#LenZFX Help
7 messages in this thread
I'm trying to do an effect with LenZFX and it isn't working correctly. If you
have seen the SIGGRAPH 95 tape there is a logo for Triumph Films. I assume they
used LenZFX for the effect.
I can't get my flare to fade as the omni light goes behind my object. Most of
the time the flare is off to the side of the object. If I have the letter "I"
as the object, like the Triumph logo, with the omni light behind the "I" the
flare sometimes appears to the right of the "I". Most of the time the flare
shows up brighter than the object, covering up the object, even though the
light is behind the object. I am going to try the envelope settings with the
intensity control.
I can't figure out how to get the flare to fade in the same way. The fade
should start at the 6 o'clock position and expand radially in both directions.
If you have seen the tape you should know what I mean. There doesnt' seem to be
a way to animate the rays over time so I assume LenZFX did that automatically
or there was some type of mask used.
What is the difference between the Move in Scene and the Fade Behind Objects
options? Is it me or do the descriptions seem to describe the same effect?
The biggest problem seems to be incorrect results from LenZFX which hamper
experimentation to achieve the desired effect. With LenZFX2 coming soon I'm
hoping the program will be faster and work a little more like I assume it
should work.
>>I'm trying to do an effect with LenZFX and it isn't working correctly. If you
have seen the SIGGRAPH 95 tape there is a logo for Triumph Films. I assume they
used LenZFX for the effect.
Yes, lenzFX was used for the triumph logo (I did that piece while I was
at Sony). I didn't use any object occlusion or fade options at all for the
flare, just the envelope controls on the intensity and size. The effect of the
rays moving up in the V pattern was done on a second (separate) flare by using
a custom map for the radial inensity (I don't have FX at home, and its been a
while since I've used it, so I'm a little rusty on exactly what the controls
and option names are… sorry).
If you have an animation thats 90 frms, and a radial UV map in FX thats
90 pixels high, it will start at the first horizontal row of pixels and use
just that row as the map for the first frame. at frame two, it will use the
second row of pixels, frame three…. you get the idea. So basically, if your
first row of pixels is all white with a small black spot in the middle, the
flare will be solid except for a thin blank stripe running from the center
down. If the active row of pixels is all black except for a little white at
each end, your flare will just be a small stream of light pointing up (the map
starts at the 12 'o' clock position and wraps clockwise until it reaches 12
again). So if the map looks like, I guess, a black pyramid against a white
background, then through the course of the animation, the flare starts out full
size and will shrink from the bottom up.
For that particular flare, the map looked more like a pair of closed
curtains (with thin stripes running down the image in various shades of grey to
create the 'spokes' in the flare) being pulled open from the bottom, against a
black background.
I hope that my explanation hasn't totally confused you (I did it, and I
think I 've even confused myself…). Hope it helps.
David,
BLUR
Another cheat for making a flare "fade" behind objects is to put it first in
the Keyframer, then 3D's renders it, then the Scence over the top,
Bit Simple but tends to make suns fade behind planets in my work 🙂
Greg.
>If you have an animation thats 90 frms, and a radial UV map in FX thats 90
pixels high, it will start at the first horizontal row of pixels and use just
that row as the map for the first frame.<
That pretty much explains it, now I understand. I re-read the manual and I
missed that the first time. I knew it could be animated, but I assumed it was
an envelope setting.
Is the blue horizontal flash part of the second lens flare or a painted map?
I assume the bright flash the traces over the letters in an animap.
You did a good job on the logo. Not much 3D but simplistic and elegant.
>>Is the blue horizontal flash part of the second lens flare or a painted map?
There were actually 4 separate flare elements in the scene, and the
blue flash was one of them, done with FX.
>>I assume the bright flash the traces over the letters in an animap.
Not really a map, but a separate element comped with the rest. It was
done with photoshop, elastic reality, and ani pro.
>>You did a good job on the logo. Not much 3D but simplistic and elegant.
Thanks. "elegant" is probably the most common word people use to
describe the piece. The 3DS demo reel only used the last half of the animation,
the first part has the type spinning and flying into place… more 3D. (It
really is a flying logo, even though I promised myself I'd never do a "flying
logo". <g>)
David,
BLUR
> even though I promised myself I'd never do a "flying logo" <
Hey, those flying logos are nice opportunities to try out things you can use on
bigger projects. That's the way I look at! You did a great job on that one,
BTW.
— James — Choreo Motion —
Thank you.
David