…
If the effect has to crack and reveal something in the background, the only way
I've found to create it effectively is through a sequence on model morphs. I
would do step one first, ie paint the cracks over time and record them and play
them back to insure that it looks right… then I would go back and build
several models, the first one would match the first crack of the first hand
painted scene… the second would match the second… When the cracks actually
reveal something in the background, I would create a boolean shape in the shape
of the area that is being reveal and subtract it from the shape that is
cracking… this new shape could be manipulate further to provide the second
morph target to match the next series of frames… etc.
FWIW I've tried creating shards and having them explode outward and while its a
neat effect it not the most realistic and certainly awkward as each shape in
the lofter actually has to sit on its adjacent shape so that there are no
"visible" cracks at the first frame. One can build a shape export it to 3D
build, and then with Display on in the shaper view that shape and create a new
shape to match it up with…
These are complimentary approaches and between the two you have the basic
elements from which you should be able to achieve the desired result. Artistry
is definitely an element, the rest is patience and skill. <g>
Another approach which you may find just as viable and possibly easier it to do
a 2d morph with ER or similar package. The cracks would be vector shapes that
would morph into your picture element and increase or spread depending on the
effect you're looking to achieve…
Hope this helps… its a start anyway. <g>
John
John,
WoW, Thank you man. That was an in-depth explanation. You are right, this
effect is hard to do. I tried ER, AS, 3DS, and AA Pro, and more. The best way I
came up with was to paint a sequence of 8 frames over time. The way I did was
to copy one frame 8 times. I used lasso in Photoshop and moved jaggedy
triangles from the image, thus creating gray color in moved areas. Then took
gradient (black+white)paint in AS and applied to cracks. This was my last
frame. In Photoshop, I then started to erase my way back so the cracks ended.
Played it back in PAR and amazed the client. But you second suggestion is
fantastic and I'll print it and it'll remain in my folder. Thanx again.
-Kouros
Kouros,
You're quite welcome. I typically start with the paint approach especially for
SFX like breaking glass etc. Sometimes like with lighting that hugs the
surface of a rounded object you can't use an IPAS, so painting is it. One of
the reasons I like to paint these kinds of effects is that its quick. In some
cases however the client wants it to look "3D", and I wasn't sure what your
situation was… in which case the painting approach becomes a template for
what the model needs to do. Either way its a good start, and using the Par
makes testing things like this much easier. One of the best reasons to have one
IMO. <g>
I'd be interested to hear what kind of a spot it was, let me see if I can
guess… a promotional spot for marketing selling local baseball, as an added
cable feature… and then you could tell me how close I came. <BG> FWIW that's
one I've done… a thrill a second. Actually the spot was with the pitcher
talking through a TV set to a couch potato eating popcorn, he says a bunch of
stuff about how great baseball is and then throws the ball through the TV. The
couch potato, startled drops his popcorn to catch it, making a big mess of
course. Then they do some more talking and finally the pitcher asks for his
ball back. But when the couch potato tries to throw it back, he breaks the TV
set…. naturally. <g> Quite silly really, but I guess people liked it, we used
to get calls for it all the time… people calling up to see an
advertisement?!! Only on cable. <G> That was L.O. which is where I imagine
you're doing your thing… now is that a good guess or what? 🙂
C'ya
John